We were greeted at the Inn with a lovely handwritten note from Elizabeth Cook and two Showhouse brochures for us to do some background research on the home, the historical society, and the weekend. I do love a handwritten note and Domino Media Group is one of the best at their attention to details.
We left Lance's house in Commerce right at noon and arrived in Highlands for a late lunch at just before 2 pm. It was a beautiful drive and the rain from the week had cleared up leaving the sky blue and gorgeous. We had lunch in town and a little down time before we met my friend Lee for drinks at the Hummingbird Lounge and a yummy dinner at Cyprus before heading to our Inn so we could tackle the weekend fully rested. For me a night spent sleeping with a crisp in the air makes for the best nights rest!
We snagged coffee + a snack from Buck's Coffee Cafe (seriously so yummy) and hit the ground running. I highly recommend everything at Buck's and the line is most definitely worth the wait! We were on the first bus up to the showhouse promptly at 10 thinking we would spend the morning touring the house, the grounds, and shopping the vendors before grabbing a late lunch in town. The weather was perfect and the house was truly stunning.
The 2018 Cashiers Designer Showhouse was held in the Fox Tail home, a sprawling 42-acre estate overlooking Lake Glenville, that truly embodies all that is Cashiers, North Carolina. Inspired by old French and Italian chateaus, the Foxtail home, owned by Brenda and Terry Beye, blends historic charm with modern convenience, featuring hand-cut inlaid marble floors, high ceilings, antique hardware and stained exterior walls. Originally part of the Monteith Homestead, the grounds also boast a wide variety of local flora and fauna, complete with sweeping views of the lake and beyond. The Cashiers Historical Society, in partnership with Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, worked with a handful of top designers across the South to unleash their creativity throughout the house.
As soon as we drove up the steep driveway the astonishing house greeted us with a stunning motor court. The home is perfectly positioned at the top of a grassy knoll overlooking the lake with the most incredible views from the back of the house. Although the house was built in the early 2000's it feels as though it is quite old and located in the south of France. I absolutely loved the iron doors and the shutters on either side. The details on the exterior of the home are truly incredible, I can see why it was the perfect choice for this year's home. The arches, the gates, the ivy covered walls, it was gorgeous.
I snapped pictures as we toured the house. The photos go in order from the front door to the last balcony. I snapped what I loved about each room, some are whole room shots, and others are tight vignettes. You will notice the rooms on the back side of the house have an incredible view of the lake. It is truly so stunning, almost unreal, actually.
I hope you enjoy seeing what caught my eye.
The bones of the house along with the iron details and the hardware really caught my eye. The front doors, the rounded doorways and the brass hinges .. yes please!
Dear heavens ... that floor was everything!
The hallway designed by Atlanta's own Huff Harrington. I love this duo and their amazing talent!
With that view of the lake and this relaxing space I think I would wake up every single day in a good mood!
The incredible design in the bathroom was the perfect compliment to those floors!
You know I love color! Those green drapes anchored the space for me!
The bird pattern that was evident on the walls, the drapery, and the chairs was stunning! And that pink ceiling (which you know I love) made me swoon!
When you arrive at the top of the circle staircase you find a landing with a bedroom, a bathroom, a dressing room, a library with a stunning bar, and two beautiful balconies. The opening to the foyer below is truly lovely and the iron details are fantastic.
I wish I had more shots of this room, it was absolutely incredible. The photographer was taking images for the magazine so we were in her way in the space. The walls were the most incredible green velvet. The bar on the other side of the room was stunning and the wood paneling was beautiful. It was the perfect library + bar with a view to die over ... such a incredible room.
The entire house has beautiful wood detailed paneling. In some rooms the designers chose to paper the panels, but in the guest room the panels were painted white while the while were a beautiful soft blue. It was truly so pretty.
Again I must mention the view, as it is incredible. The sun was shining after more than a week of rain and everything was the most brilliant green. I can not say enough about the view ... it was one of the most memorable elements of the house for me.
One last shot of the stunning outside of the home. Such old world charm with amazing details that made me feel as if I was in traveling in Europe. What a beautiful home!
Clearly we had the best time touring the house, the grounds, the spectacular vendors and enjoying the breathtaking view. I could have sat right down on either of the patios and spent the rest of the afternoon. What a perfect way to spend a Saturday, and the festivities were far from over. I have so much more to share about our perfect Sunday brunching + playing croquet, something that has been on my bucket list for years. We also met some fabulous people which always makes the time so much more fun.
One of the things I noticed about the Showhouse was the incredible traffic it received. There were two buses taking visitors up to the house and they ran constantly. As soon as they got back to the station there were a line of people ready to be taken up for a tour. I loved how busy it was and the visitor traffic seemed steady. I overheard the designers speaking about the visitor traffic on the bus and learned that the Showhouse normally takes place in October but the date for this year had been moved to August to capture more traffic and I can tell you it most definitely helped. Cashiers + Highlands were very busy and most of the people I spotted in town dining and grabbing coffee I also spotted taking tours. I would say August was the perfect choice for the tour.
Thank you to Domino Media Group and to the Cashiers Historical Society for hosting us. We had such a wonderful time and left so very inspired. This was such a well oiled machine of a weekend and we were treated to wonderful events, a cocktail party in The Chatooga Club, a book signing and lecture with Mark D. Sikes, and so much more. What a weekend!
Have the best day ... and stay tuned for more details.