Longman & Eagle, Chicago, Ilinois
In Chicago's Logan Square – a beautiful, historic neighbourhood with wide boulevards and a crop of new businesses – this art-centric, six-room inn sits above the cult restaurant of the same name. Everything from the slatted wood ceiling to much of the furniture was designed and built by the owners (Robert McAdams has a woodworking company called Mode Carpentry). Each of the rooms is decorated with local art, including a wall of screen-printed wallpaper by a local design collective. Other creative touches include handmade wooden drink coins (for use at the bar downstairs, known for its killer whiskey selection), mix tapes, custom wooden speakers, chambray sheets made by the Chicago company Unison, and hanging terrariums over the bathroom sinks. Indulge in the minibar filled with unusual snacks like Gunslinger beef jerky, or head downstairs in the morning for the gutsy eggs and sausage breakfast, which comes with a can of PBR beer.
• 2657 North Kedzie Ave, +1 773 276 7110, longmanandeagle.com, rooms from $85
Wandawega, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
Owned by ad execs David Hernandez and Tereasa Surratt, this 25-acre Wisconsin retreat, an hour and a half from Chicago sticks close to its roots as a Latvian summer camp, offering canoeing, archery, hiking, fishing, shuffleboard … you name it. Though they like to call it "camping indoors," the collection of buildings – a rustic main lodge, a two-storey hotel, a modern treehouse, a teepee and chic cabins – are fitted out in a mix of flea market finds, vintage furniture and interesting ephemera. A stack of leather suitcases are piled in one corner, weather-worn water skis in another; Hudson Bay blankets are neatly folded across beds; and vintage radios, alarm clocks, lanterns, thermoses, wellies and fishing lures abound. Creative projects never stop: this summer they opened a tiny camp shop in the lodge, and they're currently kitting out a little 50s airstream.
• W.5453 Lakeview Drive, wandawegarentals.squarespace.com, cabins from $200 (two-night minimum)
Nebo Lodge, North Haven, Maine
Situated just up a rolling hill from the miniscule island town, this quaint inn, surrounded by flower gardens, is giving folks good reason to catch the ferry from Rockland to the slow-paced, beautiful island of North Haven. The accommodation is lovely, decorated with simple New England antiques, breezy wallpaper and rugs/textiles by North Haven native and designer Angela Adams. But for many, the real draw is the restaurant, manned by the talented Amanda Hallowell and garnering a variety of accolades for her seasonal menu grounded in island harvests and the surrounding waters. She sources nearly 100% of her vegetables from Turner Farm, North Haven's sustainable island farm less than three miles away. Borrow one of Nebo's mountain bikes to explore the island, then settle into a seat in the bar, which used to be the pantry when it was an old classic summer cottage, before dinner on the patio.
• 11 Mullins Lane, +1 207 867 2007, nebolodge.com, doubles from $100 B&B
Folsom Inn, Marion, Alabama
The owner of Folsom Inn, Charles Holmes, comes from a long line of farmers. In fact, his farm has been worked by the same family for seven generations. He and his wife, Jenny (a history buff who will tell you just about anything you want to know about the area), raise hormone-free cattle and sheep, grow timber and are tinkering with organic farming. Built in the 1920s, the caretaker's cottage-turned-inn is the newest structure on the farm, which sits seven miles west of Marion – a small southern town with an impressive collection of Greek Revival mansions and historic downtown buildings. Most of the plantation's old outbuildings date back to the 1830s. Decorated with simple farm antiques, paintings of country life, old photos, and nature vignettes, the two-bedroom cottage is a comfortable base for exploring the beautiful grounds, and the southern front porch is a perfect place to sit with a glass of sweet tea, while the sheep amble by. If you're interested, they'll leave some fresh steaks in the fridge for grilling.
• 27360 Highway 14, +1 334 683 2848, holmesteadcompany.com, two-bedroom cabins $125 B&B
Thunderbird Motel (also El Cosmico, by same owners), Marfa, Texas
Liz Lambert, one of the United States' coolest hoteliers, gave this rundown 50s motel a new life as a Marfa hot spot. Quirky without being gimmicky (with western touches without being too theme-y), the Thunderbird wraps around a central pool area with shades of blue reflecting the desert sky. Handcrafted textiles top custom platform beds, cowhide rugs are tossed over concrete floors and Marfa-related artists and photographers and artists like Terry Allen and James Evans adorn the walls. Guests can borrow Polaroid cameras, record players (there's a vinyl library), and vintage typewriters.
If you prefer a more rustic, outdoorsy desert experience, check out Lambert's El Cosmico – a collection of renovated vintage trailers, eco-shacks (which are really up-cycled yurts), a gigantic Sioux teepee, and a bunch of minimalist white tents situated on 18 acres of west Texas desert land. There's an elm grove full of hammocks, community lounge, outdoor kitchen, and bright orange wood-fired Dutch hot tubs.
• Thunderbird: 601 W San Antonio St, +1 432 729 1984, thunderbirdmarfa.com, doubles from $120. El Cosmico: 802 S Highland Ave, +1 877 822-1950, elcosmico.com, caravans from $110 (sleep 2)
Porches, North Adams, The Berkshires, Massachusetts
Just over a decade ago, Nancy Fitzpatrick (of the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge) brought a row of five dilapidated Victorian row houses to life in the rusty old post-industrial town of North Adams – an unlikely tourist destination save for the hulking former industrial complex-cum-contemporary museum across the street, MASS MoCA. Once a textile mill and later an electric company that employed nearly 25% of the town's population, the 100,000 sq ft space is now the country's largest contemporary art museum.
Inside the inn, original materials, like skirting boards and wood panelling, were salvaged to give the thoroughly modern rehab a sense of historical integrity. The 47 antique-fitted rooms are playfully decorated with paint-by-numbers, silhouettes and cross-stitch. Cushy amenities come in the form of freestanding clawfoot baths, a slate-surround heated pool in the shade of the forested hill out back, a fire pit with handmade wooden benches and tree stump seating, and, of course, the seemingly endless front porch full of high-back rockers.
• 231 River St, +1 413 664 0400, porches.com, doubles from $130 B&B
Top O'Woodland, Nashville, Tennessee
The owner of the Top O'Woodland, Belinda Leslie, who's also an investment advisor, opera singer and triathlon competitor, bought the 1898 Victorian property 12 years ago ("before the neighborhood was this cool") and filled it with a mix of salvage and inherited family belongings. Her mom's 1950s lace wedding dress 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 in a speakeasy.
A magical outdoor area with wrought-iron tables and chairs, strung-up lights and a winding path through the lush landscaping leads to a little koi pond (with fish food tucked behind a wooden mushroom in the flowers). Located on a picturesque street in the East Nashville neighbourhood, the Top O'Woodland is within walking distance of an ice cream shop, organic market, restaurants and boutiques, including a vintage shop called Fanny's House of Music, owned by a former fashion columnist and editor for the New York Post.
• 1603 Woodland Ave, +1 615 228 3868, topofwoodland.com, from $145 (sleeps 1 to 4)
Mountain Morning, Berkley Springs, West Virginia
This set of historic log homes near the mountain town of Berkley Springs is all about time: stepping back in it and slowing it down. Secluded on a high ridge, the homestead blends old, hand-hewn logs and weathered wood, rugged beams and burnished floors. A stone hearth warms the cosy interior, decorated with country quilts, lace curtains and old photographs.
The grounds are stunning (long walks encouraged), but you may be tempted to snuggle up in front of the cast-iron fireplace and stare out the big picture windows with long views of Cacapon Mountain. Bring your knitting needles – there's something about the folksy, handmade aesthetic that inspires craft. And the screened in porch – with rocking chair and daybed – is the perfect place to camp out for afternoons at a time. If you're motivated enough to leave the picturesque premises, Berkley Springs is known for warm mineral springs and a cute downtown with antique shops.
• 867 Libby's Ridge Road, +1 304 258 1718, mountainmorning.net, log homes from $325 per weekend or £801 per week (sleeps 1 to 6)
The Boonville Hotel, Mendocino, California
Described as "a modern roadhouse," the 15-room Boonville Hotel is situated two hours away from San Francisco in Anderson Valley, a laid-back wine region known for bucking the posh pretences of Napa. Stay in one of their simply appointed rooms or spread out in a suite or standalone bungalow nestled in the garden, some of which have linen sofas, porches and hammocks. The cosy in-house farm-to-table restaurant is a destination in its own right (reservations-only). A recent menu (which changes daily) included prosciutto and melon, roast fig, local goat's cheese, baked halibut, and late summer vegetable gratin, pea shoots and Pernod cream. While you're in the area, make sure to taste the pinot noirs that the region is known for and/or take a hike through the Redwoods.
• 14050 Highway128, +1 707 895 2210, boonvillehotel.com, doubles from £185 (one small room $125)
Adobe & Pines, Taos, New Mexico
This preserved hacienda is a few miles outside Taos, a town known for its rugged southwest beauty, bohemian spirit and art galleries. It provides a quiet, enchanting base for exploring the culture of New Mexico – past and present. Owned in the 30s by Mrs Paul Griffin, a Texan who kept peacocks on the grounds, the hacienda was a cultural salon for visiting artists, including Georgia O'Keefe. These days, artist or not, relax on the lazy 80ft grand portal, strewn with traditional rattan chairs, hanging chilli peppers, steed horns and oversized clay pots.
Surrounded by towering pines and gardens, guests can find respite almost anywhere across the three acres, with its tucked-away hammocks, a fire pit and fruit orchards. Inside, nine simple, cosy rooms boast traditional New Mexican furniture, South-western textiles and Native American art. Each has an adobe fireplace, and a few even have outdoor hot tubs.
• 4107 Road 68, +1 575 751 0947, adobepines.com, doubles from $99 B&B
Meghan McEwen is the founder of designtripper.com, a selection of design-focused, characterful places to stay across the world. She is also the owner and designer of Honor and Folly inn in Detroit.
