• Luke Awtry | John James

Summer is here, and this issue of Nest — Seven Days' quarterly magazine on homes, design and real estate — soaks it all up. Richard Alther invites us into his lakeside home in Ferrisburgh, notable for its layered history and expansive vistas of water and sky. Even without lake views, Vermonters like to expand their living spaces outside this time of year; to that end, we tour four personalized porches across the state. Warren architect Dave Sellers calls the porch "a handshake with the natural world" — a sentiment that would appeal to garden consultant Maggie Herskovits, who nurtures open-minded approaches to urban plants, even those some people think of as weeds. Speaking of cultivating change, a major federal lawsuit will affect real estate commissions — we explore what that could mean for local buyers, sellers and agents. If the market makes your blood pressure rise, head to the spectacularly designed Sparkle Barn and Bloom Room in Wallingford to stop and smell the flowers. Ahhhh.