The Bream Bedroom

Setting the tone to this decidedly French and luxuriously inviting room is a Louise XV-style chaise long with cabriole legs in old white paint and a Louise XV-style Bergere with a curved arched padded back, molded frame and cabriole legs. To the left of the bed is a French tulip wood bijouterie cabinet with a marquetry decorated lift top opening to a mirrored interior, c. 1880, and to the right is a French fruitwood one drawer stand with cabriole legs, c. 1870.  A gilt and white paint convex mirror hangs over the fireplace.  A salmon lobed vase decorated with white figures is mounted as a tabletop lamp.  Hanging over the desk is an 18^th Century carved figural plaque of a sea creature with a later clipped corner frame faux painted in a complementary manner.  There is a mid 19^th Century bronze bas  relief roundel of a woman in profile in a gilt frame and  a pair of 19^th Century French prints in rectangular frames which give the room depth and a sense of collected artifacts.

Ethelwynde Bedroom

Spring fresh colors highlight this wonderful room with views out to the Great Lawn.

A grand late 19^th Century post humous  portrait of Sarah Oakley Vander Poel in an elaborate laurel leaf and ribbon gilt frame hangs over the fireplace.   A Beidermeier secretaire with ivory escutcheons and pulls as well as a Beidermeir sleigh bed, both c. 1840 decorate the room.  There is a 19^th Century print with reverse painting on glass matt in an octagonal frame above the secretaire.  On either side of the bed is a group of four19^th Century engravings from “The Cries of London” series.  Small pieces like the Beidermeier fruitwood stool with cabriole legs and needlepoint cover, a 19^th Century mahogany French gaming table with satinwood inlay and a 19^th Century Charles X candlestick with incised decoration all add to the charming appeal of this quiet retreat.  Underfoot is a Portugese needlepoint carpet of neoclassical design with a laurel leaf pattern surrounding floral medallions.

On our Yoga Platform. Photo by modernArtistry.com

The Winthrop Estate is proud to be neighbors with one of the nation’s premier yoga centers, Kripalu. Hence, our little village of Lenox has a large population of very skilled yoga teachers.  To enhance our guests stay at our luxurious mansion we are now offering complimentary morning yoga classes.  If you let us know one week in advance that you would like to take a class (or two) during your stay with us, we will book a teacher to give you a private lesson, or a small group lesson at a time that works best for you.

Breathe, relax…..  and  feel how wonderful it is to be here!

Thanks to Dave Donato at www.modernArtisty.com for this lovely photo.

Berkshire Fishing Club Lake

We are pleased to share with all our guests a membership to the Berkshire Fishing Club.  Now anyone who stays with us at the Winthrop Estate can spend a day at a pristine Palmer Brook Lake fishing for bass, chain pickerel and bluegill.  This is an exclusive fishing club, not open to the general public.  The facilities include a rustic clubhouse with a kitchen, a screened in porch and a deck overlooking the lake.  Classes in all aspects of fishing are available.  This is a great opportunity to spend quality time with the kids, or get away for a quiet personal day.  The resort also has hiking trails, canoes and lawn games.

So, if you are a fisherman at heart, whether you are here for a destination wedding, a corporate retreat or a family getaway, the opportunity exists to escape from it all…..hang the sign: “Gone Fishin’!”

Cranwell Indoor Pool

Now that the seasons are changing and the air is a bit chilly, our guests have been enjoying our new partnership with Cranwell Resort.  We are happy to offer Winthrop Estate guests complimentary passes to Cranwell’s state of the art, award winning spa facilities.  As a guest of Winthrop Estate you now have the opportunity to visit another beautiful Berkshire Mansion and enjoy a soak in their whirlpool, sauna, steam rooms and indoor and outdoor pools.  What a great way to warm up and relax, knowing you are here to be taken care of in every way!  When you visit our home we want you to feel there is no end to the hospitality.

Cranwell Hot Tub

Cranwell Sauna

The Winthrop Estate is proud to announce our partnership with Cranwell Resort! Our guests can now enjoy complimentary access to Cranwell’s pools, sauna, steam rooms and whirlpool.  Cranwell offers both an indoor and outdoor pool.  The indoor pool measures 60’x30’ with four lap lanes.  A children’s pool makes it family friendly, too.  It gives us great pleasure to offer this benefit to you during your stay at our home here in the Berkshires.  Not only do we gain from creating a wider network with another local business, we know their amazing amenities will enrich your stay with us.  Now you can drop in to Cranwell after a long hike for a relaxing sauna and whirlpool, or swim laps in either of the pools before coming home to Winthrop for a lovely dinner and a relaxing evening with your friends!

Japanese Maple on the lawn

All the “leaf peepers” want to know….when is peak foliage season here in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts?  Hmm… that’s a good question.  We have debates about this very topic ourselves as we sip our morning coffee and enjoy the view of Yokun Ridge from the conservatory.  Our historic mansion is surrounded by the glorious New England deciduous forests.  Jamie insists that peak was last week; the ash trees, Fraxinus americana, were lit like tall beeswax candles, and the ground beneath became paved in gold.  I’m pretty sure yesterday or today could be peak because our neighbor’s red maple, Acer rubrum, is starting to ignite into a burnished red-orange that makes my heart beat faster.  But then again, friends in Lenox say peak season is next week– they are still waiting for the sugar maples, Acer saccharum, to pop!

The Berkshire Scenic Railway offers a great way to see for yourself which species of trees are in peak display.  The 90-minute, 20 mile roundtrip adventure takes you from Lenox to Stockbridge and back in a restored 1920’s era train.  The ride through our beautiful Berkshires is sure to inspire the debate….just when is peak season?

This past week I had a couple of free hours, so I went to the woods.  Kennedy park is a go to place where nature can inspire and renew the mind, right here in our backyard.   It’s so accessible to us here at Winthrop Estate; just a quarter mile down the street is the trail -head.  As I got further into the park along the Wheeler Olympic Trail, I rediscovered a gazebo I hadn’t visited in years.  It sits at the top of the park with a view of Mt. Graylock.  The mountain is the highest peak in Massachusetts, at 3,491 feet. Visitors to the Berkshires do not want to miss an opportunity to visit Mt. Greylock State Reservation.  http://www.mass.gov/dcr/parks/mtGreylock.  With 70 miles of trails, and historic Bascom Lodge serving meal from late May until mid October, as well as stunning views, an adventure on Greylock is a memorable event. From Lenox, it takes a little less than an hour to get to the top of the mountain.  Going there is a wonderful way to experience the expansive beauty of the Berkshires.

This autumn we built a sandbox under the shady maples for kids to play in while they visit the Mansion on family vacation.  It’s been quite a hit.  The kids usually discover the sandbox before their parents have even finished unloading the car.   Fresh air, imaginary play, and sunshine mixed with a good dose of sand and laughter can be just the ticket for hours of fun.