Decor Inspiration: A Concrete Tiny House in Mexico

May 03, 2017

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 Chung, Pinterest, Joffoto,
Renee Hollingshead and Kristen Lynne

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.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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