Welcome to Maison Berkshires, a nature immersion! This beautiful historic house and red barn are nestled on 7 wooded acres, and surrounded by hundreds more, with no neighbor in sight. A place where everything is made to relax and disconnect: from the serene sounds of the streams running on the property, to the beautifully appointed house. Minutes from stunning hikes like Bash Bish Falls or the Appalachian Trail. 15 mins to Great Barrington and Catamount, 30 mins to Stockbridge, 35 mins to Lenox. A PLACE TO GATHER Maison Berkshires has everything you need to create amazing memories with your friends and family. We come here to relax and recharge with our loved ones, and designed everything in the house with that in mind. This colonial house was built as a summer escape for a Manhattan banker and has an illustrious and quirky history. Babe Ruth used to stay here on his vacation where he hunted and drank a little too much, according to the locals. In the early 20th century, the owner published the town newspaper "Ye Occasional Idler" from a printing press in the attic. The ground floor includes a large living room with triple exposure windows, a mix of antique and contemporary furniture, and warm blankets to cozy up for those long evening chats. You'll also find a table where we enjoy playing board games, doing puzzles, or having an occasional glass of Berkshire Mountain Distillers Bourbon after dinner. Two doll houses and a "book nook" with a vintage rocking chair complete the space. The dining room is one of the beating hearts of the house and its antique table sits eight people. We designed it to be warm and inviting and hope you'll spend long evenings here, laughing and enjoying those moments as we do. We usually have a few candles out on the table to create a beautiful setting. The kitchen is adjacent to the dining room. We cook a lot when in the house so it should have everything you need to prepare delicious meals. If you want to check-in with us first about something you may need, feel free to do so! Equipment includes a 6 burner Wolf stove and many small appliances like a Nespresso coffee machine, rice maker, raclette machine, waffle maker and more... You'll also find a pantry by the kitchen where we keep more cooking stuff. A sitting room completes the ground floor. Located to your left when you first enter the house, it is meant to be a larger foyer where you can comfortably remove your shoes and coats as you're settling in. You'll find a built-in bookshelf with a collection of books and objects, inspired by the Berkshires and by the history of the house. The bedrooms are all upstairs and include roller shades on all windows. The Primary bedroom has a beautiful antique queen bed, a desk with printer/scanner, large closet and its own bathroom with a large walk-in shower. The primary bathroom has one of the best views from the house! Another bathroom on that floor is shared by the three other bedrooms. The Blue Room is another large bedroom which features a king bed, a desk, dresser and a half bath with a walk-in closet. There are two more bedrooms on that floor, one with a queen bed, dresser and desk, the other one has a trundle bed, closets and antique chair. A play room completes the upstairs. It has a tepee, toy kitchen, lots of kids books and many toys! There is also a small couch and a TV in that area. We don't have cable but the smart TV offers apps like Netflix, Amazon Video, and more. The playroom is open to the hallway that leads to the different bedrooms - it isn't a closed off room. The deck can be accessed from the kitchen and this is where you'll find our Weber grill and an outdoor dining table which seats eight. From the deck you'll take in a stunning view of the surrounding trees while enjoying the shade they provide. You will hear and see our brook on the western side of the house which feeds directly into Bash Bish Falls, the highest waterfall in Massachusetts. It is also a great place to observe the wildlife, like white-tailed deers, wild turkeys, all while listening to the sounds of woodpeckers and other birds. The barn is where we keep all the fun stuff! It is a gorgeous post and beam barn built by a local master builder with concrete floors and electricity. There you will find everything to entertain, including: a ping pong table, corn hole set, croquet set, balls, badminton net and rackets... and even a treadmill! The fire pit area with its Adirondack chairs is located next to the barn. We love making s'mores there with the kids and enjoy conversations while staring at the fire. A hammock is hung in between two large pine trees and is our favorite spot to read books and nap. Next to it is the kid's swing which can either be set as a "big kid" swing or a "small kid" swing. Both swings are kept in the barn when not in use. A PLACE TO SKI The house is conveniently located near the two best ski resorts in Southern Berkshires: Catamount Mountain Resort, and Ski Butternut. Catamount Mountain Resort is 13 minutes away and features 44 ski trails, 39 with snowmaking, and 8 lifts. It offers some of the most varied terrain in Southern New England, and is suited for skiers and snowboarders of all levels. Ski Butternut offers 22 ski trails, all covered with snowmaking, and 11 lanes for tubing! It is a great and affordable family ski resort. A PLACE TO HIKE The property is located in the town of Mount Washington, 80% of which is a nature preserve. Some of the best hikes in the Berkshires are within minutes, including the Appalachian Trail which is 3 miles away. Other notable hikes in the area include: - Bash Bish Falls, 1.6 miles away - Mount Everett, 2.2 miles away - Guilder Pond Hiking Trail, 3 miles away - Jug end State Reservation, 5 miles away - and so many more! A PLACE TO WORK Sometimes we need to get away from it all to focus and get work done. This house is a great one to do so with: - Fast Fiber optic internet at 330 mbps - Dedicated 5G Wifi Network - Printer with flatbed scanner - Desks in three bedrooms - Plugs everywhere DISCLAIMERS / HOUSE TRUTHS This is an old house so it needs frequent care and upkeep! We fell in love with it and are dedicated to it, but also know that an old house may not be for everyone. While it is perfectly sound structurally, you will quickly notice that most of the floors are uneven, and that one of the two stairs in the house was built with steeper and shorter steps than what we would build today. Some of the beautiful windows are original, like many other parts of the house, and have been lovingly restored throughout the years. They are protected on the outside by storm windows which makes for a good insulation, but it also means you need to open two windows if you want to let the fresh air in. No big deal but we want you to be aware of that! The central forced air heating works very well, and can be controlled from a Nest thermostat in the Sitting Room. The house is located on a small mountain at a 1,500 ft elevation and is surrounded by trees which means the summers here are cooler and no AC was ever needed in the house. It was also built with great cross-ventilation and we have fans throughout the house if need be.