Relax in our beautiful, comfortable, and spacious Carriage House - on Monroe's historic Layton Castle property. A unique garden oasis near downtown Monroe and West Monroe. An ideal couple getaway or even a honeymoon suite! Read a book on the swing under the huge live oak or have a glass of wine in the rocking chair under the covered patio. Explore the grounds where ancient magnolias and crepe myrtle and camellias still bloom, find the huge old fig tree or catalpas… The Carriage House was built in the 1940s as a garage (see old pic) with an upstairs apartment. In 2000 it was renovated and turned into a garden home by the previous steward of Layton Castle, Carol Parsons. It is a beautifully designed, open two-story building with an internal gallery and attached solarium. The living room, kitchen and dining areas are part of the large open plan with the two-story gallery viewing up to the bookcase lined walls on the second floor. The master bedroom is spacious, with a super comfortable new queen mattress and down comforter... and a fanciful bed hanging that gives the room a romantic flair. The bathroom has a large hot tub style bath & shower. A double decker washer/dryer is directly off the bathroom as well as additional closet space. The kitchen is small but has everything - dishwasher, stove, oven, fridge, microwave, coffee maker and more. Attached to the south side of the living room is the two-story, plant-filled solarium with a comfortable seating area and an electronic piano (please play!) A circular metal staircase leads to the second floor which has a second bedroom with two antique twin beds, an attached private full bathroom with an claw-foot tub & shower. The tub is clean! just old : ). There is a desk for your laptop or your work area outside the bedroom overlooking the living room. Also upstairs, is a large collection of books on art, art history, architecture, design, etc. The carriage house is entirely yours during your stay. The 5 acre grounds outside are shared with the family and a few long term tenants, though you won't likely see anyone except our staff who are often about helping to keep the place running. Please feel free to use the covered patios, benches and chairs around the grounds, visit the cemetery - you are welcome to wander the grounds, take pictures, enjoy. Layton Castle is located in the Historic Bry District, next to the Ouachita River. Across the street from the Masur Museum to the southwest and the historic architectural gem The Cooley House to the north, Layton Castle sits in a beautiful, treasured locale. It's a mixed neighborhood of beautifully renovated buildings and homes in need of rescuing. Certainly a car is needed, but biking downtown or over the bridge to Antique Alley is an option. With its open floor plan, there are no doors to the bedrooms, but we do provide privacy screens (though certainly the bathrooms have doors). This is a completely fenced and gated 5 acre property. It feels very safe... but we do have security cameras up given the historic nature of our family home. We do tours periodically for groups and the public and if you are staying while we have one you are welcome to join.