A Vermont Christmas in a Restored 1800's Carriage House
- Melissa Meares
- Dec 26, 2024
- 4 min read
Updated: Jan 21
Christmas (with the Kranks?)
This might sound extremely pessimistic, but I have always found Christmas Day to be a little bit of a letdown after about noon. Don't get me wrong, I love the joy of waking up, bounding downstairs in PJs, opening presents with family, and watching movies all day. But once the day was over and the wrapping paper was cleaned up, there was always this wave of sadness knowing we had to wait another year to experience the joy again,
Three Christmas' ago, I ran the idea past Kyle of going on a trip in lieu of gifts. We've never been much of gift-givers, anyway. Because Kyle worked at a church, we were never able to travel until after Christmas Day, so it was the perfect way to beat the post-Christmas blues. In 2022 we went to Banff, AB, Canada, and I skied for the first time since I was a kid.
The next year, we went to Breckenridge, Colorado and it had all the snow globe charm I could have ever dreamed of. This was also Dolly's first time encountering the snow and she LOVED it.
White Christmas
This year was the first year we didn't have any church service obligations, so we decided to get an earlier start on the travel. We decided to hit the slopes in Vermont and New Hampshire this year for Friendsmas and skiing. There would be 6 of us and 3 dogs. My friend Kaitlyn even managed to find us a place that had soaker bathtubs, wood-burning fireplaces, and a hot tub, aka the holy trinity of Airbnb.
Kingdom Carriage House
If you've been around for even a small amount of time, you know about my love affair for all things antique, vintage, or just plain old. Vintage books, antique furniture, original art, and decor, I love it all.
We got the chance to stay in the most exquisitely decorated house last week in Vermont at a completely restored home that had been a carriage house in the 19th century for weary travelers and their horses to stop and rest. This stay was not sponsored and was paid for completely by us, but I couldn't resist sharing a little tour here for my fellow antique lovers.
Without further ado, here is the tour!
The Living Room
A wood-burning fireplace is the focal point of the living room, and we had a roaring fire every day we were there! I'm not sure what was original and what was added but the downstairs has exposed beams and you can see straight onto the second story's wooden floors. I don't know that I've ever been in a house like that with no subfloor!
The Kitchen & Dining Room
The kitchen was one of the only rooms in the house with drywall, and I love the Tiffany blue paint they used on the walls and cabinets. It contrasts really well with the warm wood tones. I also appreciated the retro microwave which unfortunately I did not get a photo of.
The dining area had a gorgeous antique buffet similar to the federalist buffet I have in my bedroom. All of the art in this room (and throughout the house) were original oil paintings. I would love to know where they sourced everything!
Second Floor Library Room
The second floor also boasted a wood burning fireplace as well as a library and TV room with a breakfast nook area. Wait till you see this wallpaper mural!
The Bedrooms
The sprawling carriage house sleeps 10 but there were only 6 of us (humans, anyway) Do you remember the apartment in The Ersatz Elevator from A Series of Unfortunate Events? It felt like that like you could go a whole day without seeing someone!
First Floor Bedroom
The Second Floor Bedrooms
The Loft Bedroom
This is where Kyle, Dolly, and I stayed. It felt like we were in an A-frame up here in the loft! The best part was definitely the soaker tub!
Thanks for following along! Here is a link to their website if you want to book a stay!
Which room was your favorite?! Leave it in the comments!
Thanks for reading,
xoxo,
Melissa
Comments