Over a century in the past, Litchfield, Connecticut, which was then the seat of the county with the identical title, was destroyed by a sequence of fires. The New York Occasions dubbed Litchfield “the queen of all Connecticut cities” in its protection of the conflagration and lamented the companies that had been worn out within the trendy resort, amongst them a complicated lodge on the nook of West and Principal Streets. The city rebuilt, largely in brick, and right now Litchfield is listed on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations.

It took greater than 100 years, and a daring imaginative and prescient led by developer Anthony Champalimaud, for a brand new, high-street, full-service lodge to rise from these ashes. Belden House and Mews has completed so magnificently, with the singular aptitude that may solely emerge when a construction’s splendid, very important, and deeply historic bones are tended to by Champalimaud Designs (based by Anthony’s mom, Alexandra), the powerhouse behind most of the world’s most beautiful accommodations, together with Raffles Singapore, Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles, and London’s The Emory.

After opening Troutbeck, the definitive property lodge in Amenia, New York, Champalimaud fils had a conviction that Litchfield the city, and Litchfield the county, lacked a lodge that correctly honored its significance—architectural, cultural, and in any other case. His authentic ardour for the venture, and instinct into what the lodge could possibly be, grew partly from the truth that he’s a full-time resident (by way of Portugal, Montreal, England, and New York), whose house is 5 doorways from Belden Home.  “Additionally, it helps having type of a seasoned newcomer perspective on this a part of the world,” he says. “With recent eyes, we are able to plainly see the qualities and extraordinary attributes of the group and these environment, not least of which is the pure great thing about Litchfield County. We felt strongly that we had been uniquely geared up to take this on.”

Litchfield is a quintessential New England town, filled with grand properties resting within the shade of structure oaks. The nation’s first regulation college was established there, as was the primary all-female academy. The abolitionist creator of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe, grew up on North Avenue together with her firebrand minister father, Lyman Beecher. Within the twentieth century, that weighty heritage was leavened by the fingers of modernist architects Marcel Breuer, Richard Neutra, and Eliot Noyes, who scattered glass-walled masterpieces round Litchfield, the latter notably within the type of an annex to the general public library.

With a refined sense of colour and play, Belden Home embodies and unites these two distinctly American identities. The primary constructing, a good-looking white Victorian/Colonial revival mansion with a broad, pillared porch, was constructed by Dr. Charles O. Belden in 1888. A low-slung mid-century mews was added in 1959 behind the primary home. Now, each comprise visitor rooms, whose frequent DNA is the nice and cozy however oh-so-cool Champalimaud type, that deploys (and combines) colours, patterns, contours, and materials in a way that’s concurrently glamorous and unpretentious. The lounge is a marvel of pink and gold, outdated, and new, accented with stylish green-patterned fringed banquettes and the 137-year outdated fire with its authentic butter yellow tiles.

Belden Home and Mews provides a grasp class in steadiness, as in methods to protect the construction and soul of a spot inside its bodily location and historic context, whereas elevating it for a brand new time and a brand new function. From the road, the bodily constructing blends in inconspicuously with the opposite grand properties on North Avenue. Inside, it’s clear that the frequent areas had been designed within the Nineteenth-century with socializing in thoughts.

In these rooms, as elsewhere, is proof of the groups’ reverence for authentic fixtures, décor, and craftsmanship. And although they continue to be intact, the woodwork, moldings, home windows, sconces, chandeliers, and flooring have been revived and brightened, and now have recent tales to inform. Considered one of these treasures seems upon coming into the foyer. Etched in stone on the hearth is a quote from Macbeth urging humanity towards perseverance. Shakespeare’s message is as alive right now because it was in 1888. At Belden Home, the previous serves to advance the narrative ahead, leading to a brand new gold commonplace for the modern, historic, country-house lodge.

My evaluate of Belden Home and Mews follows.

The Rooms

Of the 31 rooms and suites, 10 are in the primary home, reachable by two separate carpeted staircases, as is typical in Victorian properties. It took an hour for me to {photograph} the numerous delectable particulars in my 2,100-square-foot, three-bedroom penthouse suite. Within the dwelling space, velvet sofas in heat blue and pink body a patinaed leather-based gymnastics bench that doubles as a espresso desk. Home windows over cushioned nooks convey the leafy outside inside, as does a candy balcony. The marble and tiled toilet comprise an enormous bathe and soaking tub. My kitchen went unused, however the Marcel Breuer chairs across the desk are an homage to modernism, and Yellow Ware mixing bowls, to classic New England.

All rooms exemplify simple magnificence, and appear to prioritize consolation—not informality per se, however clear strains, plush carpets underfoot, and comfy simple chairs. The design workforce has fastidiously preserved the buildings’ essence and historical past via small, typically imperceptible particulars. For instance, some customized wallcoverings comprise patterns duplicated from outdated cloth remnants uncovered throughout renovation.

Many of the accommodations’ beds (with mattresses sheathed in Frette linens) are handcrafted by Litchfield County woodworker Ian Ingersoll. All of the 21 Mews visitor rooms and suites (averaging 430 square-feet) characteristic these creations which, although tremendous glossy, evoke conventional design. Right here, the modernist aesthetic emerges from the pale and pleasing palette, with particulars comparable to Vitsoe built-ins. Accessed by way of personal terraced gardens, these rooms have a zen calm, and are quiet as a forest.

Meals and Drink

Chef Tyler Heckman left New York Metropolis after 10 years at Farris, Chelsea Lodge, and Villanelle, amongst others, to return to his native Connecticut. He describes his delicacies as “gentle, approachable, however hopefully will make you surprise, what are these elements?”

After my very good dinner entrée of beef sliced from the brief rib and grilled sluggish, sizzling, and smokelessly over Japanese charcoal, my salad had refreshing flavors I couldn’t determine. Heckman’s reply: palm sugar, lime zest and juice, Thai chili, and fish sauce – impressed by a Vietnamese nộm. Dessert was milk ice cream, bee pollen, with Earl Grey oil, so yummy, I stole a couple of bites from my husband’s bowl.

Meals are served on pink-topped picket tables in Belden Home’s shiny, authentic eating room. The 26-seat house just isn’t giant however, just like the lodge itself, intimate, with a sense that’s elegant however not stuffy. At breakfast, I heaped house-made butter and jam over hefty slices of sourdough toast. For lunch, I cherished his chewy and candy lobster roll, a nod to the New England seacoast.

The attractive inexperienced bar whispers “cocktail,” and it’s simple to take it sluggish with the home’s One Sip Martini, served in a classy little coupe. This nook of the lodge transported me to an beautiful European lodge; the show bottles had been Chinotto, Bitter Bianco, Sicilian Amara, and different spirits. Italian Meals and Beverage supervisor Michele Alfonso, who can be a grasp mixologist, poured me a fingerful of Caffé Ligure, a coffee-flavored liqueur from Taranto, and it was divine.

Actions and Experiences

There are gardens, a garden courtroom, and a fantastically landscaped, 50-foot heated pool flanked by arbor vitae. The spa comprises a small however full gymnasium with a Pilates reformer, and personal instruction is obtainable. Better of all is Belden Home’s location proper on the town, steps away from the middle and its exceptional historical past. Litchfield is a paradigmatic New England village, with terrific eating places and loads of worldly retailers. Some highlights: property jewellery at Lawrence Jeffrey; Scottish cashmere at R. Derwin, the beautiful hair salon Byrde and the B; and Milton Market, the place you possibly can take house a Dumais Made ceramic lamp.

The Spa

Bathhouse is an enchanted spot which sparkles with newness. Blond wooden cupboards, heat brown tiles, and stone flooring give the house a lustrous feeling. The moist room consists of a sauna and a steam room clad in deep-blue tiles; at one finish is a Japanese Ofuru tub for hydrotherapy. The entire below-ground advanced is infused with the scent of cruelty free Wildsmith face and physique merchandise utilized in remedies. My 120-minute Thermal Expertise remedy was designed to maneuver between temperatures whereas detoxifying, renewing my pores and skin, and stimulating circulation. My therapist, Agnieszka Domurad, was variety sufficient to adapt a bit: I’m not a chilly plunge lover, so after my physique scrub, I soaked within the tub, after which had a very nice therapeutic massage.

Household-friendly Choices

Belden Home welcomes youngsters age 12 and older. Whereas it is not the kind of resort that revolves round youngsters, the proximity to downtown Litchfield, the pool, and the three-acre grounds will give youngsters lots to do.

Accessibility 

Two of the guestrooms are ADA accessible, one in the primary home and the opposite within the Mews.

Location

Belden Home is a two-hour drive from New York Metropolis and 45 minutes from Hartford’s Bradley Airport. The city of Litchfield is the crossroads of northwest Connecticut, which is loaded with beautiful forested vistas, flowering meadows, and canoe-able rivers. Many mountaineering paths are on this a part of New England, together with a stretch of the Appalachian Path. There are quite a few preserves for contemplation and brushes with wildlife, such because the Ripley Waterfowl Conservancy; and orchards, comparable to March Farm in Bethlehem, for apple and blueberry choosing. Thornhill Farm and Milkhouse is a dairy farm down the street, and crafts very good chocolate. White Memorial, most of which is in Litchfield, encompasses 4,000 acres of protected wilderness. A automobile is beneficial for the backroads of Litchfield County, and Uber just isn’t reliable within the space.

Tips on how to Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

Belden Home is an unbiased lodge and never but a part of any loyalty applications. Nightly charges at Belden Home and Mews begin at $500.

Each T+L lodge evaluate is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed on the property, and every lodge chosen aligns with our core values.