Dunton Hot Springs

08.29.2011

Well hello! I hope you are all safe and dry, and not wringing out your home from Ms. Irene’s visit. Our hurricane preparation, though thorough, proved to be relatively unnecessary. We’re never going to eat those club crackers and fig newtons!

Regardless, there are many places I’d have rather been last weekend and Dunton Hot Springs has sprung to the top of that list.

Dunton Hot Springs was established in 1885 consisting of log structures located about a half mile from the mines. The town peaked in 1905 but by 1918 the town was deserted. A local couple purchased the camp and operated the property as a cattle ranch. In the 70′s and 80′s it was converted to a dude ranch for tourists. (I’d like to take a moment to remember one of my favorite shows growing up: Hey, Dude.) The current owners bought the camp in 1994 and spent the next 7 years renovating the property.

The Dunton Hot Springs is a luxury resort in the San Juan Mountains of the Colorado Rockies. During the days, guests can try any number of outdoor adventures or decide to relax at camp in the spa or hot springs. In the evenings, dinner is served at the historic saloon (the original bar was marked with the moniker of Butch Cassidy!) which has an open kitchen where guests can watch and even help the Chef prepare meals. Everyone eats together at one long table, a tradition dating back to the cattle ranch days. Then they retreat to their perfectly rustic private cabins. There is heaven on earth.

Images (with the exception of the Butch Cassidy portrait) via Dunton Hot Springs.

The Pucic Palace

08.22.2011

When the Antiques Diva posted photos of her recent trip to Croatia last week, I knew I’d found today’s Salvaged Getaway. Around 2005, some friends of mine vacations on the Dalmatian Coast, and raved about the beauty (and the affordability) of the Croatian coastline. Of course, back then my friends had to defend their decision to vacation in Eastern Europe. I’m now convinced on their vacation destination savvy.

Our destination: Dubrovnik and The Pucic Palace.

Renaissance palace, check. Quaint market square, check. Beaches within walking distance, check. With a history of receiving guests for over a century, the Pucic Palace is one of the finest aristocratic residences of Dubrovnik.

These beautiful old stairs have been preserved and throughout the house are parquet cladding floors made of olive wood.The entire renovation was completed with adherence to the strict old city guidelines.

The Cafe Royal has the heraldic shields of Dubrovnik’s royal families painted on the ceiling and they serve a stone soup, made with fresh local vegetables and flavored with minerals from Adriatic Sea pebbles. Intriguing!

Just outside the Pucic Palace, Dubrovnik awaits. The stone city walls were laid in the 10th century and the city walk yields the best views in town. I read in a couple of places that the thing to do in Dubrovnik is to go to Buza, also known as the cliff diving cafe. The drinks only cafe is built into the fortress walls. Drinks with a view and cliff diving into the Adriatic Sea.. sounds dangerously divine.

Images via The Pucic Palace

Historic Hotels in Norway

08.15.2011

Today’s Salvaged Grace is BC inspired. We had just finished watching True Blood and I asked him where we should go in this post. He selected a Scandinavian country, land of the Vikings, home of Eric Northman. I found not one but four beautiful historic hotels in Norway. One hotel for every time we’ve seen Eric’s rear end on True Blood. I’m just kidding, we’ve seen his backside way more than 4 times!

Let us waste no time. We begin in Bergen on the northwest coast of Norway at the Hotel Park Bergen, where the design style is refreshingly scandinavian and simple.

In the 1890′s, Bergen was the home to the fashionable elite. The building the Hotel Park is located in was built in 1890 and it was a home for single women throughout the 20th century. It was bought by the Kloh family in the 1979 and they have preserved historical character of the building both inside and outside.

On the road from Bergen to Oslo, we come to the Stalheim Hotel, located in the mountains of Western Norway. Below is the hotel in the 1900′s.

And here is he hotel today.

I am relieved that there isn’t an ounce of change in the mountainscape. I suppose there’d have to be almost catastrophic changes to disrupt that view. I mean, who even sees the actual rooms? I’d want to immerse myself in those mountains.

Onward! We pass around Oslo to a little conference hotel and golf course just outside the city. The name of the hotel is Losby Gods, which is coincidentally what I’d like to name my first born child. My preference would be to time travel to the Losby Gods of the 1800-1900′s, where there’s sailing, ice skating fancy dress, and idyllic country estate life.

And finally, our travels end in Oslo, Norway’s capital, at a beautiful hotel called Grand Hotel Oslo. The hotel was found in 1874 and for a 135 year old lady, she is still looking good.

The opening of the Mirror Room in 1886.

The absolute ingenious part of the Grand Hotel Oslo is their first floor “ladies rooms.” Yes, that’s an entire floor of rooms inspired by modern women of Norway, who excel in all different fields (actors, writers, athletes, business women.) I can’t get over this concept, I love it so. Each room is appointed with the design and amenities suiting the lady it represents. The Marie Bonnevie room is my favorite, followed closely by the Inger Ellen Nicolaisen room.

This is the spa. I’d like to live here.

Happy Monday! See you tomorrow!

Images via Hotel Park Bergen, Stalheim Hotel, Losby Gods, Grand Hotel Oslo.

Captain Fairfield Inn

08.10.2011

As you may remember, I took most of my vacations back in the Winter and Spring. So here it is – summer – and aside from the quick trip to NC and Long Island, I’m pretty much chained to the city. What I’d give to escape the hot streets for a week! Where to go? How about Maine… seaside, small towns, cute B&Bs. Enough distractions to make the trip fun, but few enough to not feel guilty about doing absolutely nothing.

To soothe my mid-summer malaise, let’s take a special, mid-week Salvaged Getaway to Captain Fairfield Inn in Kennebunkport.

Oh, doesn’t it look quaint? The Inn is the original home of a shipping captain, James Fairfield and his wife, Lois, built in 1813. Many of the original details remain though it seems the Inn underwent a pretty dramatic redecoration recently.

Above is the main living room before and below is the after. Overall, I approve! But I did like the reproduction of Captain Fairfield’s portrait in a place of honor over the mantle. You can read the full story of the original portrait here, but as the story goes… Captain Fairfield had his portrait was made while at sea and it was shipped back to his wife – but the ship was lost at sea and the portrait never arrived.

Years later, after the Captain and his wife passed away, a life like portrait of Captain Fairfield was discovered on a Swedish ship that docked in Portland. The portrait had been rolled in a tin case which was buoyant enough to rise to the surface after the ship it was on went down. In the portrait, Fairfield is holding a letter addressed to Kennebunkport, Maine, which became the clue to help the portrait find its way home. The original is in The Brick Store museum and the reproduction (now located at the end of the entry hallway below) was painted by a local artist.

While the new room designs are quite modern, they work well with the architecture of the old house. The rooms looks so fresh and comfy.

My favorite may be the new dining room area. I like the combination of the early American furnishings with the patterned wallpaper. The Innkeepers provide a delicious breakfast and apparently, you can order cheese or meat plates for afternoon snacks. I could totally see myself not leaving the property, just relaxing and eating – ah, the simple life.

Also – they serve fresh afternoon cookies and this girl LOVES her afternoon cookies.

Kennebunkport, anyone?

Images via Captain Fairfield Inn

Babylonstoren

07.25.2011

Well, it’s safe to say that BC and I were totally spoiled last weekend. We spent Friday and Saturday visiting my old roommate, her husband and their adorable almost one year old in Bridgehampton. This visit consisted of our staying in our own little guest cottage, spending two days on the glorious Wainscott beaches, enjoying wine and music at the nearby Wolffer Vineyards, and creating a farm fresh masterpiece dinner followed by night swimming(!). It really was a lovely Summer Friday and we are forever grateful to Lett, Ry and Ava for having us out.

And then we returned to Brooklyn. Ascending the stairs to our third floor brownstone apartment, you could feel the wall of heat hit. Ugh. I began thinking of places I’d rather be. Like somewhere 65 degrees and sunny. With sweeping mountain views and equally commanding vineyard vistas. Babylonstoren, outside Cape Town, South Africa will do just fine.

Babylonstoren has a long line of history beginning in the 16th century. The timeline on their website charts the past including all the owners the building passed through. The house is an example of Cape Dutch architecture which features soft, whitewashed walls of stone or brick, ornate gables and thatched roofs.

Babylonstoren actually just opened its doors for guests in 2010. It has been a working farm for most of its existence. Recently, a kraal (which is an enclosure for livestock) was converted into the restaurant Babel.

While we’re on the subject of food, let’s just start there. I absolutely love that they note “We take food seriously at Babylonstoren.” I appreciate this statement. And this one “We don’t like to tamper unduly with food or slash it to bits – pick, clean, serve is our approach.” Amen. I recommend that you check out the menu on their site – its almost too much, too good!

So simple and clean. As much as I’m drawn to eclectic spaces with more going on, there really is a tranquility to all white spaces. If anything, that hearth sure adds the perfect amount of warmth. Note the sliding barn style doors leading to the bath and the dutch door (where the top half opens separately from the bottom.)

Guests are allowed to help with the garden harvesting, pruning, planting or picking. The garden is built in the tradition of the Cape, reflecting its history as a halfway station between Europe and Asia, where ships would replenish their supplies. The pool, a converted reservoir looks absolutely refreshing. And the list of things to do nearby include wine tasting and antiquing.

If I’m not here tomorrow, you’ll know where I’ve gone.

Images via Babylonstoren

c/o The Maidstone

07.18.2011

Normally I’d lament Mondays but I’m excited for this week to get off and running because I have a short week, I’m taking a Summer Friday! BC and I are going out to visit friends in Sagaponack, NY – otherwise known as “The Hamptons.” In honor of this upcoming trip I thought it’d be fun to look at one of the Hamptons classic hotels, The Maidstone Arms.

Only… hold up! Since I last thought about The Maidstone Arms, it was bought by Swedes (in 2008), renamed c/o Maidstone, and completely renovated to look more Scandinavian cool than east coast classic, as expected. However, at closer inspection, I found a lot of really inspiring design tactics. To start, all the rooms are inspired by famous Scandinavians – like Josef Frank (my pattern hero), Astrid Lindgren (author of children’s classic, Pippi Longstocking) and Edvard Munch (Norwegian painter), to name a few. It’s an interesting, fresh take on a 150 year property.

Turns out that if you’re looking for international fun try c/o Maidstone but if you’re hoping for more traditional Hamptons flair, you can find it at The Baker House 1650 nearby. They even have a room named The Maidstone! I love the combination of the black and white check with the light blue settee.

Ooooh, the furniture and accessories from the old Maidstone Arms is for sale at the Animal Rescue Fund Thrift Shop in Wainscott… conveniently close to where we’ll be staying…

Images via c/o Maidstone and The Baker House.

Costantinopoli 104, Italy

06.20.2011

Hello! Hope you had a lovely weekend. On Saturday, I was up early for boot camp then took a perfect morning stroll through my neighborhood to pick up our CSA share. I spent the rest of the day creating Saturday night’s italian themed dinner.

BC and I are an online dating success story so we like to encourage our friends try it out. We invited two friends over for dinner Saturday night to help them set up their online dating profiles. To set a mood for love, I gathered some italian inspiration and created an italian feast (bruscetta, homemade pizza, the works!) complimented with Aperol spritz drinks and italian wine.

So naturally, with Italy on the brain, today we are off to Constantinopolo 104 in Naples.

Naples is one of the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world and the villa at The Constantinopoli 104 dates back to the 1800′s. The villa was once home to the Marchese Spinelli and there are still many original features, like the Spignelli family crests on the fireplace.The black framed photo wall is exquisitely executed and I wouldn’t mind cozy’ing up by that fireplace!

Can you imagine starting your day in Naples with a refreshing dip in that pool?

I would go straight from pool to the local market!

I’ve been listening to Renato Carosone on repeat since I started the party planning. It certainly puts one in the mood!

Images via Constantinopoli 104.

Blackberry Farm

06.13.2011

Somewhere between a 5 hour plane delay, eating BBQ at 2am, and attending my family reunion Saturday… I forgot to publish my Friday post. The gist of the post was… BC came home with me to NC for the first time! I was so happy to finally show him my hometown, as well as introduce him to both my extended family and my high school friends. We even had a (now common, or so I hear) summer storm that knocked the power out on Friday night. Not to be deterred, my mother brought out the childhood photo albums which we viewed via candlelight.

For the record, it was a wonderful weekend. And I think BC liked North Carolina. My parents neighborhood is gorgeous and the Tarheel state had on her best shade of green grass and a surplus of flowering blooms.

When I saw pictures of Blackberry Farm in eastern Tennessee, my heart swelled.

Next time we go home, I’m taking BC up to the Great Smoky mountains (I went to college in the northern mountains of NC). And I would not complain if a trip over the state lines was on the itinerary to this beautiful farm just east of Knoxville.

In the 1930′s a woman named Florida Laiser, on a trip from Chicago to Georgia, snagged her silk stockings on thicket of blackberry bushes on the future farm site. And so Blackberry Farm was born.

Over 70 years later, the property includes rooms and dining in the main house, as well as additional cottage properties. The decor feels somewhere between equestrian, rustic and southern traditional. Either way, the space look like an ideal place to relax. Dinners are served in an amazing turn of the century barn.

I mean…that barn.

One of the neatest parts of Blackberry Farm is the lifestyle they promote. The calendar of events is full of themed epicurean, adventure, music and enrichment weekends. (I can’t decide which I’d be more into: the Smoky Mountain Table or the Transformation Boot Camp.)

Is it possible to want to be anywhere else?

Images via Blackberry Farm.

La Casona

06.06.2011

Summer is officially off and running. Since most of my vacations fell in the first quarter of the year, I’m not doing a ton of traveling during the summer months. But I’m not complaining, I’m enjoying our first year with CSA share and in getting some projects completed around the house.

Besides, there is always a Salvaged Getaway to quench my thirst for travel. La Casona is located in Cusco, Peru, which I’ve never really thought about, though I know it’s suitable for amazing outdoor exploration. La Casona is located near Machu Picchu and it seems like the perfect place to return to after a day in the Sacred Valley.

La Casona was built between 1585 and 1700, is one of the finest examples of a Spanish Colonial mansion in the city of Cusco. It was rebuilt and modified over a long period of time, thus it has a unique blend of many periods. In the early 17th century, it became the support quarters for the convent next door but has later become a private home. The house has been designated a historical monument.

I really love the decor, it looks like a fine European hotel, there’s a definite Spanish influence. The fabric colors of the upholstered chairs and sofas are so supple. And did you notice the border design in one of the guest rooms? Perfection. The manor operates like a private residence – the outside public is not allowed. Which, if I were there, would mean more spa treatments for me!

Confession: I totally looked up flights when writing this post! Yes, I could see myself totally enjoying Peru.

Bonus! There’s a sister hotel in Machu Picchu and I’m completely loving this library set-up at that property.

Images via La Casona.

Santini Residence, Prague

05.23.2011

Good Monday to you! Hope you had a great weekend. Mine was particularly nice with a great show by BC’s improv team, Taco Knight (it was a send off for his teammate, Anne, who’s moving to Napa) and with some friends of mine visiting from London (we went to Tipsy Parson for dinner – such wonderful southern-influenced cuisine!)

Today’s Salvaged Getaway comes to you straight from BC’s list of places he’s never been and would want to go… Prague. Actually I’ve never been either, and after seeing pictures of the Santini Residence, Prague just made my short list.

The house where the Santini Residence is located dates back to the 17th Century, but it acquired its’ Baroque elements when it was owned by a famous Baroque architect, Jan Blažej Santini-Aiche. The house was privately owned until 2002, and it then underwent a restoration. Remaining still are the authentic wooden ceilings, ribbed vaults, wall fresco paintings and an original porcelain stove.

The decor has a simple, somewhat modern sensibility to it, but it’s the architecture and the traditional design elements (hello painted wood ceilings!) that make Santini Residence spectacular.

Images via Santini Residence