Victorian Home Base: Top O’Woodland
Nashville, Tennessee
This is where we’re staying in Nashville, and it could not be more charming. The owner of the Top O’Woodland, Belinda, who’s also an investment advisor, Opera singer and triathlon competitor, bought the 1898 Victorian 11 years ago (“before the neighborhood was this cool”) and filled it with a mix of salvage and inherited family belongings. Her mom’s lace wedding dress from the ’50s hangs on the wall above one of the guest beds, and her great grandmother’s leather lace-up boots sit next to a Stetson fedora that belonged to her great-great-grandfather, who put himself through dentistry school by secretly playing the piano at a speakeasy. There’s a story behind everything. The huge, mahogany four-poster bed in the master bedroom came from a thrift store. “I get deals or I don’t buy,” she says. “I was there when a divorce truck rolled in.”
Our kids love it here, partly because they’re not confined to a hotel room, but mostly because of the magical outdoor area with wrought-iron tables and chairs, strung-up lights and a winding path through the lush landscaping that leads to a little koi pond (with fish food tucked behind a wooden mushroom in the flowers). Another kid bonus: there’s an old, fantastic pizzeria across the street, located in the original storefront location of the H.G. Hills grocery chain. Located on a picturesque street in the East Nashville neighborhood, the Top O’Woodland is also within stroller-pushing distance to an ice cream shop, organic market, amazing vintage clothing shop (Fanny’s House of Music, owned by a former fashion columnist and editor for the New York Post) and Wonders on Woodland (an another old Victorian filled to the brim with vintage furniture).
The Details
Prices start at $160 a night. We’re staying in Mr. Greene’s cottage, which has a kitchenette and two bedrooms. Sleeps six. Make reservations at topofwoodland.com.
For more photos from the road, go to the Lincoln-Designtripper site!
22 April 2011 | Belinda Leslie Said:
thanks for staying at Top O’Woodland Inn and Wedding Chapel. It is so fun for me as the Owner/Inn Keeper to have guests here that really like our vibe.
Belinda Leslie
06 July 2011 | Julie Kilber Said:
The home was in need of cleaning. We mentioned that the chandelier had thick dust on it and it hung over our bed. The response we got was “sorry it wasn’t spotless it gets cleaned 3 times a year”
She had her friends come and reherse music for some type of event. How awkward if you had wanted to take a nap at that time. When this was mentioned the response we got was “Nashville is music city”
The breakfast area was left lacking appeal and cereal was old and fridge was near empty. We were told, “it’s served on silver and organic food.” Yes Trader Joes is organic but I still would like it fresh. And pasteries were served and supposedly purchased at some high end bakery. Well it tasted like day old wares.
Or garbage was never taken out. The response was “it was an oversight, you were home most of the time ( which we were not) and then a snotty remark was made about maybe next time she’ll (the owner) will just knock on the door like it’s a disturbance. We had our door open most of the time except when her friends were rehersing music and when we slept or were gone.
One night at 3 am a drunken couple stopped in the parking area of the B&B. Fought for about 20 min, cursing and yelling. The bed also sits against the window where the central air system is going. It was near impossible to sleep from the noise of the unit.
The owner is very offended when any negative thing is pointed out to her. It’s a so-so B&B with a terrible breakfast but has good coffee and tea that is served on mismatch plates and silverware that can be found at any goodwill or salvation army. So if you are into antique homes that are dirty but have good coffee and love noise. This is your place! Armin & Julie Kilber
17 July 2011 | anonymous Said:
My wife and I could not get any sleep with the central air conditioning right outside the window. Food was poor quality and owner is hostile if you point out anything negative to her.
10 December 2012 | anonymous Said:
Poor quality place to stay. Not recommended at all. The place was dirty, the towels were stinky and smelled old, the smell of old dirty carpet and dogs barking all the time. Very poor quality. Had to walk around the house to get to our room because of some kind of junk shop the owner was trying to start up.