Field Notes from Litchfield County
Where to stay, shop, dine, & explore in the charming northwest corner of Connecticut
Despite a less than smooth start to the trip (one wrong turn out of LGA added an hour to my travel time), it only took a few miles of cruising Northwest Connecticut’s deep green hills with the windows down to re-set my nervous system.
A few months prior, a very kind internet friend (hi Jessica!) reached out to let me know that The Garden Conservancy was partnering with Bunny Williams to open her Falls Village estate for public tours. Jessica had purchased a morning ticket but could no longer attend, so she wondered if I'd like to take her place.
I leapt at the chance. Bunny’s home and garden had just been open for tours during the Trade Secrets event and I was itching for the opportunity to experience it in person.
My first hurdle? Figuring out how to pay for a spontaneous weekend trip to Connecticut following a ten-day travel extravaganza across Maine. Delta SkyMiles were scraped together to book a flight, I found a deal on a rental car, and then set my sights on a historic hotel in the heart of Litchfield that would serve as the perfect home base for the weekend. I sent an email to The Abner Hotel asking if they would be willing to host me for the weekend. Much to my surprise, they said yes!
This was my first “hosted stay” and I learned a LOT, both during the negotiating process ahead of the stay and then managing the deliverables throughout the weekend. Not sure if anyone would be interested in a post debriefing my findings? If so, please do let me know, and I’d love to hear your best practices, too!
One weekend is no where near long enough to absorb all that this corner of Connecticut has to offer, but here are a few suggestions to get you started.
Stay
My experience at The Abner Hotel could not have been lovelier. I arrived around 8:00 p.m. on Friday evening, and before I could even introduce myself, the front desk staff greeted me by name and ushered me to my room.
The Abner Hotel was formerly Litchfield County’s superior courthouse, serving the community for over 120 years. The Romanesque Revival style structure features an impressive clocktower that overlooks the Litchfield town green. After the courthouse closed, the building was thoughtfully transformed by Lexington Partners and The Salt Hotels into an intimate, 20-room boutique hotel. I appreciated all of the original details they incorporated into the design, from the ochre painted walls inspired by the weathered pages of old law journals, to the original jury benches made into cozy banquettes in The Courtroom restaurant.
They put me up in the Chamber Suite, the former judges' chambers, which was spacious enough to include a king bed, a comfortable sitting area, a dining table for four, and a marble fireplace. The bathroom was huge, retrofitted in a former vault and decked out with black and white checkered floors, Tensira robes, and one hosting detail I'm absolutely borrowing: individually packaged Ursa Major Essential Face Wipes! So nice to be able to slough off all the layers of sunscreen and makeup after a long day.
Each of the oversized windows was fitted with soft linen cafe curtain and a roll down blackout shade, making for a restful night’s sleep. The room felt fresh and design-forward while remaining true to the building's historic architecture.
What I appreciated most was that The Abner still feels like a gathering place for the community. A floral arranging class had been hosted the day before I arrived and Pride celebrations were taking place throughout the weekend. Nearly everyone I met had a personal connection to the building: divorces were finalized, adoption papers signed, and jury duty served. It gave me comfort knowing that memories will continue to be made in the years to come!
See
The main reason for my trip was to visit Bunny William’s estate in Falls Village, Connecticut. I originally planned to include all of my thoughts here, but somewhere around what felt like the millionth word, it became clear that one newsletter simply isn’t enough. Between the gardens, the interiors, and the opportunity to meet Bunny herself (yes I did lose my mind!), it deserves a post of its own.
Next week, I'll be sharing my observations of the property, the design lessons I took away, and some of Bunny's own words of advice. In the meantime, I'm linking to The Garden Conservancy because Bunny is opening the property again on July 25th. Tickets are just $10 and it is SO worth the visit!
If your trip doesn't line up with Bunny's open day, Hollister House Garden in Washington, CT looks sublime. It is a classic garden designed in the English manner. Walls and hedges are orchestrated to create different “rooms” in the landscape. The garden is also hosting an Evening in the Garden on July 10th, which sounds like a lovely way to explore during golden hour while avoiding the extreme heat of the day.
Shop
Retail enthusiasts are spoiled for choice in Litchfield County. Another generous internet friend (shout out to Hadley!) sent me an exhaustive list of thoughtful recommendations organized by town, making it a bit easier to piece together my itinerary for the weekend. Truthfully, there was far more to see than I could fit into two days. It drove me slightly crazy knowing I had to leave so many destinations off the list.
Let’s start with secondhand focused spots:
Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market, one of New England's largest weekly flea markets, is located in New Milford, CT. It occurs on Sunday mornings from April to December. Early Bird hours start at 5:30am for serious buyers (several experts chimed in that the early alarm is well worth it!) and General Admission begins at 7am. Many of the vendors also sell at Brimfield Antique Market, so it felt like I was getting a “preview” to the larger flea market that occurs in a few weeks. Pricing was a little higher than in Ohio, but the selection was probably a bit better, too.
Covered a great little thrift shop called The Bargain Barn in detail here:
Mini Thrift Dispatch from Litchfield County
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My ideal solo trip consists of several components: learning opportunities, whether that is a visit to a museum or some kind of historic home/garden tour, time outdoors, which could be as simple as long walk or picnic in a park, good food (self explanatory
Moving on to other retail shops:
Dugazon in Sharon, CT (right across the street from the thrift shop) had a beautifully curated selection of items for the home, from antique crystal decanters sourced in France to silverplated sleeves to dress up your hot sauce bottles. I chatted with Bobby, one of the shop’s founders, about the unique assortment influenced by upbringings across South Dakota, Louisiana, and New England. The candle room containing thirty color ways of 19” taper candles from Danish candle brand Ester & Erik was a highlight. Be forewarned, TSA may search your bag if you place the tapers in your carry-on luggage!
a show stopping first impression at Dugazon Bobby at Dugazon pointed me over to Michael Trapp Antiques in West Cornwall, CT. Although Michael wasn't in the shop that day, I was surprised to learn he grew up in Ohio before making his way east. The shop assortment had RANGE, from a $10 silk tassel (now attached to my keys) to priceless pottery recovered from a centuries-old shipwreck off the coast of Sumatra. Michael was apparently known as the “broken plate antique dealer from Ohio” early in his career. Rather than dismissing pieces with visible wear, he embraces them, believing that the most beautiful objects are the ones that people loved enough to use regularly.
Plain Goods in New Preston, Connecticut truly was love at the first sighting of antique chintz fabric. They had a whole section of the most delicious vintage textiles, along with other thoughtfully curated items for the home and garden. The shop was joyfully merchandised (loved all the color stories) — don’t skip the clothing section upstairs.
A different kind of retail shop: Thorncrest Farm & Milk House is a must visit for the creamiest chocolate. I snagged Daydream’s Milk Chocolate & Sea Salt Caramels as a little “thank you for holding down the fort” present for Jake.
Lastly, my favorite shop of the trip was a visit to Guy Wolff Pottery. Guy happened to be in the studio and we chatted for close to an hour about the history of pottery and the inspiration behind his designs. He is truly a national treasure and I look forward to seeing more of his work at the Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum in a few weeks.
the Cornish style pottery at Guy’s shop made to mimic faux marble
Dine
Culinary expert I am not, but I will recommend dinner at Belden House and Mews in Litchfield with my whole chest.
Sit at the bar with Erik, the establishment’s talented bartender who runs the show like an experienced quarterback. Start with the $9 gin martini and half a dozen oysters, then take every other recommendation he makes from there. The whole experience was elevated without being pretentious. My only regret is that I was dining alone and couldn’t steal little bites off of Jake’s plate. Everything coming out of the kitchen looked superb.
After the garden tour, I stopped for a casual lunch at The White Hart in Salisbury. The food was simple, fresh, and fast — exactly what I needed before heading off to explore more of the area that afternoon.
Finally, The Garden Room at The Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, CT deserves an honorable mention here. Sadly, I cannot personally vouch for the food. My reservation was bumped from 10:00am to noon after the entire property was bought out for a private event, and my schedule wouldn't allow me to stay. I did stop in for a coffee to-go and the opportunity to admire the interiors was well worth the (eye-watering) $14 price tag.
The next time I'm in town, these restaurants are at the top of my list: Community Table, The Lost Fox Inn (which happened to be closed for a private event when I stopped by for a drink), and Arethusa al tavolo.
IMPORTANT. One final piece of advice: download your Google Maps to use offline before your trip. I wasn't prepared for how spotty cell service would be in this part of Connecticut and spent several miles wandering country roads in search of a signal. Learn from my mistake!
Have you been to the Northwest Corner or are you planning a trip? I’d love to hear from you!
I'd love to hear about your first hosted stay experience - Also how you've built your Instagram in general! Love how authentic and informative it is :)