The much-anticipated second season of HBO’s historical drama “The Gilded Age” arrives Oct. 29. But did you know three Litchfield County residents, including actors Christine Baranski and Jack Gilpin, are part of what makes it so binge-worthy?

Darin Ronning and Travis Messinger are unafraid of fire. Contrarily, they have used it in the pursuit of beauty for more than a decade, transforming ordinary clay into extraordinary ceramics that enhance aesthetic and ambiance.

Located in a nondescript industrial building off Main Street in New Hartford, Hardenco is making custom jeans the old-fashioned way, stitching together the denim fabric on vintage Singer sewing machines.

Passion, tenacity, and resilience fuel everything Brigitte Paulick does, whether she’s completing triathlons, overcoming a near-fatal accident, or spearheading a longstanding company. 

The restaurant business is not known for its longevity so when a restaurant such as New Milford’s Lucia Ristorante has been open for 16 years it’s a sign they are doing something right.

This is a love story—about home furnishings. The story begins with a courtship gift that grew into a business. The business threatened to break this couple apart (every good love story needs a crisis), but ultimately brought them closer together.

Creativity is intertwined in Litchfield County’s history, transcending times and genres. Many have settled here, drawing inspiration from the area’s tranquility while contributing to its artistic legacy.

Among the most prolific 20th century artists, Alexander “Sandy” Calder created kinetic sculptures—mobiles featuring wire-connected forms that dazzle in midair—that have attracted worldwide acclaim.

Workstead is a multidisciplinary studio celebrated by the AD100 as a global leader in design. From their Brooklyn office, more than 15 professionals create one-of-a-kind buildings and interiors that are comprehensive in vision and exacting in detail.

Their next show, NOWHERE, is a series of paintings, sculptures, and shaped panels by artist Danielle Klebes that feature a disorienting mixture of real and invented scenes.

Filled with wordplay, Van Doren’s poems vacillate between the extremes of joy and despair, by turns witty and chagrined, punning and reflective.

Heide Hendricks and Rafe Churchill, partners in life and business through interiors and architecture studio Hendricks Churchill have published their first book, Our Way Home: Reimagining An American Farmhouse, which was released this past September.