A friendly front yard says “welcome home,” but the real dreamscape is out back. A writing shed? A patio? A playground? In the backyard, anything’s possible.
drew perry
A Year in this House: Work in Progress
In an old house, the basement is an unfinished story in more ways than one. Among the odds and ends, countless new projects begin to take shape.
A Ring of Truth
Even when his green thumb and a cloud of pink azaleas nearly claimed a family heirloom, a writer in Greensboro knew that his late grandfather was looking out for him.
A Year in This House: The Great Indoors
To a grown-up, the small, oddly shaped closets of a 1920s bungalow look like an inconvenience. To a kid, though, they’re secret portals to a world of imagination.
A Year in This House: Shelf Life
In a house owned by novelists, it simply made sense to build in a wall of bookshelves, turning a little-used dining room into the ultimate cozy reading nook.
A Year in This House: Kindred Spirits
A home bar stocked with mementos keeps one writer connected to the people and places that have enriched his life.
A Year in This House: The Family Table
A lifetime of meals and math homework, of plans and projects and endless conversations, turns a modest piece of furniture into a prized possession.
Green & Tender: On Fathers, Sons, and Mowing the Lawn
In North Carolina, spring brings the scent of fresh-cut grass and memories of helping Dad mow the lawn.
Keep Cozy or Kick Back? Cabins vs. Cottages
Both are charming. Both have Southern hospitality to spare. But when it comes right down to it, what’s the best way to unwind in North Carolina — keeping cozy in a cabin or kicking back in a cottage? Two writers tell all.