Fall in the Berkshires - Steepletop

About a year ago at this time I took a spontaneous road trip to Pittsfield MA to check out the Pine Cone Hill Outlet and was rewarded with beautiful linens at bargain prices (you can read about that adventure HERE).  One of my blog readers was kind enough to leave me a comment about a special tent sale they have every Columbus Day weekend.  

Now you must know by now I would not be able to pass this by.  

So after spending a week here

On top of the world thanks to a Pink Jeep Tour in
Sedona AZ

I got home just in time to hop in my car and meet up with one of my pals and hit the tent sale which was absolutely fabulous (I will be going back next year!) and then visit Edna St Vincent Millay’s house in Austerlitz NY.

Edna St Vincent Millay was a Pulitzer Prize winning poet who spent much of her childhood in Camden Maine (as did I) and spent a bit of time in Union Maine (as did I) she also lived in Massachusetts for a time (as do I) and upstate New York (as did I).  She also lived in Paris (as did I…oh wait a minute that was only a dream for me).  Born in 1892 she was just a little older than my great-grandmother so her life really brings images of the stories my grandmother used to tell us when we were kids.

This summer my reading list included the Nancy Milford biography of Ms. Millay, Savage Beauty. Although she was very famous and from the very small town in Maine I lived, I knew amazingly little about her so it was particularly fascinating for me to read about her.

I can’t say enough good things about the biography.  Nancy Milford really did a stellar job at painting the picture of the enigmatic, complicated, beautiful, tortured poet who went by Vincent.  Pick it up, you won’t regret it.

Ok, back to my Berkshires visit.  Vincent & her husband Eugen Boissevain bought Steepletop in 1925 and both lived there until their deaths – hers a year after his.  It was a blueberry farm that they bought from a New York Times ad and renovated to look like a New England farm house.  

The pool bar...lots of friends gathered
photo source

The pool - #1 rule was no clothes...ever.
photo source

The pool now...needs a little preservation work

They lived here as bohemians with much love, life & hard work.  They lived self-sufficiently not even having electricity until the 1940’s.  

Ladies Home Journal put a state of the art kitchen for Vincent in 1949 to feature in their magazine
photo source

photo source

photo source

After both Eugen & Vincent’s deaths Vincent’s sister Norma lived at Steepletop carefully preserving the house, living around Vincent’s possessions for decades until Norma’s death in the 1980’s.  Steepletop didn’t open to the public until 2010.  

Vincent's Library....no one was allowed in this room but Vincent...Ever.
photo source

photo source

The really great thing about this house is it is filled with Vincent & Eugen’s actual possessions many of which are in the exact same spot as they were when Vincent died in 1950.  Amazing and there is such a sense of Edna that remains in this house.  You can really feel her work and life here.

To add to the pleasure of the day it’s Fall in New England…what can be better? 

sharing this week on:
Between Naps on the Porch, The Dedicated House, Savvy Southern Style, Coastal Charm, Cozy Little House, The Cottage Market, The Charm of Home, French Country Cottage, Mod Vintage Life, Jennifer Rizzo, Artsy Chicks Rule, Elizabeth & Co, Our Home Away From Home

What's in a Thread Count - Pine Cone Hill Outlet

Sometimes (ok, most times) I seem to have to learn all of my lessons the hard way. Not the serious hard way that lands you in the pokey but just hard enough that I have to have a more than occasional “now why did I do that” dialog with myself.

This was the case when many years ago now I decided thread count be damned I was going to go for the pretty, inexpensive poly/cotton blend sheets I spied at Wal-Mart (did I mention they were pretty). Now to be fair, this incident occurred during my brief residency in New York that was definitely one of the more financially challenging times of my life. We all have them, young and starving…living on love. Well, that should give you an idea of how this crucial error in judgment came to be.

Excited with the bargain and how pretty my bed was going to look I immediately went home, washed the pretty sheets & put them on my bed. It didn’t take too long…we’re talking days not weeks here…for these very pretty sheets to start to pill and scratch. It took even less time once this started happening for them to go into the donation bag.

Lesson learned, fabric blend and thread count matter!

In the years since this unfortunate incident I have progressively gotten more expensive and more expensive taste in linens. As much as I hate to accept it, you do get what you pay for in the world of linens. These days I am lusting over Serena & Lily and Pine Cone Hill linens but it kills me to even think of paying full price for them. I have been fortunate to find sheets at a decorator shop sale and a dust ruffle at TJ Maxx of all places but it’s been a while since I’ve scored any swanky linens at bargain prices so I’m due.

Lucky for me, Pine Cone Hill is headquartered in Pittsfield Massachusetts and even better luck they have a factory outlet store there. Now this is a real factory outlet – not one of those outlets who produce lesser grade inventory specifically for the outlet instead of a store full of legitimate discontinued & seconds. The only unfortunate part of this story is that when I Mapquested directions the estimated arrival time was 3 hours!!! Really, Massachusetts is not that big of a state…where is this place?

Could it be any farther away???

So, I put it on my list for a “later date” and before I knew it a couple of years passed and I still had not made the trek. It’s tough to commit a whole day for linens but recently I saw on their website that they are also carrying Dash & Albert rugs - another product I have been lusting after.

This beauty now officially has a new home in my
guest room. Prices are 50% off retail and they gave
me an extra special discount for edge discoloration...
do you see any discoloration? Me neither but I certainly
wasn't going to pass up the extra special deal!

So many rugs, so few floors...

The scale was officially tipped and this weekend I woke up to a dreary Saturday that was stopping me from finishing up that darn trim paint on my house (see Summer Project here) so a road trip seemed in order.

Pine Cone Hill Factory Outlet
125 Pecks Road, Pittsfield MA
Does this look legit or what???

They are all so beautiful...how do I ever pick just one???

It was soooooo worth the trip! I had to literally keep reminding myself that I only have 3 bedrooms and 2 beds (soon to be 3)…where would I use all of the beautiful things I was desiring?

They even have furniture (really large furniture). See those
curtains on the middle shelf...well those also have a new
home in my guest room

More beautiful large furniture...and filled with gorgeous
hued towels

It took all of my self discipline to leave this in the store...as Arnold says
though "I'll be back".

I’ve been working on finishing my guest room for a few months now and I had no idea exactly what direction I was heading on it but I literally finished buying everything that was left to complete this room on this trip.

Pine Cone Hill has the absolute best cotton pajama's - pretty & comfy!

Yes, this lovely little number accidentally snuck into my
bag...hmmm it will look so nice in my recently redone
master bedroom...can you say little pop of color

I’m so excited to put it all together now...pictures to come soon.

Plan B part 2 - Pallian & Company

Last winter on my way home from my family Christmas I decided to take “the scenic route”…from Portland ME Route 1 toward Boston…unthinkable in the summer months with all of the tourist (or better know as "people from away") traffic but in late December perfect opportunity for aimless meandering along the coast of Maine.

My initial plan was to head toward the infamous Maine Diner in Wells ME for breakfast and see what I trouble I could find along the way.  Given it was just after Christmas I knew it was just a matter of time until a big sale sign called my name….and it didn’t take long. 

Pallian & Company

2049 Post Road Wells ME

Pallian & Company in Wells was my first stop. Not only had I never been to this shop I had never even noticed it on this stretch of Route 1…a very non-descript building…so I really have no idea why I made the U-turn to check it out….but I am soooo glad I did.  This place is cottage chic at its greatest!

This is my favorite of all of the rooms at Pallian...beautiful
sea greens/blues are everywhere!

 

So, on my Plan B excursion a couple of weeks ago with by best girlfriend Kate from Scissors, Spatula’s & Sneakers I just knew I had to take her to Pallian & Company. Just as expected she was drooling as much (well almost) as I was over their gorgeous wares.

Love, love, love Pine Cone Hill linens!  So pretty & so
comfortable

They had these in 2 sizes...oh how I debated...I
have almost convinced myself to go back for
them...It's more than a possibility...

Does this look familiar?  It does to me....it looks an awful
lot like the blue plate I bought in Calabash NC last year...
see More Calabash Design...

Growing up on the coast of Maine sea inspired decorative items are like home to me.  I love the array of beautiful & chic beachy items in this shop. I could literally take everything home with me.

Many years ago I stumbled upon a documentary on PBS
about Cuba and all of the old American cars they have
and treasure in Cuba - owners actually park them in their
homes at night and make parts/fluids to keep them
running...Ever since I have wanted to visit Cuba.  I
imagine it to be like walking into 1954...This display of
all things Cuba stopped me in my tracks!

So chic, so simple...love it!