IN THE PRESS
Chicago Magazine: Destination Wisconsin
An hour or so north of Madison, you’ll find this tiny town (population: sub-1,300) along a bend of the Fox River that once made it a milling and shipping site. Today, the grain elevators are gone, though brick storefronts remain, and the economy now runs on weekenders who know a good detour when they see one. The downtown’s Italianate façades, faded ghost signs, and river views peeking between buildings hint at a place that deserves to be a destination in its own right.
Schoolhouse: How Matt Trotter Builds Personality Into Every Phase of a Space
Matt Trotter brings an intuitive, ever-evolving approach to every project, layering art, music, plants, and collected pieces to create spaces that feel alive and deeply personal. Rooted in a belief that good design needs room to change, his work embraces movement, risk, and character over perfection.
Schoolhouse: How Our Hotel Partners Styled the Holidays
The holidays have a way of changing how spaces feel, especially the ones we share. Hotel lobbies turn into unofficial living rooms where people pause with a coffee, shake off the cold, and linger a little longer than planned.
This season, we partnered with a handful of hotels we admire for a holiday lobby takeover, sending along Schoolhouse pieces to help set the tone. Rather than going all in on traditional holiday decor, each hotel styled the space in their own way, layering in pieces that felt useful, welcoming, and quietly festive. These were rooms designed to be lived in, not just looked at.
Food & Wine: A Local’s Guide to Wisconsin’s Coolest Culinary Experiences
Its seven guest rooms are immaculate, but the lobby is your playground: Pop a record on the player, tool around on the piano and try your hand at foosball.
Midwest Living: You've Probably Never Heard of This Wisconsin Town—Here's Why It's Worth a Visit
An easy day trip or overnight from Milwaukee, the riverside hamlet of Princeton is enjoying a revival, thanks to an inspired new hotel, a French-inspired bakery and a restaurant with artistic fixings.
Edible Madison Magazine
Parlor Hotel is a seven-room inn that is anything but a quick place to crash before hitting the road. It is a space of belonging and becoming, a space to retreat and recharge.
Our Lives Magazine: Get Away to A Rural Oasis
Princeton-raised Matthew Trotter is building a purposefully curated ecosystem that both lifts up his home town’s history and celebrates a queerer version of up-north culture.