Forest Hideaway—Light, Privacy, Washer/Dryer

Wake up among 100-year-old trees, then drive 12 minutes into Amherst. Or hike out the door a short distance to join wooded trails. The apartment sits with our house on 5 acres of mature forest, up on a hill and facing the woods. With a kitchen & washer/dryer, the apartment is both peaceful and practical, great for a weekend getaway or an extended stay, ideal for academics needing space for contemplation or for a couple visiting family. (Read about the steep driveway if planning a winter trip.) The space Inside you'll find cathedral ceilings and great light. The apartment has two private entrances, a private, unshared terrace on the edge of the woods, and complete seclusion from the main house. You won’t see or hear us unless it’s in the driveway. The quiet is serene, with UMass and Amherst College just 4 & 6 miles away. The space boasts fiber-optic, high-speed internet for remote work, digital temperature control, a HEPA air filter, Danish-designed oak sound panels for good acoustics, a Bosch washer and dryer, a full kitchen (less a dishwasher), a 4K TV (HBO, Apple, Hulu), a Bose Bluetooth speaker for music, a cupboard stocked with spices, olive oil, and coffee. There are blackout shades/curtains on all windows, Pendleton blankets, memory foam and feather pillows, dumbbells and a yoga mat, a dedicated hot-water heater, a library of quality fiction, nonfiction, and philosophy, as well as cleaning and bath products free of synthetic fragrances. We’ve outfitted the suite as we would want it if we were guests, with nice furniture, good sheets, and plush towels. We’re constantly improving the space and just added three new vintage rugs. We recently installed new internal doors, retiled the bathroom floor, and repainted the main areas (not yet photographed) and added new art. We also plan to upgrade the countertops the last week in September. Note on the layout: The floor plan is open. A 5.5-foot wall separates the bedroom from the living room and kitchen, so the bedroom does not have a door. There are two closets and a dresser where you can store your things. The washer and dryer occupy a separate closet behind accordion doors in the bedroom. Quiet and Privacy: The apartment sits above our garage, which we rarely use when guests are here. The apartment is separate from the house, as are the entrances. There are no doors between the spaces. (There is one small portion of shared, soundproofed wall not close to your bedroom.) You can come and go at any hour without disturbing us. The normal noise of living—TV, conversation, music—is of course both acceptable and not audible beyond the apartment. We charge no cleaning fee and we have only one instruction for check-out: leave the keys on the counter. The person booking the apartment must be 21 years old, as required by our insurance company. ***Winter guests: The gravel driveway is long and steep. We clear and sand thoroughly and can time snow removal with your schedule. During heavy snowstorms, AWD may be required to reach the top. If your vehicle isn’t winter-ready, plan to park at the bottom of the hill and walk up. The house’s remove from roads and neighbors is a big part of what makes it peaceful. On pets: we allow small dogs for owners who don't let pets onto furniture and who agree to pay replacement costs for damaged rugs, bedding, couch, etc. (Sorry, no cats.) We have a huge yard you can run your dog in. Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Big Y are 15 minutes away. Places to Visit Within 0.5 miles: Robert Frost Trail, Leverett Pond, multiple hiking trailheads. Within 6 miles: Amherst College, UMass Campus, Emily Dickinson Museum, Mead Art Museum, Puffer's Pond, Amherst Farmer's Market, Amherst Farm Winery, Black Birch Vineyard, The Book Mill & Lady Killigrew Cafe (a touch over 6 miles away & stunningly located on the Sawmill River). Within 10 miles: Hampshire College, Eric Carle Museum, Mount Holyoke State Park, summer swimming at Lake Wyola, Tree House Brewery. Within 15 miles: Smith College, Northampton, Mount Holyoke College (All five-college schools), Connecticut River Greenway State Park, Norwottuck Rail Trail, Deerfield Academy (21 miles). Within 35 miles: Skiing at Berkshire East, Mohawk Trail State Forest (largest stand of old-growth forest in Massachusetts). Within 60 miles: Mass MoCA (an incredible museum), The Clark Institute, Williams College, Mount Graylock, Monadnock State Park. Guest access Guests will have access to a private patio and the yard around the apartment. The apartment has two private entrances. An external staircase leads up to the door, so please be prepared to navigate them.