Claire Harper Claire Harper | August 25, 2021 | Home & Real Estate, Feature, Home & Real Estate,
Georgia bulldog fans: meet The Rushmore, the newest addition to Athens’ Five Points neighborhood and your soon-to-be new favorite place to stay in town.
A peek inside the Oxford suite from its en suite bathroom, a beautiful culmination of sophisticated and modern touches.
There’s an old historic home primely placed right in the heart of Five Points in Athens. Built in 1918, the 6,000-square-foot brick house was home to the Cobb family for many decades. You can probably still smell the remnants of the thousands of cakes baked by Mrs. Cobb, a caterer, in the kitchen. Or maybe you knew the South Milledge Avenue home as Zeta Beta Tau during its most recent life as a fraternity house. Regardless of what you knew the building as before—or even if you’ve never crossed paths with it at all—that’s all about to change.
“My husband, Cameron, and I were absolutely thrilled to learn about this property when it became available. It was the perfect location, space and timing for us,” says Candice Treadway, co-owner of ATH|BNB (@athbnb) and a local Athens realtor. But they weren’t looking to call the vacant space home for their family of five; rather, they had much bigger plans in mind. “Inspired by residents renting out their homes on big tourist weekends, we realized there is a need for accommodations in our neighborhood of Five Points and, specifically, a need for luxury hospitality in Athens,” shares the UGA grad. When they learned that the house was already zoned for a bed-and-breakfast, the couple considered it a sign, and, just like that, The Rushmore was born. “We decided to make it the best 14-suite bed-and-breakfast in all of Athens, if not all of Georgia,” adds Treadway.
Continental-style breakfast will be served each morning in the common area in the front of the house.
First up on the agenda: renovation. “We restored every inch of the house to make it energy-efficient and functional,” shares Treadway, noting that the overhaul included adding 14 brand-new bathrooms to the craftsman-style home, as well as making a few changes to the original floor plan in order to offer more suites. She and Cameron also wanted to pay homage to the historical home by keeping its original brickwork and front windows intact. The high school and college sweethearts also found ways to update the space while still remaining true to its roots. A few projects of note: restoring the front porch to its former glory, replacing the interior windows and trims to mimic the original architecture, keeping the beautiful original staircase and hardwood floors on one level of the three-story home and leaving all six original fireplaces intact—but enhancing them with a modern makeover.
Four suites feature beautifully restored, original fireplaces with tile that matches each suite’s bathroom.
While the architecture is certainly of note, it’s the interior design that instantly puts The Rushmore on the map, setting it apart from any existing bed-and-breakfasts. “It’s a lot to take in and admire,” says Treadway of the 14 rooms, each of which boasts completely contrasting decor and styling. Helming the unique project was Athens-based design firm Metal + Petal. “We wanted to invest in a firm that would take our vision and make it reality,” recalls Treadway. “They immediately understood what we wanted and how to make our goals and dreams come true.” As for the vision, Treadway shares that the couple wanted the interior design to be something people don’t see every day. “Something avant-garde that would give our guests and our community something to remember. Every room has multiple wow factors,” she adds.
The Juliette suite is one of four suites with an original fireplace, which will be retiled to match its bathroom.
Each room, like the Oxford, shown here, is appointed with luxury bed and bath linens
And “wow” is definitely the word that comes to mind. As guests wander through the quaint bed-and-breakfast, each suite and en suite bathroom is its own adventure. Take, for instance, the vibrant Helena suite, boasting a lush pink headboard, walls painted a beautiful shade of green, and a bathroom with gorgeous floor-to-ceiling tiling and a Waterworks vanity, among complementing decor and one of the revamped original fireplaces. “It’s a showstopper,” says Treadway of the suite. What truly makes the B&B unique is that on the other side of the house in the Sunnyside suite, you’ll find a totally different design approach from the Helena. Located on the parlor level in the back of the house, the ethereal room features the most neutral elements of any room in the house thanks to multiple windows and white hues. “But it’s not boring by any means,” notes Treadway, adding that it would make the perfect bridal suite. Similar to the Helena and Sunnyside suites, each of the bespoke rooms is appropriately named after a town in Georgia. “We chose names we liked and matched them to the designs,” adds Treadway.
With over 80 live plants throughout The Rushmore, each space in the house is studded with eye-catching green.
Even with 14 accommodations revealing totally different colors and styling, the design team still managed to keep a cohesive vibe throughout. “The aesthetic is historic and regal with modern and fun design interwoven together. With high ceilings and lots of color, each room has countless aspects to catch your eye,” Treadway shares. Making it feel all the more bed-and- breakfast-y, every detail of The Rushmore was meticulously thought out—from larger, more instantly recognizable design elements, like exposed brick and artful wallpaper, down to the smallest touches, like rare coffee-table books and Crosley Bluetooth speakers, to tie it all together.
Even the hallways, like this one on the main level right as guests walk inside from the back patio, feature memorable details.
18 months after the first demo day, The Rushmore was in full swing.
With football season around the corner, these Georgia Bulldogs are expecting one heck of a first few months, with several rooms already booked for each home game. In addition to chic interior design and plush suites, future guests will enjoy a more futuristic B&B approach, including check-in and keys to the house and individual rooms available via phone—which, as an added bonus, means no set checkout times to adhere to. The Rushmore also caters to its guests with the traditional and well-loved touches of a boutique hotel, such as continental-style breakfast brought in from The Café on Lumpkin and a daily afternoon tea service in the parlor. “Staying at The Rushmore exudes the warmth of being hosted in an Athens home with the elevated experience of a luxury hotel. The experience is calm yet energetic, lively yet relaxed, and independent yet interactive,” shares Treadway. “At the end of the day, all we want is for our guests to feel at home here.” We’ll gladly be the first in line to call Athens’ newest addition home for the weekend.
The guest bathroom on the main floor is a great example of the gorgeous tiling and artful wallpaper seen throughout The Rushmore.
Every room in the bed-and-breakfast, including the De Soto shown here, was strategically designed with chandeliers and sconces to make the home feel warm and inviting.
Photography by: Kaitie Bryant