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.

Even though it’s the dead of winter and we aren’t outside playing on our lawn right now, we are thinking ahead to this summer.  Days are long, skies are clear and all we want to do is be outside.  That’s why we decided to add  a bocce set to our lawn game collection.

Bocce is very popular in Europe and was brought to America by Italians.  Descended from a game played in the Roman Empire, bocce involves rolling balls on a clay, asphalt or smooth lawn.  Anywhere between two to eight players compete in teams.  The United States Bocce Federation has a great website with information, playing tips, and tournament schedules.  They are aiming to get bocce into the Olympic Games!

Even if you are not as serious as those bocce enthusiasts, you will find our bocce set to be the very best available on the market. The Perfetta Club Pro Bocce Set I just ordered should last for years to come and be a focal point for many happy memories.  Our lawn is great, the views spectacular and we have no doubt that bocce is going to become a favorite pastime here at Winthrop Estate!

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’!”

Table design by Annie or www.DaughterofDesign.com, flowers by Crocus of CrocusHale.com

We are so happy to have been included in the recent Lenox Wedding Planner’s Tour.  Coordinated by Cranwell Resort and Spa, the Apple Tree Inn, Classical Tents and Party Goods, Lisa Light of Destination Bride, and Dawn Carberry,  the tour showcased the Berkshires as an outstanding place to host a wedding.  The event was a great opportunity to network with local business and others from NY, Connecicut and beyond.  For the tour, we created a special menu for the 30 or so wedding planners who visited us that included a spicy black bean soup and small plates of Thai beef salad.  We also had bites of gorgonzola, pear and onion confit on Berkshire Mountain Bakery cherry-pecan bread and also melon and asparagus wrapped with prosciutto de parma.  We are happy to say people loved the food, and we loved having everyone here to tour the mansion.  We think the Winthrop Estate is a perfect place for a destination wedding and the professionals agreed!

Photo by the Winthrop Estate staff, table design by Annie of www.DaughterofDesign.com, Flowers by Crocus of www.CrocusHale.com

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!

A Handwritten Thank You Note

What a lovely note we received!

You can read the whole thing above.  Here are a few highlights: …

“It was E & D’s fairytale wedding!  We could not have asked for anything more.  Your graciousness, your patience, your fabulous staff- what more could anyone ask for.  Our weekend exceeded our expectations.  Having the wedding at the Winthrop was an experience the whole family will never forget.  ….

“THE BEST WEEKEND EVER!

“I highly recommend it…

“Thank you again– it would not have gone so perfectly without you and your staff.”

Sun Salutation on the yoga platform

Photo by Dave Donato of ModernArtistry

A lovely note from a fall guest who had their wedding at The Mount.  I really enjoy having guests at the mansion!

“As the ‘kids’ were planning their wedding, we joked that it was the ‘royal wedding.’  And in the end,  it was a royal wedding in so many ways.  The Winthrop Estate was the perfect home base for friends and family to make personal connections during the wedding weekend.  Our guests had extended time together in a homey atmosphere.  You were so accommodating throughout our stay, setting up an environment that was perfect for each gathering we held.  Our guests boasted that it was the ‘best wedding ever’  and we believe it was because of the shared time at the Winthrop Estate which was our central meeting place. North connected to South,  old to young, friends to family,  and the bride’s  people connecting to the groom’s people..

“Thank you for your true hospitality and for all of the little things you did for us this past weekend.  We  also loved your staff who  reached out to us in kind and caring ways throughout our stay.

“So many of my family members and friends said that these past few days were among the best days of their lives.  That atmosphere of pure joy was fostered under your care.  So a million thanks.  MD

Tomatoes and basil grown at the estate

Dear Jamie,

It was a pleasure to  prepare dinner at the Winthrop Estate.

I can only imagine how exciting it has been over the past few years to have transformed the Estate to its former glory.

Your impeccable taste and warm inviting hospitality is reflected throughout the home, it really is a masterpiece and something to be very proud of.

Also, your staff was extremely helpful, professional and generous, and a pleasure to work with.

I do hope I get a chance to visit again.

Thank You,

M.S.