An enchanting cottage with a postcard view

We arrived at Steeple Cottage in the late afternoon of a beautiful sunny Saturday. After gazing at this picture-perfect home, nestled in a gorgeous sun-dappled garden with numerous rock gardens, objects d’art and a shed so fabulously aged and covered in moss that it looked like it had been created for a movie set, my husband and I turned to each other and did a mental fist bump.

The cottage had us at the entrance hall; it was beautifully decorated with a rustic console topped with candles (set in hazelnuts no less) and a bird’s nest. The first room we entered was the downstairs bedroom (with en-suite bathroom), which my husband and I immediately claimed because it was so tasteful and serene it just HAD to be the best room in the house.

As we fanned out to explore the remainder of the first floor, our daughters opened every armoire, cupboard and drawer, and kept reporting back about the treasures they were finding; beautiful plates, tablecloths, silverware and candles (everything you would need for a romantic dinner), stacks of CDs (Bob Marley included), numerous bottles of liquor (off limits), every kind of food staple you could want (sugar, olive oil, flour…Turkish Delight candy) and, best of all, the Mad Men Season 1 DVD box set (bonus!).

A quick trip upstairs to inspect the beautiful master suite with balcony overlooking the gently sloping garden made my husband and I rethink our hasty decision to nab the downstairs bedroom, but, since we have two daughters, and a quaint second bedroom adjoined the master, we decided to let the girls take the upper floor, vowing that we would be back for an adults-only trip.

Finally, we headed outside to sit on the beautiful deck with flower-filled planters. Here we met Miss Chloe, the resident house cat (yes Steeple Cottage truly does come equipped with everything). Chloe is a sweet and lovely older cat with the perfect temperament for her job as hostess. She is friendly, but polite, only troubling you for a spot on your lap after she senses that she won’t be imposing.

After we had settled in, Virginia, the very gracious owner of Steeple Cottage stopped by to welcome us! After she invited us to use whatever we found in the house, the girls promptly charged a stash of nail polish they had found upstairs (hope that’s okay Virginia!). The smell of acetone permeated the cottage all week, as every shade had to be tried. In short, we LOVED Steeple Cottage and can’t wait to come back!

Everything HAD to be perfect, and for once, it was. As is mentioned in other reviews, the photos don't do the place justice. It was so tastefully and well decorated that we were taking design notes for our future home (and we live with a decorator).

Just a 5 minute walk from town, and yet sitting pretty much alone on a hill that overlooks the town, church steeple, and mountains.

We had everything we needed to make gourmet dinners (we made all meals in the kitchen for a 3 day weekend), and the hearth was stocked with well seasoned firewood. Candles everywhere, and our host reminded us twice to take full advantage of everything. She even had sleds for us (town sledding hill just down and across the street), fresh flowers, and snowshoes. Oh, and a ton of mood-setting CDs.

We'll highly recommend this place and the hostess to anyone that will listen, and can't wait for another occasion to go back. It made our weekend even more magical.

This was, hands-down, one of the nicest rental properties we've had the pleasure of staying in. It's been thoughfully and lovingly restored with impeccable taste and attention to detail, and was the perfect beautiful, comfortable getaway spot with plenty of cozy nooks for relaxing in for our group of 4. The photos honestly do not even do it justice. The location is great - right in town with walking distance to restaurants and shops (Blue Moon Cafe = AMAZING!), but still feels private. For skiiers - the mountain is a short (10 minute) drive. Virginia, the owner, is absolutely charming and a true pleasure to deal with - we will definitley return, and would recommend this property enthusiastically!