By Steven Jupiter
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in The Reporter, based in Brandon. Jupiter is the editor of that publication.
For the better part of the past year, everyone driving down Route 7 south of Brandon Village has wondered about the transformation of the old Adams cabin resort—most recently known as the Autumn Mountain Winery & Cabins. The compound’s 20 cabins have undergone a marked metamorphosis from quaintly rustic to elegantly modern. And everyone has been curious to know what’s going on down there.
The suspense is over: new owners Chris and Nirvanie Jablonski have finally announced the opening of EmRose Luxury Cabins, the latest incarnation of a resort that locals of a certain age remember as The Adams.
“As a child, it was my dream to own something like this,” said Chris, who grew up in New York City but whose family is originally from Poland. He couldn’t believe his luck when the property popped up for sale online.
“I saw it on Facebook Marketplace,” he laughed. “I thought, ‘This is meant to be.’ I came up to take a look and saw the potential.”
Having worked in the construction business—he runs an electrical contracting company in New York—he wasn’t daunted jumping into a project as big as this. In addition to the 20 cabins, there’s a main house, which older Brandonites will remember as The Adams restaurant, and a barn. The Jablonskis have made the main house their living quarters when they’re on site, though the interior is still in fairly unfinished condition.
They bought the property in November of 2023 and began renovating the cabins in February of 2024. Though they haven’t altered the footprint of the cabins, not much remains of the original structures. They’ve gotten new electrical, plumbing, roofs, and interiors. Instead of classic New England white, they’re now an on-trend brown with black roofs and enormous windows.
“We were surprised by the amount of work that was needed. Nothing could be saved. We spent a lot of time planning the design,” said Chris. “Everything is very well thought out.”
Nirvanie, who also grew up in New York, did most of the design work.
“We thought a lot about materials and used a lot of European techniques,” she said. “We wanted it to be calm and tranquil. No matter what you were doing during the day, you have someplace peaceful to come back to at night.”
The cabins are minimalist, with neutral colors and sleek furnishings.
“We wanted to avoid clutter,” added Nirvanie.
“There will be people who want something more traditional, but we’re offering something different for Vermont,” said Chris.
The Jablonskis also wanted to make sure that the cabins were comfortable throughout the year, from Vermont’s notoriously frigid winters through the increasingly sweltering summers. The huge triple-pane front windows, which were imported from Poland, were intended to let in as much winter sunlight as possible to keep the units warm.
“The cabins not only keep heat in in winter, but also keep heat out in summer,” Chris said. “All the cabins have heat pumps for A/C as well. Everything is done to the most recent energy standards. The cabins should be good for the next 50 years.”
The cabins have kitchens, decks, and barbecues. A few “VIP” suites also have their own saunas.
Chris has done as much of the construction work himself as he could, to keep expenses down. But he’s also used local tradesmen whenever needed—the plumbing, for example—and now has a small crew that works for him directly.
“Bills add up really fast when you outsource,” he laughed.
One of the most noticeable changes to the property has been the landscaping. Chris took down many of the trees that loomed over the cabins.
“They were old and dying,” he said. “It was all about safety. There’s zero chance now of any tree coming down on any of the units.”
But the landscape won’t remain barren. They’ll plant fruit trees to go along with the grapevines that remain from the winery.
“We want guests to be able to pick their own fruit,” said Nirvanie.
They also plan a poolside bar, billiards and ping pong in the barn, a playground, and an indoor playroom.
As if all that weren’t enough, the Jablonskis hope to expand the main house to allow them to create a hall for weddings and events. And they plan to revive the restaurant—there’s still a huge commercial kitchen on the premises.
“We’ll have classic American food but with ethnic specials like West Indian curries and Polish pirogi,” said Nirvanie, whose family is originally from Guyana in South America.
They anticipate getting these additions done by 2026.
Business is already starting to pick up for them. They have a handful of cabins already available to rent and reservations are coming in. They had reservations for Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve as well. They’ve had skiers on their way to Killington. They have a bunch of reservations for next spring: overflow from weddings at the Lilac Inn and even from Middlebury College graduation.
The revitalization of the site brings more visitors to Brandon, which brings more revenue to local businesses and more revenue to the town through the 1% local option tax.
“The town has been really helpful. It was a culture shock,” laughed Chris, contrasting Brandon’s embrace of new business with New York City’s endless barriers and red tape.
“Even when I didn’t realize I needed certain permits from the state, the state inspectors wanted to help,” he added.
“And everyone we’ve met in Brandon so far has been really nice,” said Nirvanie. A young family—Chris and Nirvanie are both 40 and have two daughters, 5-year-old Rosie and 9-year-old Emily (hence the name “EmRose”)—the Jablonskis expect to settle in Brandon as the business accelerates.
“As a businessman, I really love the mentality I’ve found here of wanting to bring people into Vermont,” said Chris. “It’s what I want to do, too.”
Submitted
Views of the site when it was The Adams cabin community with a dated-looking dining room and modest cabins. The recent renovations modernized it all.
