The Cottage at Falling River: a newly-built vacation rental in Appomattox!
Kelly Mann loves to make things beautiful. She has a bachelor’s degree in fine arts with concentrations in interior architecture and art education.
She and her dad, Allan Booth, have worked together for 20 years in their business, K & A Homes, LLC, where they build custom homes and Kelly has helped numerous people throughout the region design beautiful kitchens, bathrooms and more!
In the last year, Kelly has used her talents in a different way: instead of designing beautiful home interiors for her clients, this time around, Kelly got to choose every cabinet, door knob, and light fixture, for herself.
The reason? She and her husband, Billy, bought an unlikely plot of land and (Kelly and her father) built the sweetest cottage on it - for the purpose of creating a vacation home just minutes from the heart of Appomattox for those traveling through.
They call it “The Cottage at Falling River,” and you may have guessed… it’s in the Falling River district on Country Club Road.
Kelly and her family live nearby and when she saw the plot of land for sale, she explained, the wheels in her mind just started turning. You see, the land itself isn’t really conducive to building a proper, larger, family home on it. With great big boulders on one side of the property, and a steep slope on the other… there was limited space where a home could be built.
Kelly couldn’t foresee a full size home on the property. Her vision was to build a small cottage, or cabin, on the wooded lot, clearing as little as possible to keep the rustic feel of the land. Part of her inspiration came from her visits to Kelly's "happy place," Banner Elk, North Carolina, and also their family trips to the Smokey Mountains. In both of these areas, she studied amazing homes built, literally, on the side of a cliff. With that in mind, she was challenged to make the best of a less than desirable tract of land, and also to highlight the landscape of rocks, which some would consider a hindrance to the building process.
Home away from home
Billy, Kelly, and their three kids travel often for the kids’ sporting events and family vacations. They have discovered the luxury of renting a vacation home for their family, which often costs less or equal to the cost of two hotel rooms. (Why compare it to the cost of two rooms? Come on! We all know a family of five does not fit well in just one hotel room! Especially if the kids are not so little any more!)
Kelly found that her family could rent a vacation home on their trips which included multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, a living room and a kitchen. All of this space would allow their family to spread out and relax after a long day of travel or adventuring. Kelly now considers it a challenge to find the most unique rentals when they plan trips.
“I will spend hours online studying listings and researching areas. I think this helped me in knowing what to add to the cottage and how to advertise it as well,” Kelly explained.
The Manns have really enjoyed visiting different rental homes and they decided to take a leap of faith- to offer a place of their own for visitors from near and far. Billy and Kelly bought the plot of land and the design work began!
Cute, comfortable, and convenient!
The cottage is located just 5 minutes outside the town of Appomattox. It’s nestled underneath shade trees in the wooded community of Falling River.
The exterior boasts all of the latest homebuilding trends, with dark charcoal siding and a sweet sea-foam colored front door. As you open the front door, you’ll find an inviting brown leather sofa just waiting for you to sink into. The living room also has a beautiful electric fireplace and a warm, cozy atmosphere.
Kelly chose a bold deep green color for the kitchen cabinets and for accents throughout the cottage as well. Those green accents, along with the natural wood furniture you’ll find in the cottage gently bring the colors of nature right into the space - bringing the outdoors in!
This 1,000 square foot, two bedroom, 1.5 bath cottage sleeps five comfortably and makes a great getaway (or a great staycation spot)! Construction on the cottage was completed in the spring of 2022 and Kelly’s first guests were a local couple whose home was undergoing a major construction project. The couple enjoyed the cottage for 5 months while they waited for their home update to be completed.
After that, Kelly began receiving bookings for the cottage through the online rental company, airbnb.com.
The Cottage at Falling River has received excellent reviews and ratings online from its guests. That’s partly due to the fact that the building itself is in pristine new condition; partly due to the cottage’s convenient location to Appomattox, Lynchburg, and Farmville; and partly due to Kelly’s extreme eye for detail.
She has filled the kitchen with all of the amenities someone might need, including dinnerware for 8 people, and two types of coffee makers (because some people prefer pods while others prefer a traditional drip style maker). She’s included additional non-breakable cups and plates for kids, as well as a s’mores kit that can be used with the fire pit on the patio!
She’s included seasonings for those who want to cook, and she keeps containers with lids, plastic baggies and cling wrap in the kitchen so guests can easily store leftovers in the fridge. Kelly has even included (a very neat and clean) junk drawer, filled with items like matches, tape, pens, and scissors - all things that could come in handy during your stay!
Kelly also keeps a variety of sodas and bottle waters (and sometimes juice boxes if younger guests are coming) in the refrigerator for her guests to enjoy, as well as a basket on the counter filled with grab and go snacks. Guests can even find chocolates that have been left for them on the night stands!
Kelly’s guests have enjoyed her cottage so much that the Airbnb site has determined that she has earned the badge of Superhost. That means, the Cottage’s guests have not only been satisfied with the home, but also satisfied with Kelly’s attention to detail and responsiveness as a host.
“My favorite part of being a host is seeing families making memories, just having a good time together. It’s awesome to ride by and see them outside relaxing by the firepit or kids exploring the woods around the house,” Kelly explained. “It’s rewarding knowing that we play a small part in making their trip memorable. One of my favorite things to do, once guests leave, is to check out my guest book and see what they wrote about their stay…where they’re from and what all they did while visiting!”
“We have hosted people from all over,” she continued. “My first ‘short term’ guest was a traveling musician from New Jersey. He liked the place so much that he came back a few weeks later! We’ve had guests from Washington (state), MD, NC, GA, PA - and a family from Maine enjoyed this past Thanksgiving at the cottage. One of my childhood friends rented the cottage for Christmas while in town visiting her family. While we’ve had more out of state guests, we’ve also had locals rent for a quick getaway and break from the norm.”
Supporting Local Businesses
Being an Appomattox native, Kelly knows that this area has a lot to offer - but you have to know where to look! She makes it easy for her out of town guests to discover unknown local treasures. The Cottage at Falling River offers a variety of brochures for local parks, businesses, and resources for her guests to browse through as well as her online Airbnb guidebook.
Whenever possible, Kelly will also leave her guests yummy treats from local businesses or perhaps a small gift card from a local shop. This encourages those renting the Cottage to get out and experience all that the Appomattox community has to offer!
Though the house is normally booked through the Airbnb website, Kelly is also able to offer gift certificates to Appomattox locals looking to give someone the gift of a getaway or a staycation.
3 reasons to give the gift of a stay at the cottage:
It’s a great place for a bridal party to get ready for a wedding.
Local parents of young children can have a peaceful getaway without being too far away from their kids and the babysitter.
If you have out-of-town visitors, this is a great place for them unwind and relax.
The Cottage at Falling River is located at 1653 Country Club Road in Appomattox. Whether you’re booking for yourself or giving the gift of relaxation to others, you can find out more about renting the cottage by calling 434-664-8461, or by contacting the Manns through The Cottage at Falling River’s Facebook page or Instagram page. (Be sure to Like and Follow the social media pages, too!)
More information about The Cottage at Falling River can also be found online through Airbnb.com.
This article was written by Teresa Davis and is a paid advertisement. Photos were provided by Visions by Heather.
If you are interested in promoting your business on the Appomattox Happenings website, email, and social media, contact Teresa Davis through the contact form below or email appomattoxhappenings@gmail.com
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