The Brand Strategy Behind The Homestead at Cunningham Creek

Branding clarity meets marketing strategy — and today, we’re pulling back the curtain on a client case study that is especially close to my heart.

In this post, I’m walking you through the full brand strategy behind The Homestead at Cunningham Creek, a farmstay-style short-term rental in central Virginia. From naming the property to defining the ideal guest, developing brand visuals, and carrying those visuals into the guest experience, this case study highlights how intentional branding can elevate a property far beyond just “a place to stay.”

This project is particularly meaningful because the client is my mother-in-law — someone I’ve known since I was 12 years old — and the property itself is one I practically grew up in. I’ve shared meals here, celebrated milestones here, and now, for nearly three years, I’ve had the privilege of co-hosting this home as a short-term rental.

Let’s dive in.

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The Property Backstory

The Homestead at Cunningham Creek is a five-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath home set on 15 acres in rural central Virginia. The land features:

• A peaceful creek running behind the home
• Double back porches overlooking the water
• Free-range chickens and fresh eggs
• Multiple living spaces designed for gathering
• Proximity to wineries, wedding venues, and Charlottesville (home of UVA)

Before becoming an Airbnb, this was simply “the house on Slater’s Ford” to our family. It wasn’t originally designed as a rental — it was built in 2005 with future grandchildren in mind. That intentional, family-first design became a cornerstone of the brand strategy later on.

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How the Property Got Its Name

When it came time to formally brand the property, the first step was naming it.

We explored dozens of options — from chicken-themed names like Creekside Coop and Country Coop, to winery-inspired ideas like Whiny Chick’s Cottage, to location-based names tied directly to Palmyra, Virginia.

Ultimately, we landed on The Homestead at Cunningham Creek, and here’s why:

• “Homestead” allows for growth.
  It doesn’t pigeonhole the property into one feature (like chickens). If the property evolves, the name still fits.
• It signals a farmstay-style experience.
  Guests know they’re booking something rural, scenic, and grounded.
• Cunningham Creek is a real, meaningful geographic feature.
  The creek runs directly behind the house, visible from the porches, and defines the experience of the property.

The name strikes a balance between sentimentality, clarity, and flexibility — a critical combination in strong property branding.

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Brand Themes: Living Out the “Good Old Days”

Before touching logos, colors, or fonts, I always start with emotion.

For this property, the core brand theme became:

Helping families live out their own version of the good old days.

This phrase has deep personal meaning. “The good old days” is something my mother-in-law often talks about — stories from her childhood, her parents, and now stories she shares with her grandchildren. It felt natural to build the brand around nostalgia, warmth, connection, and memory-making.

The goal was to create a space where:

• Kids make core memories
• Parents slow down and reconnect
• Grandparents feel at home
• Everyone leaves with stories they’ll tell years later

In short, the property should feel like staying at grandma’s house — but elevated.

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Defining the Ideal Guest

Thanks to over two years of booking data, we already knew who this property naturally attracted — even before formal branding.

The ideal guests fall into three main categories:

1. Extended Families

Families using the property as a central gathering place — often multi-generational — for reunions, holidays, or annual trips. Many of these guests barely leave the property once they arrive.

2. Wedding Groups

Parents of the bride or groom, bridal parties, and extended families attending nearby weddings. The large layout and proximity to venues make it ideal.

3. Low-Key Bachelorette Groups

Think winery hopping, peaceful weekends, and cozy evenings — not party-centric stays.

Across all three groups, the common thread is connection, not chaos.

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What Makes This Property Different

Every strong brand has a clear unique value proposition, and for The Homestead at Cunningham Creek, that includes:

• Purpose-built family-friendly design
• Multiple living spaces for gathering and separation
• A creek that kids can safely explore
• Chickens and hands-on farm experiences
• Fresh eggs available upon request
• A hot tub overlooking the creek

Many guests — especially children — experience nature here in a way they never have before. Walking barefoot in a creek. Seeing chickens up close. Exploring open land. That emotional impact is impossible to replicate with amenities alone.

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Interior Design: Grandma Chic Meets Virginia Hunt Country

The interior design supports the brand theme at every touchpoint.

The style blends:

• Cottage core
• Vintage nostalgia
• Grandma chic
• Subtle Virginia hunt-country elegance

Rather than a full redesign, we worked intentionally with existing decor, layering in warmth, muted tones, and cozy textures to elevate what was already there.

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Brand Visuals & Design Decisions

Typography

• “The Homestead At” uses a heavy serif font for structure and tradition.
• “Cunningham Creek” appears in a vintage script designed to resemble the handwriting of a beloved grandmother — the kind you’d see on a handwritten church card at Christmas.

Logo Structure

• Curved typography paired with a straight baseline
• “EST. 2005” honoring the year the home was built
• A magnolia flower icon inspired by the large magnolia tree in the driveway

Color Palette

Muted blues, forest green, warm neutrals, and soft peach tones create a palette that feels:

• Aged but intentional
• Soft but grounded
• Nostalgic without feeling dated

Scalloped Details

Inspired by vintage handkerchiefs, scalloped edges appear in:

• Rugs
• Brand icons
• Website section transitions

These subtle repeats create cohesion across physical and digital spaces.

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Bringing the Brand Into the Guest Experience

Branding doesn’t stop at the logo.

Some simple but powerful implementations include:

• A branded welcome mat at the front door
• Custom-designed guest guides and welcome books
• Branded mugs and printed materials
• Postcards guests can mail to loved ones

These elements reinforce memory, encourage word-of-mouth, and elevate the stay into an experience.

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Final Takeaway: Start With the Story

If you’re building or refining a brand for your short-term rental, micro-resort, or boutique hotel, start here:

• How do you want guests to feel before they arrive?
• How do you want them to feel when they step on property?
• How do you want them to feel when they leave?

When you’re clear on those emotions, everything else — the visuals, the design, the marketing — falls into place.

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Follow Along

• Brand & Market: @brandandmarket.co
• The Homestead at Cunningham Creek: @homesteadatcc

If you’re ready to create a brand strategy for your property, micro-resort, or boutique hotel, I’d love to work with you.