Welcome home
Allison El Koubi
I am a lifelong educator and community builder, having spent more than twenty years as a teacher and principal in Louisiana and Richmond, Virginia. After years of pouring my energy into public schools, I took a sabbatical that reconnected me to my roots in Newfoundland, Canada, where I rediscovered what it meant to feel truly home. That season of healing inspired me to launch Home From Away in 2024—a small business devoted to helping others return home to themselves, to each other, and to the land.
Hospitality runs deep in my story. I grew up lingering at my family’s kitchen table where good food and good company were inseparable. For more than two decades, I’ve carried that tradition forward by envisioning and facilitating women’s retreats that create space for authentic conversation, delight, and renewal. My gatherings are shaped by the values I live by: connection, hygge, appreciation, and a deep respect for the land and her stories.
Deep in nature at the edge of Shenandoah National Park and a short drive from Stanardsville, Virginia, I am transforming a mountain cabin and barn into Idyllwood, an idyllic retreat where people can slow down, celebrate, and reconnect. What began as a vision on a quiet walk through the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains has become a vibrant space for weddings, leadership retreats, gumbo feasts, and simple weekends of rest. My hope is that everyone who comes to Idyllwood is restored in body, mind, and spirit and feels as though they’ve come home.
Idyllwood Cabin
Idyllwood Cabin is a cozy hideaway in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, close to Shenandoah National Park. Blending rustic charm with a clean Scandinavian aesthetic, the cabin is designed to feel both grounding and uplifting. Natural wood, light-filled spaces, and simple, thoughtful details create an atmosphere of warmth and calm—what the Danes would call hygge.
Guests can curl up by the gas fireplace, soak in the hot tub under a canopy of stars, or step outside to explore the surrounding trails and mountain views. The Swedish-inspired decor invites you to slow down and savor simplicity, while modern comforts make the cabin as welcoming for a quiet weekend of rest as it is for a basecamp to hike, wine taste, or wander the valleys and ridges nearby.
Every element of Idyllwood Cabin is designed with connection and renewal in mind—whether that’s reconnecting with nature, with each other, or with yourself. It’s more than a place to stay; it’s an invitation to feel at home.
Idyllwood Barn
Idyllwood Barn is the heart of the property—a warm, light-filled gathering space where stories are shared, meals are slowly savored, and community comes alive. With its high wooden beams, wide-open layout, and handcrafted details, the barn embodies the rustic beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains while carrying a distinctly Scandinavian-inspired simplicity. It was built not just to host events, but to hold space for people to feel connected: to themselves, to one another, and to the land that surrounds us.
From weddings and leadership retreats to gumbo feasts and family reunions, the barn is a place where joy and meaning meet. Its design invites both celebration and stillness. You might hear laughter spilling out onto the patio during a summer evening or find quiet renewal by the barn quilt that honors heritage and friendship. Like the cabin, the barn reflects the values that shape Idyllwood: hygge, delight, connection, and appreciation.
Together, the cabin and barn create the soul of Idyllwood Mountain Retreat as a home from away that welcomes guests to gather and slow down. Here, every detail is tended with intention so that whether you arrive for a wedding, a retreat, or simply to rest, you leave feeling restored and more fully yourself.
From Charlottesville: ~45 minutes
From Washington, DC: ~2 hours
From Richmond: ~1 hour, 45 minutes
Directions from Stanardsville (~15 minutes): Take Madison Road (VA-230 E) for 1 mile. Turn left on South River Road (State Rte 621) and drive for 4 miles. Turn left on Entry Run Road (State Rte 642) and drive for 1 mile. To access the parking area, turn left into the first driveway. To drive directly to Idyllwood Cabin or Barn, take the second driveway (through the gate with the red wheels).