Remember the days when you had just a desk, a paper tablet with a pencil—or a pen and some stationery—and a stationary phone, and the only electronic device was your typewriter? I certainly do. And I’ve come to realize that true friendship must be cultivated in real time, not on the Internet or Facebook, but with letters, cards, phone calls, and actual visits. Social media is merely a support system.

North House Folk School is modeled on the Scandinavian folkeshoskole, developed in Denmark in the 19th century.

Desks of any sort were uncommon before public education created greater literacy at the start of the 19th century. Here's a look at common early desks.

A review of the “unseen” floor coverings of early America challenges the myth that colonial homes were bare.

This new house was planned around a collection of rugs and furniture passed down for five generations.

Against the spare beauty of Grand Marais harbor in northern Minnesota nestles a cluster of brilliantly colored buildings. The historic timber-frame structures hum with activity—boat building or woodcarving, basket weaving or fiber arts. In the central courtyard, noise rings out from a blacksmith’s shop, while an outdoor masonry oven scents the air with the yield of an artisanal bread-baking class. This is the North House Folk School.

Original wood floors are a prized feature—when they have survived. For those looking to approximate one, our experts explain what an authentic floor should look like.

The restoration of a beautifully reclaimed Dutch-English house in New York's historic Hudson River Valley.