As I mentioned in a post earlier this week, I really needed to step away from my house for a while. I was feeling a little overwhelmed by indecisiveness and was falling asleep with thoughts of rugs and fabrics bouncing around in my head. It’s just decorating, Marian. Good grief. Step away from the room. It just so happens that my husband had already planned to sweep me away to Charlottesville, VA for some down time. He picked out where we stayed and he picked a winner.
While I wanted and needed to step away from decorating, inspiration seemed to find me anyway. (I just can’t turn that part of my brain off.) I especially loved this room. The trimwork is very similar to something I want to do in my family room and I loved the neutral jute rug.
And I love all of the furniture with worn paint and French and European lines.
You know I was ready to stuff these caned beauties in my suitcase…
The entire place is beautiful.
And our room was no exception….an inspiring place to park my boots at the end of a day spent milling around Charlottesville.
In our room was another soft, flat-woven jute rug. You can see it layered under the smaller rug…
“Would you totally hate having a rug like this in our family room?” That’s my way of asking if I can get a rug like this for our family room. After living with it for about 24 hours, my husband answered the question, letting me know he really liked it and would be okay with it. I love him.
Now, I needed to figure out where I could buy a rug like that. It wasn’t overly nubby like most jute rugs, so it’s good for Legos and P90x. It wasn’t rough, so it feels nice on barefeet. I flipped over a corner and was so happy to find that it’s from Pottery Barn and is still made. So, stepping away helped me figure out what I wanted. I had the answer to the issues I was having with my family room – a comfortable, neutral rug. I’ll share more details on the rug later.
Here’s a look at the bathroom in our room…
I wanted to stuff this stool in my suitcase as well…
We also had the chance to tour Monticello and walked around the UVA campus.
It was a delightful trip and I’ll share more soon…
44 Responses
I love that stool too!
Thank you so much for sharing with us. Really beautiful!!!
Marian, where was the Inn? I’d like to take the Hubster for a little romantic getaway. We love Charlottesville. If you come back through Winchester, I would love for you to stop by so I can show you our home and get our idea about one big problem we have in our breakfast room, Free food and drink! All vegetarian and organic. Let us know!
Thanks so much for the invite! We ended up going home through Tysons Corner, so we could do a bit of shopping before we headed back into the sticks. 🙂 I’ll let you know it we’re out that way again, though.
Looks like you had a great, inspiring visit to C’ville and a wonderful stay at the Clifton Inn. Hope you returned home feeling rested and ready to tackle your decisions. Did you get down to the mall and check out Roxie Daisey? I meant to post again to point you to the Paradox Bakery, they have awesome goodies and usually a few gluten free choices. Happy Thanksgiving, looks like it has the possibility of being a white one here in the ‘ville.
Next time you’re in Charlottesville, you MUST check out Circa! Best place for antiques, vintage goodies and well-loved furniture for your next painting project…
I’m so glad you and your husband had both a fruitful and a lovely time away. 🙂
And the place you stayed! How startled I was to see it is the same style and color as our home! Except our door is gray. :). Some other differences, to be sure, but still!
I loved the little stool, too.
Have a blessed weekend, Marian
I’m headed to Virginia next week for Thanksgiving. I live in Kentucky. I can’t wait to get away.
Kristen,
I also live in Kentucky (Louisville) and will be traveling home to Virginia for Thanksgiving! Like you, I can’t wait to get out of here! Safe travels and enjoy your stay!
ellery
Oh nice…my daughter worked at that inn while she was going to college. Charlottesville is a very interesting area. I hope you visited some of the great winery’s & orchards. Dave Matthews has a very nice winery in the area.
Anxiously awaiting the post about the rug, haven’t found one locally that wasn’t too knobby and rough, I just know this is my answer!
That hotel “inn” looks like it was made for you ..or that you had decorated it yourself
That’s a great place for a getaway. Next trip you’ll just have to take bigger suitcases!
I know this topic has already been covered, but where did you purchase your boots from? I should have wrote it down the last time it came up! So happy that you were able to take some special time away with your husband!
They are last season’s Deerfield Boot from LL Bean. They don’t carry the exact one this year, but they are similar. My husband bought them for me for Christmas last year. 🙂
All I can say is your husband knows you pretty darn well! That place looked like the perfect place for you to stay at. I would be full of ideas after that stay, and visit too, Can’t wait to see your creative “afterglow” from this trip!
What a beautiful place for a getaway! Love the color of that first sitting area with the beautiful wainscoting. Would you share the name of your getaway location? Thanks for sharing!
Yes, we were at The Clifton Inn in Charlottesville, VA
It’s nice to see what inspires Miss Mustard Seed! 😉 ~Pat
How fun that you were here in C’ville!! The Clifton Inn is wonderful – it’s a favorite spot of mine for dinner, especially at the Chef’s table!! I’ve planned many a wedding there too. So picture-perfect! Glad you got to re-charge your batteries!!
There’s a magic in Charlottesville for sure. I’m so glad that you discovered it! The UVA campus is just so beautiful!!
We stayed at Prospect Hill Plantation Inn several years ago. It was beautiful and the food was fabulous. Love that sitting room.
I agree about that beautiful stool. Charlottesville is a beautiful place and Monticello is amazing. Hope you will share more about your trip.
I’m also looking for a soft woven jute! Wondering, was it the herringbone or chenille? BTW, doing my best to change my work schedule so I can join you shopping in Raleigh next weekend.
We stayed at the Clifton Inn (not in the main house, but in the darling ‘Honeymoon Cottage’) for Christmas several years ago and just loved it. They’ve done a fabulous job bringing it back after a devastating fire ten years ago. It’s a lovely place and I can see it would really speak to you.
Did you eat there? The food is equally as wonderful as the setting. 🙂
Beautiful! Thanks for giving us a tour of that lovely location. Makes me want to visit Charlottesville now. The rug is a perfect solution. A neutral palette to allow the rest of the room to ‘tell it’s story’ to the eyes!!!
I’ve been following you closely for a while now, and I think it is time for you to get some minions to take care of the less important tasks while you just do as you like for as long as you wish (and then have someone finish up in your style). All the pros do it – you think Martha Stewart takes all her photos? Kaffe Fasset rolls all his skeins into balls? Annie Sloan still stencils her livingroom walls?
When you grow, you also have to change and let go. Don’t let me read that your posting has stopped on your doctor’s orders.
Because that would be bad for everyone, particularly you.
Dear Gabrielle,
I know Annie Sloan well and yes, she does stencil her own walls.. ;->
Janet xox
Check Home Decorators for rugs…very reasonable.
Beautiful Inn! So much INNspiration.
What a beautiful getaway….love it!!! How could you not find inspiration at such a lovely place?!?!?! I am in love with the all white bathroom and its shutters.
-april
Do you have any ideas as to why it is taking your posts so long to load on my computer screen? Everything is all “jerky-turkey” and takes so long to show the next photo and words, that I often just give up and close your site. And, I don’t like that!!
I really like the rug layering effect.
I have those very same brown leather matching pair of chairs with the white trim.
Could you find out where they got the mirror. I have a picture of a room with a similar mirror and they said they got an antique bar mirror but it looks so much like this one. And I have looked online but haven’t seen one that matches it as well as this one.
Have a wonderful time away.
Marian,
It’s so nice to get a 2 minute vacation while I read about YOUR vacation! Thank you!
Clifton Inn is beautiful! You have a wonderful Hubby! Stepping away is a good choice. I do that often and you see things differently. Pop down to Williamsburg next time. Always a happy place. Clifton Inn is right up your alley though. Just your style.
I love Charlottesville, too, and hope to retire there. I graduated from UVA, and one of my sisters was married at the Clifton Inn. It was so romantic!
I’m glad your husband found the perfect spot for you to unwind.
Marian,
What an absolutely gorgeous location. I’ve never been to Charlottesville. Looks like a place I would love. Thanks for sharing!
what an amazing inn!
I have that exact rug from Pottery Barn in my bedroom, over an oak per finished floor.
And, yes , it is sooo soft on my bare feet. It also cleans up well after one little dog
Threw up on it (ewww, I know).
Though my collection of antique and heirloom furniture is small, I have a similar piano stool, it swivels up and down. It has claw feet with glass balls. It is lovely!
I’ll bet you enjoyed your time in Charlottesville!
What a beautiful place for some R&R! Thanks for sharing the decor and inspiration.
It looks an absolutely beautiful place you are staying and I love the shots you have taken, they really give a feeling of what it must be like to be there. I have always wanted to go to this part of the USA as my family has some friends there but as yet not made it.
Lee 🙂
I don’t care about any of that stuff…I sooooooo dislike all that “pin it” crap.
Taking a decorating “time out” definitely helps! I use jute rugs in our home. I always liked the neutral-ness of them and that they don’t compete with the rest of the room. Can’t wait to see your changes in the living room and so glad you had a lovely visit to VA!
Well this is just pure fabulousness !
xo
Alison