I’m not sure when I acquired my love of dressing the dinner table but it began before I hit double digits. My mom would take down our special-occasion dinnerware (until I was big enough to reach it myself), tell me where she wanted everything placed on the table, and then set me free to complete […]

We understand how the pineapple earned its swagger as the symbol of hospitality and welcome in colonial North America. New England sea captains who sailed among the Caribbean Islands dodging malaria, wicked storms, and the horrific hygiene of their randy crew were fortunate to return with their health and good judgment. But the luckiest of the […]

Much of our modern lifestyle demands that we sit – hour upon hour, day after day. But, news flash, shiny modern people: Our bodies were not designed to do this! In the caveman days, when we were hunting, gathering, playing with fire, and raising our little cave boys and girls, there were plenty of things […]

Once fall hits, there’s pretty much only one thing I want to do: bake pies. The first pie I learned to make was an apple pie. My grandmother baked pies, and she taught my mother, who later taught me. Baking was a regular activity in my house growing up, and now that I’m grown up, it’s […]

It’s that first cool day of September that brings back all of my favorite Fall memories. I step outside first thing in the morning to discover the air temperature is about ten degrees cooler than expected. The humidity has dissipated. And I feel compelled to take a deep breath of that fresh, cool air. I […]

We visited Copeland Furniture headquarters this week in movie-set-idyllic Bradford, Vermont, for a factory tour and training — think summer camp for furniture nerds. The visit confirmed a few details for us: Furniture made at Copeland’s state-of-the art facility melds the Arts & Crafts, Shaker, and Scandinavian aesthetic with modern, functional design. In other words, […]

I always loved how the great George Carlin would riff on the most outrageous oxymorons: jumbo shrimp . . . act naturally . . . good grief . . . drive on the parkway/park on the driveway . . . they’re all classics. But here’s one George overlooked: sofa sleeper. I guess it’s because there’s […]

Fields trips were always the bee’s knees when I was in grade school. Getting away from the classroom for a day, wearing coordinating shirts with all your classmates, and playing endless games to pass time on the bus always helped push us through the school year. So what if you were told for your next […]

In the land of two months of summer, we are faced with the ever present dilemma of wanting to make the most of the warm days we have, but also being realistic about how long we will get to use our outdoor furniture.  Just a little planning can make these fun pieces enjoyable year round.  […]

One of the most challenging design issues is the lack of space, or square footage. At The Century House, many of our customers live in small homes or condos and deal with this challenge on a regular basis. Fortunately, with the right multipurpose furniture, you can get everything you need out of your space. Here […]