WASHINGTON, Va.
The Inn at Little Washington has announced the opening of the most recent addition to its campus, bringing the total number of buildings to 16 and the number of guest rooms to 24. The Parsonage, so named because of its proximity to Trinity Episcopal Church, is located on Main Street directly across from The Inn's renowned restaurant in the heart of "Little" Washington.
The 6,000-square-foot 1850s Victorian house has been lovingly restored and now offers six luxurious new guest rooms with fireplaces and bay windows overlooking the village. The property has a number of elegant event spaces, including a historic ballroom that can host dinners of up to 36 and receptions of up to 90.
Collaborating with London designer Joyce Conway Evans, Chef and Proprietor Patrick O'Connell has aimed to create the ambiance of an enchanting house in the countryside full of surprise and whimsy. The Parsonage's interiors reflect a lighter, more modern interpretation of The Inn at Little Washington's English Country House aesthetic while still managing to evoke a scene in "Downton Abbey."
Design Details
A former side porch is now a Moorish inspired glass-enclosed conservatory that serves as the main entrance to the Parsonage. The ceiling of this foyer has been tented in a soft, green-striped fabric and the floor is an intricately patterned Tunisian tile. An antique French lantern hanging in the center of the tent casts an inviting glow in the evening.
A T-shaped center hall draws an arriving guest through the house and out through symmetrical French doors onto a wide porch. The hallways are papered in a William Morris tulip pattern. The public spaces feel as if they were the original sitting rooms to the 1850s house. Bay windows with window seats flood the house with sunlight.
From the second floor one looks out on the richly textured roof tops and stone chimneys of the little village with the mountains in the distance. The long, side porch faces an old enclosed garden with giant oaks, a smokehouse and a summer kitchen.
Each guest room is individually decorated in a fresh, light-filled style employing a soothing palette of pastel colors, English fabrics and wall papers. Handsome bathrooms feature Waterworks tile and fixtures, soft grey Carrera marble vanities and Bulgari amenities. A junior suite offers an spacious soaking tub overlooking the garden.
The exterior of the formerly undistinguished house is now a rich sage green with all the fine architectural details highlighted by two shades of cream. Vibrant, rust colored shutters and a copper roof provide striking accents.
Town Beautification
The Town of Washington and Trinity Episcopal Church cooperated in allowing The Inn to transform the car park in the center of town into a town square by adding stone walls, planters and trees, and landscaping. Around the square, The Inn has installed period, handmade, copper lanterns and lamp posts based on an original design found in Richmond, Virginia.
In exchange for donating $150,000 for the town square beautification project, The Town of Washington gifted a street to Patrick O'Connell. This is a highly unusual example of a non-profit organization working together with a commercial entity in conjunction with a municipality to create a triple win situation while changing the face of a small community.
Nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, The Inn at Little Washington been a culinary destination since 1978, when Chef and Proprietor Patrick O'Connell opened the restaurant in a former gas station. Located in the tiny hamlet of Washington, Virginia, The Inn is a restorative retreat just 67 miles west of Washington that includes formal gardens, green houses and vegetable gardens which grow most of The Inn's produce in season.
The Inn's grounds are also home to a flock of sheep, two llamas and a brood of chickens. The Inn is a member of Relais & Chateaux.
