Timber-Frame Retreat + Chef's Kitchen + Game Room | 3.5 Acres | Bow & Beam

The drive ends at a wide green lawn, and then the house: shingled, gabled, and quietly substantial, with woods drawing a line behind it and the southern Berkshires rolling out beyond. Bow & Beam is the kind of place that makes a group exhale on arrival. Bow & Beam is a spacious timber-frame retreat on 3.5 wooded acres in Sheffield, designed for families and groups who want a beautiful place to spend time together, with plenty of room to spread out when they don't. Four bedrooms and four full baths, a huge wraparound deck, a wood-stove, a kitchen built for serious cooking, and a downstairs game room make this a house that works as well for a long summer week as it does for a ski weekend or a gathering of friends and family.

Inside, the frame does the talking. Heavy timber posts and beams run overhead through the great room, warm against white walls and deep red accents, with a wood-stove anchoring one end and a piano waiting nearby for whoever's brave enough after dinner. The living room flows naturally to a dining table for eight, and then into to a kitchen designed for people who actually cook. There's a professional range beneath a statement hood, a long butcher-block island, and a level of equipment that surprises even confident cooks --- stand mixer, blender, toaster, coffeemaker, five sets of pots and pans, a knife block, mixing bowls, a second dishwasher, and a mini fridge, plus a bar area with its own beverage fridge. Big holiday meals happen here without anyone tripping over anyone.

The sleeping spaces are spread thoughtfully across the house, with a primary suite upstairs featuring a king bed and ensuite bath with dual sinks, a shower, and a tub, and just outside the door a second full bath --- also dual sinks --- serves the rest of the floor. A queen room and a twin room fill out the upstairs, and a fourth bedroom with a queen sits on the main level near its own full bath, which is the arrangement grandparents and light sleepers always hope for. All told, four bedrooms sleep eight, with a den for reading and an office for the calls that follow you on vacation.

Downstairs is where the trip loosens up. The game room is set for a full evening — foosball, ping pong, air hockey — with a laundry room and another full bath on the same level, so wet boots and beach towels never have to make it upstairs.

Then there's the deck, which wraps the house and effectively doubles it. One long table seats twelve under open sky, a smaller four-top sits off to the side for coffee and the crossword, and the grill is right there for the nights nobody wants to be indoors. Red Adirondack chairs line the rail facing the lawn and the treeline, and in fall the whole view turns the color the Berkshires are famous for.

The setting is the quiet, pastoral end of the county, and it puts a remarkable amount within a short drive. The historic Upper Sheffield covered bridge is about five minutes east, and Sheffield's Main Street — an antiquing stretch people plan whole afternoons around — is under ten. Hikers have it especially good: the Appalachian Trail crosses just north, Race Brook Falls is a ten-minute drive to a trailhead that climbs toward Mount Everett, and Bartholomew's Cobble, with its easy loops above the Housatonic, is about twelve minutes south. Ski Butternut and Great Barrington's restaurants, bookshops, and river walk are both roughly twelve to fifteen minutes north, with Catamount about twenty minutes west and Bash Bish Falls a scenic half-hour on. Push a little farther and Stockbridge opens up in about twenty minutes for the Norman Rockwell Museum and the Berkshire Botanical Garden, with Tanglewood around half an hour and Jacob's Pillow closer to forty.

Come for leaf season, ski season, a reunion, or a long summer week with nowhere to be. Bow & Beam handles all of it — and then hands you a deck chair and a view to finish the day on.

AvantStay provides a personalized hospitality experience to elevate your stay. With our Concierge Service, guests have access to our tech-enabled services like fridge stocking, private chefs, massages, transportation, special occasion celebrations, baby gear rentals, ski gear, beach gear, and more.

Visiting the Berkshires is a must for anyone looking to pair a gorgeous natural landscape with an exciting cultural and culinary experience. The abundance of mountains, lakes, and woods here makes it easy to enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities, from rafting and fishing to ziplining and hiking. Stunning in any season, this region is famous for its food scene, which values local ingredients, and you’ll find many farm-to-table establishments in the southern areas. Explore classic New England architecture, a growing array of performing arts, and dozens of towns and trails. The Berkshires are waiting with variety and beauty you won’t find anywhere else.

Local Attractions: Berkshire Botanical Gardens, Bidwell House Museum, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Norman Rockwell Museum, Hancock Shaker Village, Historic Deerfield, Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort

Home Truths:
- Unfortunately, pets are not allowed in this home. If undisclosed pets are brought into the home without AvantStay's approval there is a fine of $500 per pet.
- This home does not have central air conditioning. Cooling is provided by two mini-split units — one servicing the main floor and another in the primary bedroom — and ceiling fans in all bedrooms. Central heating is available for cooler seasons.
- This home is not step-free. There are stairs at the entrance, and the living spaces and bedrooms are spread across three levels connected by interior stairs. One bedroom and a full bathroom are located on the main level. Please consider this when traveling with guests who have mobility needs.
- The home is served by an on-site 500-gallon propane tank.
- The living room wood stove is wood-burning. Firewood is not provided.
- The home sits on 3.5 wooded acres in a quiet rural pocket of
the Berkshires. Wildlife, insects, and dark, unlit surroundings after
sunset are a normal part of the area.
- There is a working cannabis and flower farm nearby. Depending on the season and wind direction, you may notice agricultural
odors outdoors.

Parking Details:
- On-site parking is available for up to 6 vehicles. The driveway comfortably fits about 4 cars; the remaining spaces are tighter and may require some maneuvering, so plan on carpooling if your group is arriving in more than four vehicles. There is no garage access and no EV charger at this home. Street parking is not permitted.

This is a smoke-free property. Violation of the no-smoking policy will result in forfeiture of the security deposit, a $300 smoking fee, and liability for any fire or property damage costs.

As part of our commitment to being good neighbors, occupancy limits and quiet hours (9pm-8am) are strictly enforced. No speakers or sound systems will be provided for use in our properties. Violation of any noise ordinances will be subject to fines that can reach up to $10,000 per violation.

Events or parties are not allowed without prior written approval and an additional fee. Any unauthorized parties or events will be shut down and a fine will be assessed. Please inquire for more information about our event policies and fees.

There is nothing more important to us at AvantStay than the health, safety, and experience of our guests & staff. We've enhanced our cleaning and sanitation protocols and are taking extra care to disinfect all surfaces between reservations with hospital-grade disinfecting solutions.

As a reminder, we do work with 3rd party vendors to maintain the property, and although we adhere to the strictest CDC guidelines and advise all contractors to wear PPE equipment, we can not always enforce. We strongly advise guests to please deny access if any vendors fail to meet and adhere to these standards.

IDs will be requested for verification after booking. All bookings over 28 days require a security deposit.

We report and prosecute all Credit Card Fraud.

STR Permit: C0571542670