Last weekend, I had the privilege to visit the happiest place on earth. And no, I don’t mean Disney World. I went to a small town in Kansas and stayed three nights at the Whatever Craft House. Located in Newton, Kansas, a charming town filled with antique shops and vintage details, the Whatever Craft House is a vintage craftsman house that stands on an unassuming corner lot. It has a beautiful exterior that is quite stately, but that is nothing compared to the interior!
The Whatever Craft House is named after Philippians 4:8
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”
Philippians 4:8, NIV
The entire house is filled with details and touches of joy. Rainbows are absolutely everywhere. The bright colors are intermingled with gorgeous vintage details like ceiling beams and leaded glass windows. The house has a huge renovated kitchen, perfect for preparing meals and eating as a large group, which we did most days. The highlights of the kitchen are the “Whatever Is” sign that sets the tone for the entire house and the rack of rainbow mugs. There are so many gorgeous mugs that it is really hard to decide which one to use each day! I chose to change it up every day…there is nothing like delicious coffee out of a fun rainbow mug.
The living room was anchored by two large vintage couches and fun handmade pillows that brought in more pops of color. There were also several fun nooks where you could curl up for a bit of quiet time or to just sit and take in the beauty around you. I loved the pin map marked with small flags representing all of the people that had visited the Whatever Craft House previously. I had the honor of adding my own little pin! It’s so fun to see how this house has been treasured by other craft-loving ladies from around the country.
Large craft tables were set up in an adjacent room, and that is where we spent the majority of the weekend. The big open room allowed us to all be together, laughing and crafting away. We shared far too many fun moments to count, most of the time listening to some great classic tunes and singing right along as a group. Once again, the detail put into the decor was absolutely perfect. A beautiful mantel, perfect for displaying our projects had a big presence in the room. Artwork on the walls was bright and colorful, and the tables were set with vintage lamps to provide extra light for working late. Being a group of documenters, we quickly began discovering the best light throughout the whole house and would stage pictures throughout the day to capture that perfect light!
Upstairs consisted of 4 bedrooms, all beautifully adorned with vintage beds covered in colorful quilts. It felt like a fun sleepover every night! The wooden stair case and floors may creak a little, but that only adds to the charm of the house. My favorite feature of the upstairs was the 1903 detail added into the landing. So lovely, and oh so perfect for taking pictures.
And then, of course, there are the rainbow stairs. It’s hard to really describe how excited I was to see the rainbow stairs in person. I’ve actually had a picture of these exact stairs on my vision board for the past two years. They are just a set of back stairs beautifully painted in a rainbow color, but to me they represent so much more. To me, they represent so much creativity and light. They’ll always remind me of the time I took a little time for myself and was rewarded with new friends and inspiring experiences. I love those rainbow stairs, and I’ll be treasuring my pictures on those stairs forever!
It’s certainly never easy to take the time or the money to participate in a craft retreat. This was actually my very first one, but I can promise you that it will not be my last. If you ever get the opportunity to visit the magical Whatever Craft House, please jump on that chance! I promise you will not regret it!
Keep it creative,
The Scrappy Wife