Winthrop Estate Fountain, photo by Kevin Sprague

The weather in Lenox has been glorious this week.  The summer-like days bring warming sun to the daffodils and trees and they are blooming everywhere.  We uncovered our fountain, taking off the heavy winter tent, and we are into spring cleaning on the grounds, and getting tan too. We are looking forward to the families who will be coming for their vacations or special occasions this season and have been busy on email, being in touch with the guests to answer questions, and make plans and reservations.  Spring time brings a flurry of activity from everyone thinking about the summer.    Happy Spring!

A Weekend with Friends, A Laugh, Some Music

Driving from NYC up to Winthrop Estate is a treat.  Once I leave the city traffic behind, I turn on the music and start to relax.  The journey becomes part of the destination. I drive alongside wide rivers, rushing streams, lush hillsides and farms. The trip itself is candy for the eyes. I revel in the journey.  The rewards of the weekend retreat with my friends are plentiful.  And Lenox, with all its history and luxuries, awaits me every time.  The Winthrop Estate rooms are exquisitely decorated and the public spaces are inviting. I treasure my retreat at the Winthrop Estate and look forward to next year’s.

Skiing in the Berkshires

Imagine the possibilities…after a day of skiing at one of the local ski resorts such as Butternut, Catamount or Jiminey Peak, you are mesmerized by the Berkshires beautiful mountain scenery.  You experience the excitement that comes with shushing down the mountainside with the snap of brisk air-  its a dream ski day.

After the invigorating day outdoors, there’s nothing more luxurious and inviting then returning to the Winthrop Estate where you options include slipping away into the sanctuary of a warm bath with candles softly glowing, a glass of your favorite wine and classical music in the background, a good book by the library fire and hot chocolate, a massage scheduled for eight o’clock to soothe your muscles– an hour of bliss.

A winter weekend at the Winthrop Estate, enjoying friends and family, is a magical, wonderful getaway… .you’ll remember it always.

Library at the Winthrop Estate

On every weekend the estate is used, whether it’s a destination wedding, a family vacation, a retreat or a concert, people find their way to the Library, which is just off the foyer, to play board games, read by the fire, or enjoy a conversation.  Sometimes they listen to the tube-amplified MacIntosh radio with AudioResearch amps on AudioPhysic speakers, sitting in the soft leather chairs and sometimes they just watch their child enjoy himself.  Photo by Konrad Brattke

This was taken one year at the Lenox Library Gala we hosted. I remember many of the people, the delicious sweet butternut squash at the dinner, the lush flowers that filled the house, and the incredible piano recital by Manny Ax in our Music Room.

I think it’s the upholstered linen walls in robin’s egg blue, the embroidered silk drapery, the white antique chairs with new silky upholstery, the art, and the way the decorations of the whole room fit together. It was labeled “Daughter’s Room” on the bell system. It even has a hidden closet- it’s behind the room when you open the door, and people almost never notice it, even after they close the door.

This is the magic in a wedding at the Winthrop Estate- a gorgeous lawn, a lovely day, all dressed up, in love, and ready to party.

The flowers beds are about to bloom, wedding season is beginning, and I’m meeting a couple this weekend to plan their wedding at the Winthrop Estate…. Ah spring!