Serenbe Stories

Stepping foot into the Hills & Hamlets Bookshop is like taking in a deep, calming breath. The atmosphere is warm and cozy and the shopkeepers couldn’t be friendlier or more knowledgeable. And even though the shop itself is on the smaller side, it’s packed to the brim with books from every genre you can think of including children's books, fantasy, art & architecture, urban planning, c...

When Crystal Barrois and her husband drove down to Serenbe in late 2016, they knew they were home - despite the pouring rain. Since then, they’ve started a family here and watched their kids grow up as free range children, exploring the woods and community under the watchful eye of fellow neighbors, co-parents, and co-grandparents. It takes a village, as they say. At her day job, Crystal serves as...

Philips McCarty and his family first came to Serenbe while searching for a getaway from bustling New York City life - particularly during the height of Covid, when people were longing for a connection to nature and access to open, outdoor spaces had never felt so important. Now the family splits their time between Serenbe and the city, where Philips serves as the Executive Director of the Fashion...

Eleven years ago, a fateful Google search of ‘eco-conscious communities near Atlanta’ led Stephanie Walsh & Brandon Blanchard to Serenbe. In the intervening years, they’ve become integral members of the community. They’ve both worked here - Brandon in hospitality and Stephanie as an agent with Serenbe Real Estate - built a home here, lived in every hamlet in the community, and built lifelong f...

Serenbe Stories will be back for its 8th season on Monday, May 15th. In this new season, we’re putting the spotlight on the people who make Serenbe, well, Serenbe - from residents who have developed their own thriving businesses to the local business owners who have set up shop in the community. We’ll have new weekly episodes on Mondays dropping through mid July. You can catch up on the first 7 se...

In this special bonus episode of Serenbe Stories, Steve shares a quick tour of the Inn property, diving into the history of the old Farmhouse, the early days of the surrounding cottages, and how the property transitioned from weekend getaway to family home to luxury retreat.  We’ll meet at the Farmhouse, walk out onto the wraparound porch, through the Inn grounds, and end up over by the Pavilion....

Artist Kristine Mays’ first introduction to Serenbe happened totally by chance, when Steve attended the opening of her exhibition, Rich Soil , at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Now, Serenbe is the latest stop in this stunning traveling show, which comprises 29 metal wire sculptures, all of which are full of life and movement. Set in the woods at Deer Hollow Park, these pieces are meant to evoke a...

All October long, Serenbe might as well be known as Halloweentown. As you walk through the neighborhood, you’ll see homes decorated with gravestones, inflatable pumpkins and monsters, zombies, and more than a few ghosts. On Halloween itself, there are costume contests, kids and parents alike bobbing for apples, and one of our favorite shops, Hamlin, is especially famous for creating immersive Hall...

This week on Serenbe Stories, we’re chatting with Thomas Peters, Sernebe’s Director of Landscape and Horticulture, all about the creatures that call Serenbe home - from songbirds and butterflies to snakes and other creepy crawlies (Halloween is just around the corner, after all). Thomas joined the Serenbe team in 2017 after receiving his Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture from the Universit...

As you wander through Serenbe’s hamlets, taking in the details, the architecture, and feeling nature all around you, you can’t help but feel a true sense of place. Placemaking is the process of building high-quality spaces that encourage learning, play, happiness, and health - it’s the intentionality that’s been built into Serenbe’s model from day one. In this special episode of Serenbe Stories, j...

In the second edition of our Serenbe Kids series, host Reese sits down with college-bound Kate, who has spent the majority of her childhood here in Serenbe. Kate explains how the community rallied around her throughout her adolescence - whether that meant fostering her love of nature and independence or droves of neighbors coming out to support her high school theatrical performances. Kate and Ree...

Acton Academy at Serenbe takes a unique approach to education. The curriculum is totally learner-driven, empowering students to take charge of their education with teachers acting more like guides to ensure that young learners meet their goals. In just a couple of years, the school has blossomed from 34 students to over 200 as of Fall 2022. Construction for the new campus in Mado - which will incl...

This week, Monica and Steve sit down and have a frank discussion about Serenbe’s roadmap to achieving net zero carbon emissions. From land conservation and stormwater management to our organic farm, which provides fresh, local food for our residents and restaurants.  sustainability has been built into Serenbe’s community model from the very beginning. Looking ahead, solar energy, transportation, a...

Serenbe is a place where connections between people, nature, and the arts are nourished. Here, we believe that art has the power to shift perspectives and open both hearts and minds. On today’s episode of Serenbe Stories, we are speaking with arts writer and Serenbe resident Gail O’ Neill and artist Curtis Patterson about Curtis’ new permanent installation in Serenbe, Serenity for Shango. This gor...

This week we’re chatting with Serenbe resident Faith McCoy Scriven and her longtime friend James Austin Smith about Tertulia Chamber Music, a dinner & music series that combines some of our favorite things: great wine, conversation, and beautiful classical music from world-class performers. Faith is a classically trained musician in her own right and she now co-owns and operates True Glory Bra...

On this special episode of Serenbe Stories, we’re passing the mic to Serenbe’s youngest residents to talk all about life in Serenbe from their perspective: from school and friendships to adventures in the woods and everything in between. Reese, a middle schooler living in Serenbe with her family, takes the reins from Monica and Steve and sits down with Maddy, who has lived in Serenbe since 2018. M...

This week on Serenbe Stories, Monica and Steve catch up with longtime Serenbe resident and Chair of the Art Farm Board, Janice Barton. Janice’s Serenbe story begins in the early days of Serenbe and in her time here, she has played a central role in bringing the arts to Serenbe’s residents and visitors. In this episode, we chat all about Janice’s own artistic expression (she is a highly talented qu...

Have you ever wondered why Serenbe feels special or different from the vast majority of large developments? Or why there’s a certain feeling of calm in Serenbe that you can’t quite put your finger on? It all comes down to the details. From street signs, lamp posts, and trash cans, to front lawns (or lack thereof) and a very intentional street layout, Steve Nygren shares the small details that make...

Serenbe Stories will be BACK for its 7th season on August 22nd. This new season is all about looking ahead - from Serenbe’s long-term sustainability goals to interviews with the residents, visiting artists, and friends who all make Serenbe a thriving wellness community. We even have a few episodes hosted by the kids who call Serenbe home. Make sure to follow & subscribe so you never miss an ep...

Overview For our final episode of this season, we're talking with nationally-recognized real estate agent and Serenbe resident Jared Sapp. In this episode, Jared shares how he found his Serenbe home through Instagram and how he worked with good friend and showroom owner Ryan Hughes to redo the home's interiors, which were featured in Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles and RUE magazines. We a...

Shelton Davis would rather hear your story than tell his. But in today's episode we're hearing the story of his life in Serenbe and building his company Empathy Lab. Shelton believes in the power of empathy within ourselves, so he's creating a world where it's embraced by leaders at every level in order to accelerate human achievement for the benefit of all. He talks about his...

Katrina Erni not only lives at Serenbe but runs marketing for the Biophilic Institute, headquartered at Serenbe, and she's in charge of putting on the annual Biophilic Leadership Summit - happening next week, October 11 & 12. We are going to hear her Serenbe Story plus get a taste of what to expect at the Summit, that is going virtual this year. The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, i...

Hi Everyone, welcome back to Serenbe Stories. Today we're bringing you an episode from my podcast Biophilic Solutions, because it features one of Serenbe's residents, Sarah Milligan-Toffler. Sarah is the President and CEO of the Children and Nature Network, an organization created by Richard Louv, that reconnects kids and families with nature. In this episode, Sarah, my co-host Jennifer...

Rachel K. Garceau is a studio artist whose work has been shown nationally and has been published in Studio Potter, Ceramics Monthly, and National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Journal, and also appears in CAST: Art and Objects Made Using Humanity’s Most Transformational Process. In this episode, Rachel talks about her preferred medium of porcelain and being inspired by nature, and she...

Jon Hutson is the Co-founder of BrandCulture, an agency that integrates branding and organizational development as the flip sides of the same coin. In this episode, Jon talks about becoming an advocate for biophilia after being gifted a book by E.O. Wilson. Once he moved to Serenbe he got in deeper and created the Biophilia Poster Competition, which brought in more than 3,500 poster submissions fr...