Yahoo Lifestyle My Dream Do-Nothing Vacay is this Historic NC Inn Decked to the Nines
Armchair travel with me for a moment. As relaxing getaways go, Pandora’s Manor, a charming, six-suite inn in High Point, North Carolina, is about as close to perfect as it gets. In fact, even though my stop there was part of a whirlwind work trip, my brief 12-hour overnight stay sticks with me.
I would gladly go back for my favorite kind of vacation—the kick up your feet and do very little kind. Innkeeper Daniela Woody is an absolute pro whose hospitality is the vacation equivalent of a warm hug, not to mention the breakfast feast, freshly baked cookies, and afternoon snacks she’ll whip up for you as part of your stay. (Dietary restrictions are no object.)
Now, if you are a lover of old houses or an interior design buff who delights in Grandmillennial style (or the broader decorating category of maximalism for that matter), then this destination just went from cozy retreat to a travel wish list must. Six premiere designers were let loose to bring their dream suite to life when the 1905 home was transformed into an inn in 2016.
My room was designed by Madcap Cottage, a household name around the editorial headquarters of Country Living where I work. Before the home decor brand’s founders John Loecke and Jason Oliver moved their business to Thomasville, North Carolina, about 15 minutes from High Point, the magazine featured their converted 19th-century schoolhouse in the New York Catskills—twice!—and the home remains among the editors’ favorite tiny houses.
I’ll get to the interior details of my room in a second. But first, a moment for architectural appreciation.
If you’ve heard of High Point, you probably know its nickname: the Home Furnishings Capital of the World. Pandora’s Manor is part of that legacy.
Furniture and High Point have gone hand-in-hand since the city’s founding at the highest point of the North Carolina Railroad in 1859. By the 20th century, the furnishings industry had really begun to take off. In 1905, local furniture maker Henry Fraser, cofounder of the Alma Furniture Company and the Myrtle Desk Company, built his home there. Today, the gracious clapboard Colonial Revival structure takes his wife’s name, Pandora.
A stone’s throw from downtown, Pandora’s Manor is convenient but also maintains a tucked-away feel. It’s also adjacent to the railroad, which you will hear on occasion, but it’s part of the charm. Speaking of…
Inside the inn, one of the touches I loved were the vases of blue hydrangea blossoms scattered about, including on my mantel in the Myrtle Room, named after Henry and Pandora’s daughter, Isla Myrtle Fraser Sinclair. While you can find some convincing faux hydrangeas these days, these were real, snipped right from the inn’s garden (I was visiting in late May). And the thoughtful details continued.
The framed mirror above my mantel was actually the room’s flat-screen TV. Need a good page-turner? I found classic Danielle Steel romances at the ready. Other reading choices in my room included Canterbury Tales, Virginia Woolfe’s A Room of One’s Own (on point for a solo work trip!), and Evelyn Waugh’s 1934 novel, A Handful of Dust.
True to Madcap Cottage form, the Myrtle Room is packed floor to ceiling with a playful mix of color, pattern, whimsy, and traditional-style furnishings. The pretty ginko leaf-patterned wallcovering is not wallpaper but fabric, a subtle detail that made me feel extra-wrapped up and cozy during my visit. It’s one of the room’s many layers of patterned textiles, which are unified by a blue-and-green palette that continues in the paint choices. A soothing dusky blue ceiling and gorgeous woodwork painted a cheerful but calming green ground the space.
Another fun detail about all the rooms at Pandora’s Manor is that, should guests desire, they can order any of the pillows (sleeping or decorative) in their room from Eastern Accents, the luxury textile company that owns the inn. That also goes for all textiles, including top-of-bed, draperies, and stools.
For the other furnishings, the inn can provide guests with information about the manufacturers. Wherever possible, North Carolina furniture companies’ products were chosen (this is the Home Furnishings Capital of the World, after all).
In the Myrtle Room where I stayed, the rug hails from Capel Rugs, a 100-plus-year-old company based in Troy, North Carolina. The chandeliers throughout the inn come from Currey & Company, a second-generation family-owned business based in Georgia (they have a permanent showroom in High Point, too).
Just as every room in the inn has its own style (along with Madcap Cottage, the interior designers Thom Filicia, Alexa Hampton, Tobi Fairley, Celerie Kemble, and Barclay Butera each designed a suite), each has a unique layout and features, too. One aspect that I absolutely adored about the Myrtle Room, the only ground-floor suite, was its direct access to the wraparound front porch. In the morning, I slipped into the dining room to grab a cup of coffee, then headed to the porch to enjoy the early-hours birdsong and, yes, even the quaint whistle and rumble of a train passing by.
Back inside, I found more enchanting Madcap Cottage design details in my en suite bath, starting with the wallpaper celebrating flora and fauna. The walls also feature a classic bathroom tile idea—white subway tile with contrasting black trim.
The black penny-tile floor extends seamlessly into the glass-door walk-in shower, which is ADA-complaint, along with the rest of the Myrtle Room facilities. I have never seen dried eucalyptus hung in a shower before, but its subtle fragrance comes out with the steam.
To ensure that everything is in tiptop shape, Daniela told me she spends time every year staying in each room so that she knows firsthand as the innkeeper what needs to be repaired or replaced to keep guests comfortable—and I am pleased to say, it shows.
To sum up my stay, I had everything I needed and was delightfully surprised at every turn. Here’s what else I did while in town.
High Point, North Carolina, Field Notes
The World’s Largest Chest of Drawers
Calling all fans of quirky roadside stops. This attraction has resided in downtown High Point since the 1920s, though the original design, which was a mirror-topped bureau, has since been restored and renovated in the style of an 18th-century chest. It’s a nod to the city’s furniture industry and (if I may draw your attention to those giant socks) the local hosiery industry, too. If you are traveling with littles, make Nido & Mariana Qubein Children’s Museum, just a hop, skip, and jump away, your next stop.
The Art Gallery @ Congdon Yards
This community-centered art gallery is worth seeing all on its own, but I also love the setting inside a converted old factory (exposed brick walls—check!). It’s part of the larger Congdon Yards community development in the heart of downtown, which also includes a cool co-working space, event venues, and local coffee and lunch spot Lil’s Coffee Bar.
Blue Water Grille
This restaurant is pretty much a must if you want to check out the best of High Point’s restaurant scene. (I got the NC trout special of the day.)
American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame
Trust me, you are going to be pleasantly surprised by this fascinating tour through American furniture history! You can also interact with modern pattern-making and interior design software and, if you want, record a furnishings-related story of your own for posterity. (I recorded one about my great-grandfather’s cedar chest that I inherited.)
Furnitureland South
What started in a home garage as a way to connect everyday folk with the best of High Point Furniture Market is now the largest furniture store in the world in nearby Jamestown. (It’s also where you will find the World’s Largest Highboy.)
If you want to catch a game during your visit, High Point is home to the Rockers Baseball Team and the Carolina Core FC (an MLS Next Pro Soccer Team). The city is also a Certified Autism Destination. More at VisitHighPoint.com.
You Might Also Like
