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Artist's House on 5+ Acres - Private yet 15 minutes to Downtown Highlands
| Sleeps | 12 |
| Bedrooms | 3 |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Space | 1,800 sq. ft. |
| Property type | house |
| Minimum Stay | 3 nights |
Overview
House - 3 Bedrooms + Convertible bed(s) - 2 Baths - (Sleeps 8-12)
Have a real mountain experience at the newly renovated mountain home on 5+ acres (elevation 3500+**to get the cool mountain temperature you must be above 3000ft). Situated on the actual state line between Georgia and North Carolina (the creek is the state line) and 12 minutes from Highlands, you'll have all the space and privacy you could want. Be sure to watch the short video of the house and it's beautiful surroundings at the link tab at top of page.
All furnishings are new, 2008 (except for the antiques, of course), as is most everything except the charm and character of the original house.
The pine paneling and oak floors in the living room give added warmth to the fireplace and those cool summer nights. Original artwork throughout by the artist/owner and local artists.
Leave your cares behind as you settle into a true rural mountain setting- if you don't want the country club or subdivision, the Artist's House is the real thing!
About Michael O'Donovan
Though born in North Carolina, I reside in Fl and try to spend as much time in these beautiful mountains as possible. I found the perfect location on 6 acres about two years ago and spent over a year completely renovating and updating the house. I am a photographer-publisher, and enjoy hiking, traveling, and of course, photography.
Michael O'Donovan purchased this house in 2007
Why Michael O'Donovan chose Smoky Mountains
It's simply beautiful and the town of Highlands is one of the most charming mountain towns I've found, with great resturants, art galleries and shopping. 3 waterfalls are within 15 minutes, the National Forest is a 10 minute walk past the Christmas tree farm, its peaceful and quiet beyond description. Being in a rural setting, not a suburban neighborhood, there is no paved parking or sidewalks. Those with any infirmities please contact me about access.
What makes this house unique
There is a lot of open land around my 5 acres and no noisy or nosy neighbors! This is a simple "cabin"- the great price reflects that but the lack of granite countertops and expensive furniture is more than made up by the peaceful feeling you get from being out of the subdivisions and into nature. As we have internet and amazon TV service can be spotty at times in the mountains. If your want to spend your time searching the web or gaming this might not be the vacation house for you. If you want nature right outside your door this is your place!
Guestbook comments from the owner
My family and I stayed at the artists house for 5 days of peace, beauty, and quiet. The large front porch overlooks a Christmas tree farm and no other houses are in site. The private lane was lined with flowers when we arrived, and we found the house to be just minutes away from great restaurants and shopping in charming Highlands.
The house is lovingly restored and maintained- beautiful oak floors and pine paneling and a fireplace with bookshelves made our indoor time warm and cozy. If you want a beautiful, secluded property that is just minutes from downtown, the Artist's House is it!
Map
Hiking, waterfalls, art galleries, Zip Line, Snow tubing, ice skating, summer tubing, trout fishing
Amenities
Scaly Mountain House Accommodation and Amenities
- house
- Guests provide their own meals
- 1800 sq. ft.
- Max. occupancy: 12
- Minimum Age Limit for Renters ...
- pets considered ...
- Events Allowed
- children welcome ...
- non smoking only
- Mountain
- Mountain View ...
- Rural
- Adventure
- Away From It All
- Budget
- Family
- Historic
- Romantic
- Sports & Activities
- Tourist Attractions
- Air Conditioning ...
- Broadband Access
- Clothes Dryer
- Computer Available ...
- Fireplace
- Hair Dryer
- Heating ...
- Internet
- Iron & Board
- Linens Provided ...
- Living Room ...
- Parking ...
- Parking Off Street
- Parking for RV/Boat/Trailer
- Sofa Bed
- Telephone ...
- Towels Provided
- Washing Machine ...
- Wireless Internet
- Wood Fireplace
- Coffee Maker
- Cooking Utensils
- Dishes & Utensils
- Dishwasher
- Ice Maker
- Kitchen ...
- Microwave
- Oven
- Pantry Items ...
- Refrigerator ...
- Stove
- Stove
- Toaster
- Dining ...
- Dining Room
- seating for 6 people
- 2 Bathrooms
-
Bathroom 1 -
toilet
,
combination tub/shower
Outdoor Shower - outdoor shower
Bathroom 3 - toilet , combination tub/shower
- 3 Bedrooms, Sleeps 12
-
Bedroom 1 -
1 queen
Bedroom 2 - 1 queen
Bedroom 3 - 4 twin/ single
- The master bedroom has an adjoining room with a futon and a desk.
- Books ...
- CD Player
- DVD Player
- Games
- Music Library ...
- Satellite / Cable ...
- Stereo ...
- Television ...
- Toys ...
- Video Library ...
- Deck / Patio ...
- Golf ...
- Outdoor Grill
- Outdoor Grill Gas
- Wood Deck
- Long-term Renters Welcome
- autumn foliage
- churches
- cinemas
- festivals
- forests
- library
- live theater
- museums
- recreation center
- restaurants
- waterfalls
- antiquing
- boating
- horseback riding
- photography
- scenic drives
- shopping
- sight seeing
- sledding
- wildlife viewing
- ATM/bank
- groceries
- hospital
- massage therapist
- medical services
- fishing
- fly fishing
- freshwater fishing
- golf
- golf privileges optional
- hiking
- hunting
- kayaking
- mountain biking
- mountain climbing
- mountaineering
- rafting
- rock climbing
- swimming
- tennis
- water tubing
- whitewater rafting
Reviews
Very Good!
4.1/5 -
(23 traveler reviews)
Wonderful Getaway!
We enjoyed our time at the Artist's House immensely. Our family of 12 (and a dog!) was very comfortable there and enjoyed the property and surrounding areas. It was just secluded enough to feel "away" but within an hour's drive of lots of fun activities. The owner was very accommodating when we arrived earlier than scheduled in the day and also when we thought we had a problem with the internet (a plug had come loose, as it turned out). As some of the other reviews stated (and as the owner informed us before we got there), the dryer isn't really working properly but the washer worked fine and we hung out our clothes. In fact, we purchased and left a drying rack for the next guests to use.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful home with us- we made wonderful memories with our family there!
artist's house late fall weekend
We had a great time. The cottage worked great for us and our two dogs. there was plenty of room and the fire place kept it cozy. It got down to 30 degrees and the house stayed nice and warm. We would definitely stay there again
Great Owner!
Unfortunately for us, We had to cancel our trip at the last minute and the owner was more than accommodating in working with us on alternatives! We would Highly recommend!! Cheers! Lowell.
A Beautiful Escape
Upon arriving at the artist’s house, I immediately felt a sense of calmness and serenity. When we pulled up in front of the quaint, cozy house tucked away, I knew this would be a great experience! As I stepped out of the car and inhaled the fresh mountain air, I was relieved our 8-hour journey in the car was over and the real adventure was about to begin. I was eager to unpack and unwind.
The house was beautiful. Everything was neat and clean. It had a lived in feel, which made it more like home away from home. When I viewed the houses to rent in the Highlands area, I knew I didn’t want to spend $3-400 or more just to have granite countertops or designer furniture. I could tell from the photos, this house was nicely furnished and comfortable. I was not going to pay for all the bells and whistles that we just did not need. It was just right for the price and amenities. Exactly what I had wanted. Every necessity I could possibly want was there. After unpacking I quickly settled down on the couch by the fire, where I had an interesting selection of reading material to choose. My favorite was “Florida’s Northwest” a pictorial journey by the artist himself Mr. Michael O’Donovan. The beautiful pictures of the emerald coast captivated me!
After reminiscing of home, I decided to step outside before bed to gaze at the most stunning arrangement of stars I have ever seen. They were so clear, bright and beautiful. The little dipper seemed to be right above me, as if to take me away! This background along with the sound of the creek made for the perfect lullaby for my first night of a week that I will never forget.
The next few days were spent exploring, hiking, and enjoying all of the breathtaking views. Highlands was just a short ride up the mountain, where I got to encounter what a waterfall really is. I am more than pleased with my visit and stay at the artist’s house, and cannot wait to return. I highly recommend this experience to anyone.
Awesome Family Getaway
Our families had an amazing time at the house. My Ford Fusion was able to make the driveway, which is not paved. It has been a very wet fall/winter so that was a bit tricky, with a few large holes - BUT once I drove it the first time, I knew where I needed to be to avoid the problem areas. Our second vehicle (Explorer) had no issue at all. It poured rain for more than half our stay, we let our children enjoy exploring in spite of the weather. They were all over the property, safe and within ear shot. On the one sunny day we enjoyed the nearby Scaly Mountain Outdoor Center at the end of the road, which was much closer than anticipated and SO fun for the entire group - even without snow! We cooked in the house for every meal, the kitchen was supplied with all the utensils to complete such and a mini dishwasher to help us keep up with the mess. The table sat everyone comfortably and was the center of much fun for card games and lego building! The beds and rooms were comfortable for all 8 of our group. Plenty of space for unpacking and outlets for charging. There is a stacked washer/dryer system available, we did discover however that the drying unit runs very hot and burned some fleece and poly clothing. This adventure led to discovering the smoke detectors work fabulously! We made a clothes line in the living room and let the fireplace do the drying - which worked just fine for us! The living room is spacious and allowed room for all of our indoor activities. Between the heating system and the fireplace, we stayed very comfortable despite a few very nasty storms, especially with the children being in and out. The T.V. and internet service was touch and go due to weather. Given the amount of wind and severity of one storm, we certainly couldn't complain. We never lost power, so we were happy! When asked, everyone had a different "favorite part" of the trip. We ventured into the National Forest, which was gorgeous. My car had another interesting time with that 9 mile round trip, but it was doable! We missed out on the ZipLine course due to weather, but we're already talking about the next time and when we can get back to the Artist's House!
Not for my family!!
I paid for 9 days to stay in July. Without going into a lot of details, I started crying within 15 min upon arrival. I planned on my young grandchildren coming up for the week. There was absolutely no yard for them to get outside. Horribly overgrown. And forget about the creek as pictured. The bathroom floors were filthy. Roaches falling out of kitchen cupboard. And I'm sure owner will reply it's country, but I also live in the country, my floors are clean, I don't have nasty bathrooms. Sheets on mattress's - no mattress pads. I checked out on Wed AM after only 3 nights, having to locate another place for my grandkids( 2 of which were only crawling at the time)
I asked for a partial refund, which owner offered me $150...If I DID NOT WRITE A REVIEW!!!
I felt like that was blackmail..... I did not agree to such a request. But it has taken me 3 months to write this, it was a really bad experience, lesson learned!!
Photos
Rates & Availability
- Available
- Unavailable
Additional information about rental rates
| Property Damage Protection | $59 |
| cleaning fee | $120 + Tax |
| Tax Rate | 9.75% |
Please contact me regarding a rental agreement that will be provided to you. /Users/odonovan777/Desktop/Sample Rental Agreement & Invoice v2-2 2.pages
Owner's Cancellation Policy
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