Cottagecore Stays: Glenville Park

A recent work trip took us to County Cork where we stumbled across this gem of a manor house you can stay in! Thomas really is an expert at finding romantic, quirky getaway locations and Glenville Park was a rustic dream. I didn't get any pictures in the sprawling garden, but I did take a few pictures in our beautiful toile wallpapered room and the manor house's cozy library filled with vintage books. This manor house is listed in airbnb and it's super affordable if you're looking for a romantic, laidback getaway in the region. It's a perfect spot to explore around Cork which is a really beautiful region full of castles, formal gardens, epic hikes, etc. We haven't been able to travel around Ireland much in the last couple of years due to restrictions so I'm hoping we can book another trip to stay in this lovely manor house again soon. I brought my favorite summer dress on this trip: the Thimbleweed I designed with Nour & the Merchant. This is the last month you can shop my limited capsule collection! I'll be sad to see these pieces go, but I'm so grateful I had the opportunity to design them with Cristina. The Thimbleweed specifically was born of my love for long linen dresses but my desire for a flattering silhouette that I never saw in the stores. I feel like linen dresses are often cut very loose or if they're more fitted they feature buttons...I have a love/hate relationship with button-up dresses. I love them, but I also dislike how they gap if the fit isn't perfect and they all feature very high necklines. I wanted a linen dress that was fitted on top, a full skirt, and a scoop neck (plus puff sleeves!) and Cristina did a wonderful job making this piece come to life. As we worked on it more we added more personal details; the ruffle about the sleeves the echo the sepals of a flower, the optional embroidery with different animals and plants, etc. And we expanded the option from one white linen fabric to a huge array of colors, even some darker tones appropriate for autumn. It's honestly such a dream dress for any linen lover who also wants something romantic with a more open neckline and in their favorite color. P.S. There are only four sizes available of this dress listed on Nour & the Merchant, but for a small fee Cristina also offers custom sizing and you can make a number of custom changes if you want as well--like a shorter or longer skirt! So this, and the rest of my collection, can be made in any size you need. Every dress is made when you place your order at her atelier in Italy using sustainable materials from a team earning a living wage too.    One of my favorite rooms in Glenville Park was the library. Towering wooden shelves full of leatherbound tomes and some real vintage gems. There were cozy seats for lounging in and even a less cottagecore-y pingpong table in the adjoining room! This settee was so comfortable; it was like sinking into a warm hug at the end of the day and we loved the views from the window. All of the toile wallpaper pictures were taken in the room we stayed in and I'd recommend asking for that room specifically because it was delightful. One of the things I love about staying in manor houses like this one is all the quirky architectural details. They don't make houses with this many interesting features anymore and when a house is this old as well it has a collection of antique bits and bobs stored in little corners that are fun to discover. It's an old house so that comes with quirks--a dramatic entryway, enormous windows, but also spotty wifi, creaky stairs, the occasional stubborn lock! Personally we love staying in a place with charm and soul, so we would book this house again in a heartbeat. The host was also very friendly and gave us so much free range to explore the house and grounds. When we were out walking in the garden we didn't see another soul so it truly felt as if we were lords of the manor for a few evenings!