WINSTON-SALEM, NC—The Graylyn Estate, the former home of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco executive Bowman Gray, is a sight to behold—French Normandy-style architecture featuring a stone facade and turrets amid a lush green landscape transport you to a time gone by.
Today, Graylyn is a hotel and conference center open to the public after decades of exclusively serving Wake Forest University, its alumni and affiliates. Toward the effort of opening its doors to the greater community and beyond, the estate embarked on a complete renovation of its guestrooms and conference space in the Mews section of the 55-acre property.
“We removed the requirement to be affiliated to Wake Forest University and opened the estate up to the leisure market,” said Tina M. Fullard, director of marketing, Graylyn Estate. “Wake Forest proudly owns and manages Graylyn, which is unique because profits from the hotel and conference center go directly to the school to fund student scholarships.”
Libby Patrick of Sims Patrick Studio, an Atlanta-based interior design firm, was enlisted to work alongside architect Moser Mayer Phoenix Associates to infuse a fresh design with the building’s historical elements.
“The history of the Graylyn property and Mrs. Gray's vision for the estate was in the forefront of the development of our design direction for the Mews. The types and quality of materials that were used in the mansion were also applied to the palette of materials used at the Mews,” said Patrick. “For instance, we have used hardwood floors, wood paneling, wrought iron, tile and stone in the Mews. The best way to describe our thinking and inspiration might be that, if the Manor House is the living room of the property, the Mews is the den. We did not have an unlimited budget like Mrs. Gray might have had at the turn of the century, but we certainly tried to be true to the casual character of the poultry house and stables within the French Normandy-style architecture,” said Patrick.
Being listed on the National Register of Historic Places added another layer to the process and made it essential that the design team took great care in how the spaces were reimagined. “They couldn’t change the footprint of the structure, but they did gut the inside and reduced the number of rooms to create these amazing suites,” explained Fullard.
Originally designed by Eccles D. Everhart as the stables for the Gray family’s estate, the Mews (French word for stables) never housed any horses. “In honor of Mr. Everhart’s work, one of the six striking and spacious suites at the Mews adorns his name. Each of the guestrooms feature new custom furnishings, fabrics, wallcoverings, carpets and finishes. To further exude comfort, there are luxury linens, down-feather comforters and Molton Brown amenities."
Anecdotes from the past informed the current design of the Silo Suite, a tribute to Louie Baker, a poultry manager who worked at Graylyn for 40 years, whose name adorns the door.
The suite features two levels of expansive space complete with a round living area on the first floor and a circular bedroom on the second floor with a staircase connecting the rooms. Inside, amenities include a presidential bathroom with soaking tub, an oversized tortoise-shell finish on the porcelain tile floors and a large specialty shower.
“Louie Baker supplied chickens and worked behind the stables where the poultry house was and now houses guestrooms. They took the two rooms in the middle and made a huge suite. Learning that the design for the room would include chickens and eggs took us aback, but we trusted Libby’s vision, saw her work and we believed in her. The living room has a homey and comfy feel where you can sit down on the couch and read a book. Every piece she’s tied into the room, whether it’s eggs or a rooster, seems to fit perfectly,” said Fullard.
According to Fullard, guest response has been overwhelmingly positive. “Prior to the renovation, everyone wanted to stay in the Manor House. Now, it’s all about the Mews,” she said. “We have 86 guestrooms on the property, and every single one is different in style. You could stay here 86 times and feel like you’re in a different hotel each time. Every room has a story.”
