Airbnb: The Pony Express Project

Last weekend I had the pleasure of working on an Airbnb home dubbed The Pony Express Project, nestled in the North Georgia mountains.

My clients and now dear friends, Richard and Lisa, have owned many Airbnb properties around the country. However, they recently fell in love and settled into their forever home near Blue Ridge, Georgia. This cottage in the mountains was Richard’s and Lisa’s nineteenth home they have built, renovated and decorated. They don’t do anything half way!

The Design

This particular vacation home is done in a Western theme, we commonly referred to it as The Pony Express Project. Richard is a highly skilled craftsman, bringing his talents to all the hard structures. This includes everything from custom wainscoating sourced from Maine to the installation of lighting fixtures and ceiling fans in keeping with the cowboy theme. And maybe there is a pop-up credenza at the foot of the master bed that houses a TV, built from reclaimed timber. 

Not to be outdone by Richard, Lisa brings her own talents too, literally shopping the globe for the furniture and decor and soft furnishings for their many homes. Check out some of the things Lisa sourced from all over the country for the Pony Express project.

• Vintage Ethan Allen furniture for the main living space
• A wagon wheel coffee table
• Wagon wheel rocking chairs in the master bedroom
• Western themed lamps and end tables
• Western themed paraphernalia including a wooden carved cowboy hat and many many other uniquely western items
• A collection of classic western movies and shows from Bonaza to True Grit to Rawhide!
• Movie posters featuring John Wayne and Gene Autry
• Local fishing and hiking guides
• The cutest bath accessories including horseshoe towel racks, saddlebags to hold toiletries and extra linens and wagon wheel lanterns
• Cowboy dishes in the kitchen
• A collection of Covered Wagon cookie jars

Everywhere you look, the western theme is on parade and done in the most excellent manner!

Cushions & Pillows, Oh My!

So what are my contributions to this western ranch? There are all new cushions for the sofa, glider and ottoman along with lots of throw pillows. To be exact, 9 cushions all with welt cording, and zipper panels and 7 throw pillows all with welt cording next to invisible zippers.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention, the fabric for the welt cord used on all the cushions and pillows was particularly thick and tough. Using my biggest strongest needles for my walking foot industrial sewing machine was no match for this fabric. I broke multiple needles within the first few inches of sewing. So off to research and source super heavy duty needles. I ended up with SDI needles in size 22. So glad they did the trick! Need help with finding the right needle? Check out Sailrite’s Sewing Machine Needle Guide.

But I’m not done yet. I returned to Nashville with two rocking chairs to be reupholstered and I still have 12 custom chairpads to make. Because Lisa and Richard won’t settle for anything less than custom!

Revitalizing with Paint

During this weekend working vacation my good friend, Sue of Shop at Blu and I painted twelve dining chairs and barstools along with 2 table bases and refinished the tops of 2 tables. Most of the furniture was painted in Fusion Mineral Algonquin a lovely taupe color that paired beautifully with the fabrics.

Now the game table we upped the ante just a bit and went with the bold Mustard paint color. It’s amazing how this color highlights the light inlaid wood on the checkered top. A perfect match!

I am forever grateful that Sue was able to join me on this project. Now I can definitely paint a chair frame to two every once in a while and think I do a pretty good job. But 12 in just a few days!

Not to mention redoing the table tops, one of which was pretty scratched up, the other was a game table with an inlaid chess/checkerboard on top. I was so grateful for Sue’s knowledge and expertise, not to mention, she worked me under the table, so to speak! Haha! She is definitely faster than me when it comes to painting furniture.

We used both paint brushes and a sprayer. Sue could be a spokesperson for Homeright sprayers and spray shelters.

They definitely made the job easier. Those spray shelters are fabulous for containing the overspray. Mustard yellow grass would not have made a good addition to this beautiful scene!

A Working Vacay

While the cabin is not completely finished and ready to rent, it was a marvelous place to spend a working weekend. The absolute best  part of course was spending time with my blogging buddy and creative soulmate, Sue. We definitely worked hard! Okay, Sue worked a little harded than me, but I’m older with a more broken down body! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! LOL! Early morning coffee and wine in the evening looking at this landscape did not get old!

Want to Stay Here? 

Seriously, this would be the most fun place for a family get away. Now this little cottage only has two bedrooms (with the most comfortable beds ever!) so you might be wondering how this will accommodate a family! No worries, Richard and Lisa got you covered! Literally, in a pair of covered wagons! Say what? Yes, they have ordered 2 Conestoga Wagons that will offer additional sleeping spaces. These luxury covered wagons are insulated, have electricity and heat and air conditioning. How absolutely cool would it be to stay in one of these! 

Picture Courtesy of Conestoga Wagon Company

But if the kids get dibs on the wagons, no worries, there is a hot tub on the covered deck overlooking this little valley and mountain scape. The gourmet kitchen includes a Wolf range and upgraded appliances and cooking utensils. Don’t want to cook? The town of Blue Ridge features restaurants by some of the best chefs in the area. Want to explore the area? Here’s a sampling of things to do nearby.

•  Hiking to waterfalls or mountain tops
• Trout fishing in the crystal clear mountain rivers
• Exploring the quaint mountain towns with lots of antiques and other treasures to be discovered
• A train trip thru the mountains on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway
• The apple festival in Ellijay in the fall
• Tubing the Nantahala or Toccoa Rivers or shooting the white water rapids down the Ocoee River.

There is so much fun to be had, but for me, I’d love to just soak up this view and Sit Soft!

Cheers!