Editor

Real Estate

Farmhouse Rock

Located in Spencertown on a quiet country road, this unique property combines a farmhouse and a converted schoolhouse. A high-ceiling great room has built-in bookshelves and sliding doors to a back patio, a bright country kitchen with bay window seating area, living room with fireplace, formal dining room, and a

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Real Estate

Home School

While many schoolhouse renovations completely transform the exterior, this former school in Litchfield retains a classic facade. Built in 1896, the historic Milton School has been reclaimed as a two bedroom, two-and-a-half bathroom home sited on a half acre of level land. The interior has been fashioned into a living

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Community

The Rural We: Joan Ackermann

Originally from Cambridge, Mass., playwright Joan Ackermann now makes her home in the Berkshires where she and co-founder Gillian Seidl have run Mixed Company, a theater in Great Barrington, for the past 36 years. A special contributor to Sports Illustrated for many years, Ackerman has also written for Time, The

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Food

Poached Chicken In Citrus Ginger Butter Sauce

Contributor Lisa Fielding is a private chef and boutique caterer based in Manhattan who weekends in Litchfield County whenever possible. Many of her Manhattan clients are also Litchfield County weekenders, so work brings her to Northwest Connecticut as well. A Los Angeles transplant, Fielding was a former Hollywood film executive

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Community

Let's Party, But Where? Venues Guide, Part 2: Columbia Cty

The backdrop of natural beauty in the Rural Intelligence region has been luring brides and grooms to say their “I Do’s” here for years. But really, why shouldn’t any event — birthdays, anniversaries, corporate gatherings — get to enjoy the fabulous venues (and yes, frequently the views) that make a

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Style

Louisa Ellis: Shopping From Head To Toe

By Nichole Dupont Two days before my 40th birthday I walk into Louisa Ellis (its new home is a larger space at 294 Main Street in Great Barrington) thinking I was going to have a brief sit-down interview with the store’s owner/innovator/maven Melissa Bigarel. I'm

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Community

Members with Benefits: The Rest Of The Region

By Jamie Larson Last week we explored the benefits of becoming a member of some of the Berkshires' cultural institutions. The rest of our region, Columbia County, Litchfield County and Northern Dutchess County, is likewise resplendent with arts organizations worth joining. So here, again, we enumerate a few more

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Style

The High-Performance House, Part 6: The Facade Takes Shape

Rona Easton and Lonn Combs of EASTON+COMBS, the award-winning architectural office based in New Marlborough, Mass. have allowed Rural Intelligence to look over their shoulders (and those of their client) throughout the construction process of a high-performance home going up right now. This is the sixth installment of eight

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Real Estate

Viewing Party

The only thing that rivals this home theater with a huge projection screen is the stunning, private Lake Waramaug views captured from this Washington estate. Sited on over 30 acres — stretching from the shore and rising high above the lake — this house offers three levels of living space. The main

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Real Estate

Movie Manor

This stately reproduction in Old Chatham is filled with every possible modern amenity and offers a mix of formal and casual living areas, with a media room to add even more value. A foyer leads to the living room that has an intricately carved mantel above the fireplace, and a

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Real Estate

Professional Grade

This home theater offers plenty of room for a big movie night gathering. The 4,900-square-foot Millbrook residence combines a main structure connected by a flying bridge to a two-story wing. The foyer leads to a great room, a kitchen that has a full wet bar with sink and wine

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Real Estate

Play Space

This open-plan Contemporary in West Stockbridge features the ultimate media room that includes a screening area, bar, and arcade. The house is accessed via a long, winding drive to the top of a hill, and is nestled into a mountainside that captures private views. There is a large great room

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