With a backdrop of the wide open sky in the lush mountains of Connecticut’s Litchfield County, lies the picturesque town of Kent, where art and antiques collectors mingle with trail hikers, and where a series of landmark properties have been transformed into a charming and restful destination called The Kent Collection.
The renovation of three properties in town was a family affair for John and Lulu McPhee and their son Andrew, whose attendance at a nearby school first brought the family to Kent. They fell in love with the town and when opportunity presented itself, they dove in to save first one inn, then a trio of smaller standalone properties, and finally a second inn. The resultant Kent Collection includes The Victorian, The Garden Cottages, and The Firefly Inn, each beautifully restored and comfortably designed, which together offer a variety of style and experiences.
No stranger to the design world, John McPhee’s resume includes time with bold-faced brands like MillerKnoll and Design Within Reach, and his current post as president of Chilewich led to some inventive design decisions, like a massive dining tabletop covered in a pale pink Chilewich option at The Victorian and a variety of Chilewich hues and patterns used as wall coverings throughout the multiple properties. Adeptly intermingled with finds both in situ at the properties and from the couple’s own travels are the work of local artists and products from companies the couple knows and respects, like Maharam, BassamFellows, and Edelman Leather.
“The Victorian was fun because there was this ongoing discovery of all these beautiful things that had gone neglected,” Lulu shares about the circa 1890 inn. With gorgeous pocket doors rediscovered and restored, walls relocated to offer greater flow and comfortable guest quarters, and rooms dressed with a combination of lush, period elements and more modern pieces and materials, The Victorian can be rented by the room or as a full-home rental.
The Garden Cottages are three individual structures—two cabin-like homes, plus a converted former train car that once served as a guitar shop—all of which feature complete and colorful upgraded kitchens and baths, as well as private outdoor spaces with fire pits and seating. The cottages can be rented individually or as a group.
After a multi-decade run as The Starbuck Inn, the McPhees were quick to bid on the beloved property situated just across the street from The Victorian. “That brought us to scale,” John explains of their third purchase, noting The Firefly aims to honor its local history at every turn with suites named for notable residents, including Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edmund Morris (1940-2019) and Peter Starbuck, who ran the inn for two decades before entrusting its future to the McPhees. Sitting on two lush acres of lawn space and gardens, the property’s interior was reconfigured so that larger groups can rent an entire section of the inn, closing off multiple rooms to create private quarters with individual bedrooms.
During a stay in town, visitors can indulge in antique shops, modern art galleries, fine dining and casual coffee shops, a bookshop complete with handwritten suggestions from the staff, and the Kent Barns, which offer an assortment of shops, galleries, and restaurants. Not to be missed by design lovers is RT Facts, where a wild and wonderful array of antiques and custom design options are on hand.
The connection to that surrounding community is what drives the McPhees, who are involved in the area’s Land Trust, have staffed the Kent Collection with local talent, and were careful to restore these properties with respect for their past and for the town itself. John stresses that knowing and investing in the area was of great importance to them. “We want people to feel that,” Lulu says of their love for Kent. “We want that joy and comfort to translate to the people who stay here.”
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