Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring Tour

January 13, 2017

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring
Before we start the dream tour of this historic
manor house in Virginia with the inspiring
interiors which became
The Retreat at Cool Spring,
I think you should know I'm feeling extra extra tender
these days, and I think it's because I'm an empath
soaking up quite a lot of emotion around me.

Something interesting happened to this blog yesterday.

My sister and I were busy taking photos of
the fixer upper so I didn't look at my computer
or phone all day, and when I checked my
stats last night, I was astonished.

It was the second busiest blog day ever.
I did some checking in search
of an explanation for the surge.

Believe it or not, it wasn't
pretty interiors that went viral.


My sweet Bella Luna...oh how I miss you.
It was my prayer.
Posted just after the Presidential election.

A prayer of the heart.

I may be naive.
But the surge yesterday...for a prayer...it fills me with hope.

The post is here if you missed it,
and here is the prayer penned that morning,
stream of consciousness, with no stops or edits:

Let there be peace on earth...
let it begin with me.


May I cultivate that peace
and reflect it wherever I roam.


May I bring smiles, hope, and laughter
to corners where there is darkness and despair.


May I share good fruit and gracious hospitality
with others fighting battles I cannot see.


May I look for the light and humbly reflect it.

Oh that I might be a source of comfort
and fresh air to the atmosphere.


That I might be a peaceful fragrance in the world.

That I might willingly go in vulnerable directions,
allowing my heart to be broken over and over again.


That I might persistently return to love in spite of the cost.

That I might not lose hope when the sting of death
and cold harsh days of mourning come.


That I might loosely hold my attachments and
glimpse the gold shimmering within eternal realms. 


Oh, let those realms manifest into reality!

Oh, may grace wash over me and you
til we are so free from bitterness
and so full of mercy our
hearts overflow with
forgiveness
and
sacred love.


May the door of happiness
swing wide open to all.


May all who seek rest, find it this day.

May our lives bloom in diversity and pure harmony.

And may stillness and quiet contemplation
have its way with us.


I lift this prayer of the heart as an offering to the universe.

And I surrender my need for all to be well,
calling upon instead, a divine intuition
which welcomes a trustworthy energy
to pierce unholy parts,
reveal the everlasting,
and
 teach a hidden wholeness.


Amen? Amen.
image result for exterior white mansion 1799 retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring
And now a retreat.
Let's step inside a dreamy manor house called
Retreat at Cool Spring
which has been kindly loved back to life by its
caretaker, the owner of a vintage/decor shop
(Old Lucketts Store in Leesburg, Virginia)
and can be rented for weddings, events, and vacations.

It's also where the brilliant Miss Mustard Seed
styled her MMSMP collection in 2015!

Photography and Sources:

Dan ChungPinterestJoffoto,
Renee Hollingshead and Kristen Lynne


image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

The 1799 home with original
architectural details is hidden on the edge
of a former golf course in Bluemont, Virginia.
image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

It was built by a Revolutionary War soldier
and was once occupied by a US senator who served
on the jury of former Vice President Aaron Burr's
treason trial.
image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

In July 1864, the Battle of Cool Spring took place
across the river, and Union troops advanced
through the Shenandoah Valley but were defeated
by Confederates.


image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

When restorationist Scott Lessler purchased the Retreat
in 2005, he installed central air and heating,
gave it a new roof, and stripped the woodwork
and doors which had been coated in layers of
paint over the centuries.
image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

When the house became Suzanne Eblen's in 2014,
she spent more than a year sourcing furniture and
antique pieces, giving it "an artfully undone perfection."
image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

Some of the Retreat's notable elements:
a location in the heart of Virginia's wine country
wide-planked wainscoting
built-in cabinets
brick fireplaces
old hardware
terraces overlooking the river
grand foyer
library
huge dining room
elegant living room

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

It's such an enchanting historical property,
and I would be in heaven taking photos here
and savoring the details Suzanne Eblen has so
thoughtfully orchestrated.

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring
image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

image result for tranquil minimal interiors of retreat at cool spring virginia
Decor Inspiration: Retreat at Cool Spring

Thanks for touring the lovely
wouldn't it be amazing to gather here?

The days are short and so gloomy right now,
and these peaceful images with their
timeworn beauty lift my spirits.

I pray that you feel safe.
I pray you don't feel too alone.
I pray you know your worth.

I'm sending light from the silvery moon...
and peace to you, right where you are.

For more lovely interior design
and peaceful living, visit these recent posts:



Hello Lovely Studio Michel pointe shoes ballet slippers denim

You Might Also Like

7 comments

  1. Hi Michelle, thanks for the prayer....you are so gifted with words, my friend! The retreat looks heavenly! I especially love the bedrooms with their curvy whitewashed beds and minimal furnishings. So romantic! Have a great weekend 🙂

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i love those beds too, holly! have a wonderful saturday. xox

      Delete
  2. Such a beautiful prayer Michele xox
    .. and this retreat .. stunning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. thanks, Leslie. hope you're retreating this weekend! xox

      Delete
  3. Dear Michele, what a beautiful prayer here!!! And what a wonderful retreat you shared with us today! Thank you, your post made my day! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. merci, greet. i think my appetite for tranquil spaces keeps growing as i age! xox

      Delete
  4. Michele- Please create a "pin-able" version of this prayer...the world needs it. Your words are so direct,yet soft. They are sweet, yet determined...I would like to repeat this beautiful "calls to loving arms" every morning.

    ReplyDelete

Your comments add to the beauty...thanks in advance for your kindness.

blogher

Farmhouse Finds!