The Hot List

A Long Weekend Away

Let the travel muse inspire your home décor

By Jason Oliver Nixon and John Loecke

As we move into the languid summer months ahead, why not plan a high-design vacation that doesn’t require a plane ticket and passport? Think: Modernist chic in Charleston, a spa-centric sanctuary in Cary, a taste of Tangiers in the Florida Panhandle and more. Then bring that glorious getaway home with a slew of fabulous furnishings that will deliver endless summer sizzle year round. The Madcap Cottage gents open up their little black books to adventure . . .

Manor Born

A hearty thank you to Chicago-based luxury linen firm Eastern Accents, for its brilliant notion to convert a historic former B&B smack on HP’s downtown train line (407 West High Ave.) into the world-class Pandora’s Manor inn. (See page 32.) In a humble pie moment, the Madcap gents along with five of the world’s top designers were asked to transform the inn’s guest rooms and suites into magic. Abracadabra! The result is sensational and worthy of Travel + Leisure’s It List. Plus, the inn will host chef-cooked, private dinners and can craft bespoke events that perfectly reflect the caliber of the accommodations. There’s nothing like this anywhere, so book a room — or a private dinner — pronto. Pandorasmanor.com

Bring the English country house style of the relaxed, layered Madcap Cottage guest room at Pandora’s Manor into your own manor with the Madcap collection of fabrics from Robert Allen @Home. Accessible, and yet always affordable, the collection channels a far-flung glamour that’s anything but beige and boring. Available through madcapcottage.com

Mid-Century and Marvelous

Modern, sleek lines take center stage at The Dewberry, a beautifully crafted hostelry in the heart of Charleston, South Carolina, that nods to Southern grace tempered with a Mad Men — styled cosmopolitan chic. Step inside the gloriously repurposed former federal building and embrace the rich woods paired with burnished metals and Parisian-styled panache. The light and airy guest rooms are complemented by Vermont marble bathrooms that might just tempt you to stay put. But do get out and explore this white-hot city with its myriad historic and culinary temptations. Rooms from $329. Thedewberrycharleston.com

Bring the delights of The Dewberry into your own living room with the throwback charms of the Beckett Leather Chair from Rowe that marries mid-century cool with heaps of comfort ($1,699), available through Furnitureland South, 5635 Riverdale Drive, Jamestown, (336) 822-3000. furniturelandsouth.com

Cool, Calm, Collected

If a spin through Bermuda or a weekend away in Tangiers just isn’t in the cards, a jaunt to Alys Beach, Florida, might just fit the bill. Picture stunning, white-on-white, island-plucked architecture with fountain-filled courtyards, pedestrian-friendly byways, glorious swimming pools and towering palms that offer dramatic, dappled shade. Rent one of the charming homes and cottages (prices from $300 per night) — such as the atmospheric 43 Ladybug Court — and embrace the beautifully designed, yet relaxed lifestyle. It’s a slice of the far-flung and fabulous smack upon the shores of the Panhandle.

Capture the sophisticated cool of Alys Beach with the Bellemeade Table Lamp from Currey & Co. ($590) that will add a sunny, exotic spin to any corner that really needs to get lit. Available through Meg Brown Home Furnishings, 5491 U.S. Highway 158, Advance, (336) 998-7277. megbrown.com

Art Imitates Life

A quick spin up the highway will carry you to buzzy, action-packed Durham, and there’s no better spot to savor the scene than the historic, Deco-styled former Central Carolina Bank building that has been deliciously transformed into the art-filled 21c Museum Hotel. And when we say filled with art, no joke: Think ever-changing galleries beside the lobby packed with installations that might include sculptures, videos and paintings that are thought-provoking and anything but safe. Sup on rotisserie hen with rhubarb or the seared monkfish with cauliflower at the open-plan Counting House eatery before retiring to your airy, terrazzo-clad guest room with stunning vistas onto the ever-evolving Durham cityscape. 21cmuseumhotels.com

Add a sculptural element to your own home with the arresting Valentino Lamp Table from Woodbridge Furniture that mixes stone and metal to spirited effect ($1,650). Available through Priba Furniture and Interiors, 210 Stage Coach Trail, Greensboro, (336) 334-2498. pribafurniture.com

Into the Woods

A cosseting slice of heaven just off  I-40 in Cary, The Umstead Hotel and Spa marries spot-on service and sleek-chic, art-filled interiors with 10-plus acres of woodland. Savor a transporting slice of nature beside the sparkling lake before relaxing in the world-class spa with a treatment such as the Babassu Sugar Scrub or a 75-minute Brightening Facial. The hotel’s Herons eatery will wow you with inspired dishes such as the 62-degree egg with sea urchin, paired with attentive — but never fussy — service and views onto the hotel’s verdant, herb-filled gardens. Theumstead.com

Channel the refined luxe of The Umstead with the glittering lines of the Bracelet cocktail table from Baker Furniture, the perfect perch for a cool martini or Negroni ($5,685). Available through Baker Furniture, 319 North Hamilton St., High Point, (336) 885-0186. bakerfurniture.com

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