The Harvard Five may have placed New Canaan, Connecticut, on the design map, but Litchfield, in the state’s bucolic northeastern corner, has its own modernist legacy. Drive through the postcard-perfect New England county and you’ll see, amid its Federal and Colonial homes, a smattering of midcentury modern gems that bear the mark of famed architect Marcel Breuer. He isn’t the only one; there are also homes and buildings by Richard Neutra and John Johansen, and in nearby Roxbury lived sculptor Alexander Calder. Decades later, Litchfield County is now in the gentle(r) throes of a renaissance underscored by a slew of new design-led stays. In Litchfield town the old courthouse on the Green (that’s brimming with shops and cafés) has been refashioned into contemporary-art-filled boutique hotel The Abner. Earlier this summer the rustic-modern Lost Fox Inn opened in a 1740s tavern from the folks behind Mt. Temper’s Foxfire Mountain House, and come March, Hudson Valley favorite Troutbeck will unveil sibling property Belden House & Mews in a Colonial Revival estate reimagined by local-owned Champalimaud Design. These fresh stays join nearby stalwarts like Mayflower Inn, with its beloved spa and sun-drenched Garden Room, and Relais & Châteaux’s Winvian Farm.
And while you could make a weekend of wandering through Litchfield town—pop into Milton Market, a chic home goods and gifts store (think vintage transferware and block-printed linens)—you’ll do well to venture out. In nearby Bantam, tucked into a factory warehouse packed with artist studios, is Dumais Made, a ceramics and lighting studio founded by Charles Dumais (spot his lamps at the Abner hotel) with his husband Kevin—Charles also doubles as local guide extraordinaire. Grab an ice cream from nearby Arethusa Creamery or coffee and salted chocolate chip cookie from Krafted Brew Lab. Then venture to New Preston, where temptations lie by way of Eleish Van Breems, a new design store with midcentury treasures like Bruno Mathsson loungers; Plain Goods’ curated mix of homeware, clothing, and art; and Pergola, a home and garden store with eye-watering Japanese ceramics. Get lunch at retro-styled diner Smithy Cafe, then drive to Falls Village, where Marché, a new shop featuring antiques sourced from France as well as local craft, is a big draw. As evening falls, head to the newly opened Pink House, where the chef (formerly of The Finch in Brooklyn) spins out elegantly plated dishes alongside spiffy cocktails. Or Community Table, where the ingredients are locally sourced, the vibe is spirited, and the chances of running into cool, artistic (even famous) locals are high. Litchfield has always had those. —Arati Menon
New Orleans
Go for: a culinary rebirth and leveled-up hotel scene
