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.

Relaxing by the library fireplace

The Library is one of my favorite rooms at the Winthrop Estate.  I love to be surrounded by books, and the craftsmanship and quality of the woodwork on the library bookshelves and paneling makes the room feel cozy and luxurious at the same time.  Add to that a large crackling fire and some big, white snowflakes drifting down outside the bay window, some music on the stereo system and a good book, and I am in heaven.

Beautiful Photo by Konrad Brattke

Winthrop Estate Wedding Images Video

I made a short video (37 seconds) on YouTube, as when I showed this one (inserted into this post above) to my friends, their attention wandered about half way through, and this one is only 2 minutes!  Though the short impression works for YouTube and TV (and apparently my friends), at the Winthrop Estate, the pace of life does seem to slow down a bit, and time sometimes seems to expand, especially on special occasions and vacation, and this video shows a lightness of spirit, a bit of fun and lets you pause a minute (or two) to imagine… a weekend in the country.

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!

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.

A lovely note from a summer bride:

Words cannot describe how pleased I am with our wedding weekend at The Winthrop Estate. From the moment we arrived, we knew that we were being taken care of by a staff that seemed to truly care about our experience. From the decor, to the staff, to the homemade snacks that were provided throughout our visit, to the lovely manicured estate, everything was simply perfect! It was as though we were in the comfort of our own home. Another benefit to hosting our rehearsal dinner and staying at the estate for our wedding weekend was the personal connection that you had with all of the local vendors. It made things so much easier for everyone involved. I can honestly say that our wedding would not have been even close to as wonderful as it was had we decided no to stay with you! There was a true connection that was made by so many of our guests that I believe would not have been possible without this central location for everyone to convene at various times throughout the weekend. My only wish is that we could go back and do it all over again. I cannot thank you and your team enough.  I would recommend The Winthrop Estate to anyone and everyone for a wedding and a variety of events! It truly was the best wedding weekend ever!

Thanks for everything and best of luck to you and your family.

Ben and Andrea

TEDxBerkshiresWomen2011

TED…..ideas worth spreading.  We agree.  The TED conferences have gained worldwide recognition as a venue for the most innovative, brave, inspired, out of the box thinkers of our time, sharing ideas that they think will change the way we live with one another and the world.

Last week the Winthrop Estate hosted a TEDxWomen live simulcast.  We invited 60 of the Berkshires most dynamic women to come and watch TED presentations in our music room.  The energy was palpable. Barbara Streisand spoke passionately about the need for more research money to find a cure for women’s heart disease; Tan Le shared a triumphant personal story of overcoming obstacles as a young minority immigrant; Lamis Zein awed us with her bravery (she works to demolish cluster submunitions in Lebanon, her homeland).

Everyone had a great time.  The food was excellent and the company stimulating.  This was our second annual TedxWomen event and we look forward to our next.  We are now in the planning stages of a May TEDxBerkshires conference.

Stay tuned for more ideas worth sharing!  www.TEDxBerkshires.com

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