A charming upstate farm retreat

It's a dream of all (admit it, all) NYC dwellers to have a country retreat. Kathryn Windley was no exception to the rule. She was tired of her grueling hours as an art director for a Manhattan ad agencies, and was recently divorced. She added a new twist to the New Yorker turned farmer by actually marrying the realtor who found her the property a few years later on the 20-acre grounds!

This living room is kept bright and cheery by the white upholstery and brightly striped rug.

In NYC, unless you pay for a separate studio, on never has space in their apartment for a studio.
One day I hope to have the space to paint and draw again.

The barn is actually a garage they designed to look like a barn.

I adore this kitchen, and Kathryn claims the farmhouse sink is what sold her on the property.  The runner was a once a damaged full-sized carpet she had cut and bound to fit the kitchen.

What do you think?

Read the full story and see more at Country Living

To have a space for dreaming and solitude...

You know how some people get all of their energy from being around other people, and how other people need "alone time" to energize? Well, I'm definitely one of the later. I grew up on an almost 200 acre farm on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, so being alone and outside was a part of my daily life and something I really took for granted. Obviously, living in NYC for 3 years I never experienced that, and though I loved it - I never truly felt unwound. I have found a happy in between where I am now, but looking at these gorgeous retreats makes me long for a hidden spot in nature where I can go and decompress.

What do you do or where do you go when you need to decompress and unwind?

so, so, so pretty

perfect

heaven

a retreat in Sri Lanka...

and in France
1 -3 via Pinterest  4-5 via Richard Powers

Country conversions

pretty pretty pretty! It's hump day and I needed a little lift to help me over. These are mostly lofts and/or converted barns. So peaceful.

I adore this bedroom - what a gorgeous ceiling! I also never realized how pretty yellow bedding can be. Anybody have yellow bedding?

I need to find out who painted that cloudscape above the tub!
via Southern Living


such a sweet guest room!
via NY Times

This kitchen is a really successful blend of modern and country. It's warm and inviting - and still sleek and clean.
via Architectural Digest

Could you live in a barn?

I could! If they looked like some of these conversions. After doing all the research, I'd definitely need mine to be sectioned into different rooms as opposed to a conversion left as a vast open space with a loft. You?




Images via Farmhouse Modern


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Images via Materialicious









Images via Border Oak





Look at how they start, with just the stone foundation!
Images via Carpenter Oak