Eight Farmhouses on Airbnb That Will Make You Want to Abandon City Life
Now more than ever, it’s easy to become reliant on the conveniences of city life. After all, hardly anything is more satisfying than riding an elevator up to your front door, waiting no more than a few seconds for a cab, or booking a dinner reservation at some of the world’s most coveted eateries. However, spending day after day in such restless and lively environments can make life feel a bit tedious at times. So instead of packing a weekender and heading to the usual haunts like a nearby beach or remote town, consider something totally different, like an authentic farmhouse on a working farm.
From a 17th-century stone cottage in France’s Fayet commune to a seven-bedroom mansion on 260 acres in Bath, New Hampshire, Airbnb’s charismatic farmhouses are not to be rivaled. Plus, seeing as each charming estate is on a fully operational farm, you’ll never run out of things to do.
Farm-to-table is more than a dining concept; it’s a way of life—especially for restaurateur, farm owner, and filmmaker Kristin Canty. The New England resident’s newest venture, the ever-popular Woods Hill Pier 4 in Boston’s Seaport District is a double-duty outpost for Canty: Not only does she own the bright and airy restaurant but she also owns the New Hampshire farm that supplies its fare. Dubbed the Farmhouse at Woods Hill in Bath, New Hampshire, and known among locals and travelers alike for its plethora of historic architecture, the lodgings may be charming, but they certainly aren’t quaint.
In fact, the robin’s-egg blue–painted farmhouse boasts seven bedrooms and sits on 260 acres at the foothills of the breathtaking White Mountains. Built in 1849, it resides on a completely functional farm whose residents include cows, pigs, laying hens, chickens, ducks, lambs, and quail. If you don’t consider yourself an animal person, make your way to the other side of the farm, where you’ll find bushes and trees growing everything from strawberries and blueberries to garlic and pumpkins. Otherwise, stay inside the centuries-old residence and play a few notes on the antique W.P. Emerson piano in the parlor or flip through an award-winning tome from the comfort of a warm reading nook on the second floor with views of the neighboring Mount Moosilauke.
Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
The southernmost country in the continent, South Africa is perhaps most famous for its white-sand beaches and renowned safari excursions—not so much for its farms. That said, this sweet spot just outside the town of Stellenbosch makes a case for spending a night or two among aromatic orchards and vineyards—some of which have called the farm home since the mid-17th century. The farmhouse, however, is a bit more contemporary than its surroundings: It has a 50-foot-long heated pool for days too hot to spend time inside. And when it cools off in the evenings, uncork a bottle of red in front of the alfresco wood-burning fireplace.
In southern France’s Occitanie region, this quaint and rugged 17th-century structure, featuring protruding uneven stone, low arched ceilings, and glossy wooden doors and shutters, is where old meets new. Though the stone cottage boasts multiple stories, the garden level is easily the most beautiful: It’s lined with voluminous bushes of colorful florals and is only a few steps from the pool, which, in the right light, can get as warm as bathwater. Plus, there’s a hand-built wood-beamed pergola that sets the ambiance for alfresco dinners, breezy breakfasts, and, of course, cocktail hour.
On Artichoke Farm, this ultra-bohemian four-bedroom farmhouse is like a trip to the 1970s—in the best way. With heavy reclaimed wood sliding barn doors, classic white powder-coated cast-ron bed frames, and beamed wood ceilings, the farmhouse, only three miles from the coast, boasts miles of vast artichoke fields, which gleam in the bright orange-hued light during sunsets. Snag a front-row seat to the light show from the comfort of the open-air lounge.
Nestled within a posh farm colony called Osho Drive and neighboring the famous Isha Foundation, a spiritual hub for yoga and meditation, this whitewashed barn has mastered the balance between luxe and rustic. Plus, the calming horse stables and palm, Ashoka, frangipani, and ficus trees neatly scattered throughout the property don’t hurt. The house is equipped with a functional kitchen, but if you’re more in the mood to order in, spring for any of the freshly prepared dishes from the à la carte menu or opt for a chef-guided three-course outdoor candlelit dinner under a canopy of string lights.
In Upstate, New York, The Lodge at June Farms is as whimsically quaint as its name implies. Rustic in all the right ways, the one-bedroom lodge boasts an open floorplan that encompasses a full kitchen featuring a six-person island, and a living area outfitted with charcoal-hued velvet Restoration Hardware Chesterfield sofas and a vintage wooden rocking chair.
In the summer months, walk about 300 feet through the woods and down a slight hill to The Pony Barn, a rustic lounge serving the perfect pairing: local spirits and superb wood-fired pizza.
When we think “loft,” a farmhouse on 200 acres along the Hudson River in Germantown, New York, isn’t exactly what comes to mind. That said, this 2,000-square-foot two-bedroom former apple storage barn (with its original pine floors) is worth the two-hour trip from Manhattan. With a gas fireplace, cook’s kitchen, and a sprawling outdoor deck overlooking the grounds, which includes a calming pond, the farmhouse life is a serene one—especially on the terrace in front of the firepit with a glass of Merlot in hand.
A cherry red antique former milk barn in the heart of Bethel, Connecticut, a town rich with colonial-era history, is about as bucolic as it gets. Situated on lush four acres, on which the homeowners have added a heated pool and immaculately manicured gardens, the restored cottage resides in Connecticut’s Fairfield County countryside, where Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio filmed their visually stunning Revolutionary Road.
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
