With accommodations for up to 14 guests, this unique downtown Lexington Airbnb takes design cues from its owner’s favorite travel destinations
The idea for Bourbon Hous, a unique new vacation rental in downtown Lexington, grew out of a treasured annual vacation ritual that local entrepreneur Brian Luftman shares with a group of college buddies who all now live in different cities.
“Every year since college, [we] pick a cool town and find the coolest house we can and all convene there,” Luftman explained. “We’ve been doing it for 20 years.”
Luftman was inspired not only by those experiences but also by a specific building on the corner of South Broadway and Maxwell Street that for years had caught his eye every time he drove by it. A couple of years ago, forces aligned and he purchased the building with the express goal of turning it into a unique vacation rental that would rival his favorite Airbnbs from around the country.
“My goal with this was to make it the coolest place we’d ever stayed,” the Lexington native said.
And cool it is. The seven-bedroom/seven-bath vacation rental seamlessly integrates a modern aesthetic with the historic character of the building. With updated amenities throughout the house and an opulent party room, Bourbon Hous has become a popular lodging spot for family gatherings, groups of business travelers and folks looking for a more private (or socially distanced) alternative to a traditional hotel.
Luftman and his wife, Sara, met at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and lived in Chicago for a decade before moving to Lexington in 2011. A former commodities trader, Luftman founded American Farm Investors, a farmland investment firm whose properties primarily grow corn and wheat to supply the bourbon industry. Sara, with her business partner, Dottie Maloney, owns Haven Home & Garden, which stocks a mixture of new and antique furnishings, home accessories, clothing and jewelry, and also provides custom interior design services. In addition to creating the fun and comfortable aesthetic of Bourbon Hous, Haven is also responsible for the decor at Kenwick-area restaurant Epping’s on Eastside, another historic building that has been impeccably renovated with a unique modern aesthetic.
Although there is some uncertainty about the exact date, Luftman believes the building was built in the 1880s or 1890s. It was occupied for many years by the Carpenters Local Union No. 1650, which sold it in 2006 to the first in a series of developers that had hoped to demolish the structure only to be roadblocked by the fact the building sits within a historic overlay district. The building had stood vacant for nearly two decades before Bourbon Hous officially opened on October 1.
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Taking up close to half of the entire bottom floor, the central gathering room (pictured at top) is equipped with a self-service bar, a dining room table, seating area, two large TVs, video games and a high-end stereo system with full surround sound and an extensive digital music library. Photos by Matt Huber
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Taking up close to half of the entire bottom floor, the central gathering room (pictured at top) is equipped with a self-service bar, a dining room table, seating area, two large TVs, video games and a high-end stereo system with full surround sound and an extensive digital music library. Photos by Matt Huber
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Taking up close to half of the entire bottom floor, the central gathering room (pictured at top) is equipped with a self-service bar, a dining room table, seating area, two large TVs, video games and a high-end stereo system with full surround sound and an extensive digital music library. Photos by Matt Huber
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Taking up close to half of the entire bottom floor, the central gathering room (pictured at top) is equipped with a self-service bar, a dining room table, seating area, two large TVs, video games and a high-end stereo system with full surround sound and an extensive digital music library. Photos by Matt Huber
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Taking up close to half of the entire bottom floor, the central gathering room (pictured at top) is equipped with a self-service bar, a dining room table, seating area, two large TVs, video games and a high-end stereo system with full surround sound and an extensive digital music library. Photos by Matt Huber
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Taking up close to half of the entire bottom floor, the central gathering room (pictured at top) is equipped with a self-service bar, a dining room table, seating area, two large TVs, video games and a high-end stereo system with full surround sound and an extensive digital music library. Photos by Matt Huber
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Taking up close to half of the entire bottom floor, the central gathering room (pictured at top) is equipped with a self-service bar, a dining room table, seating area, two large TVs, video games and a high-end stereo system with full surround sound and an extensive digital music library. Photos by Matt Huber
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Taking up close to half of the entire bottom floor, the central gathering room (pictured at top) is equipped with a self-service bar, a dining room table, seating area, two large TVs, video games and a high-end stereo system with full surround sound and an extensive digital music library. Photos by Matt Huber
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Taking up close to half of the entire bottom floor, the central gathering room (pictured at top) is equipped with a self-service bar, a dining room table, seating area, two large TVs, video games and a high-end stereo system with full surround sound and an extensive digital music library. Photos by Matt Huber
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Taking up close to half of the entire bottom floor, the central gathering room (pictured at top) is equipped with a self-service bar, a dining room table, seating area, two large TVs, video games and a high-end stereo system with full surround sound and an extensive digital music library. Photos by Matt Huber
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Taking up close to half of the entire bottom floor, the central gathering room (pictured at top) is equipped with a self-service bar, a dining room table, seating area, two large TVs, video games and a high-end stereo system with full surround sound and an extensive digital music library. Photos by Matt Huber
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Taking up close to half of the entire bottom floor, the central gathering room (pictured at top) is equipped with a self-service bar, a dining room table, seating area, two large TVs, video games and a high-end stereo system with full surround sound and an extensive digital music library. Photos by Matt Huber
“Unless someone put in a high-end office, there wasn’t much other use for it,” Luftman said. “No one thought of a way to make [it] work.”
Because of the building’s age, one of the biggest challenges was making sure the plans conformed to the requirements of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission and the Board of Architectural Review. Given its location in one of city’s 15 historic overlay districts, modifications to the building’s exterior are subject to certain guidelines and approvals from the city’s Historic Preservation Commission. One of the main issues Luftman faced came when he realized he needed to replace the old windows in the bedrooms to reduce street noises. After some back-and-forth with the commission, he was granted permission to replace the original windows.
“We realized that those windows weren’t historic, and thankfully, they allowed me to replace them,” he said. “Now when you are in this room you can sleep. This is a loud [street] corner.”
Zoning issues with the building presented yet another challenge for Luftman.
“This is not zoned residential and getting an Airbnb in a business district isn’t easy. We had to get it zoned as an extended-stay hotel, and at least 50 percent of our rentals have to be a week or longer, which is a little bit of a challenge, but so far we’ve been right on that,” he said.
When Luftman bought the property, the two-story structure was divided, with two separate storefronts on the first floor, only one of which connected to the second floor. The second floor contained a large open room with a stage, where union meetings took place.
Luftman hired Jace Burris of JBC Architects to redraw the whole floor plan.
“The only walls that stayed are two big dividing walls in the center of the house,” Luftman said. While the interior footprint of the current modern structure surrounding the two original brick walls is almost entirely new, the original staircase and banister were preserved and refinished, retaining a central emblem of the building’s original historic character.
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The home’s design blends historic features — such as the original staircase and banister (above) and historic documents from when the building belonged to the Carpenters Local Union. Photo by Matt Huber
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The home’s design blends historic features — such as the original staircase and banister (above) and historic documents from when the building belonged to the Carpenters Local Union. Photo by Matt Huber
While Luftman knew he wanted a modern, upscale feel to the decor, he turned the decorating over to his wife, who said she wanted the house to feel like an escape.
“Some of our favorite places include ocean retreats, big cities and traveling abroad,” she said. “We wanted Bourbon Hous to be that experience for guests.”
The centerpiece of the house is its striking entertainment room, which serves as a bar, dining room and central gathering place. Taking up close to half of the entire bottom floor, the large room is equipped with a self-service bar, a dining room table, seating area, two large TVs and a high-end stereo system with full surround sound. Designed by Rely Technology, the Sonos sound system uses an iPad to access an extensive digital catalog of music.
“People stay up late here playing DJ and just having a good time with the music,” he said.
One of the TVs is also connected to the Sonos system, making it a great place to watch sporting events. The bar area is stocked with a number of unique bourbons, utilizing an honor system that Luftman said started as an experiment and has gone surprisingly well so far.
“We put some bourbon bottles out and told everyone to try to leave the house with the same amount of bourbon as when they arrived,” he explained, adding that the overwhelming number of guests have honored the system. “It’s been interesting seeing the different bourbons that people leave behind.”
A second common room on the first floor contains a pool table and is home to Bruno, a large bronze statue of a French bulldog that serves as the official Bourbon Hous mascot.
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While the central gathering spaces are quite popular, much attention has been paid to the private spaces, as well. Each of the seven bedrooms feels like a high-end hotel room, with its own TV, en suite bathroom, memory foam mattress and individual room lock. Photo by Matt Huber
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While the central gathering spaces are quite popular, much attention has been paid to the private spaces, as well. Each of the seven bedrooms feels like a high-end hotel room, with its own TV, en suite bathroom, memory foam mattress and individual room lock. Photo by Matt Huber
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While the central gathering spaces are quite popular, much attention has been paid to the private spaces, as well. Each of the seven bedrooms feels like a high-end hotel room, with its own TV, en suite bathroom, memory foam mattress and individual room lock. Photo by Matt Huber
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While the central gathering spaces are quite popular, much attention has been paid to the private spaces, as well. Each of the seven bedrooms feels like a high-end hotel room, with its own TV, en suite bathroom, memory foam mattress and individual room lock. Photo by Matt Huber
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While the central gathering spaces are quite popular, much attention has been paid to the private spaces, as well. Each of the seven bedrooms feels like a high-end hotel room, with its own TV, en suite bathroom, memory foam mattress and individual room lock. Photo by Matt Huber
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While the central gathering spaces are quite popular, much attention has been paid to the private spaces, as well. Each of the seven bedrooms feels like a high-end hotel room, with its own TV, en suite bathroom, memory foam mattress and individual room lock. Photo by Matt Huber
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While the central gathering spaces are quite popular, much attention has been paid to the private spaces, as well. Each of the seven bedrooms feels like a high-end hotel room, with its own TV, en suite bathroom, memory foam mattress and individual room lock. Photo by Matt Huber
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While the central gathering spaces are quite popular, much attention has been paid to the private spaces, as well. Each of the seven bedrooms feels like a high-end hotel room, with its own TV, en suite bathroom, memory foam mattress and individual room lock. Photo by Matt Huber
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While the central gathering spaces are quite popular, much attention has been paid to the private spaces, as well. Each of the seven bedrooms feels like a high-end hotel room, with its own TV, en suite bathroom, memory foam mattress and individual room lock. Photo by Matt Huber
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While the central gathering spaces are quite popular, much attention has been paid to the private spaces, as well. Each of the seven bedrooms feels like a high-end hotel room, with its own TV, en suite bathroom, memory foam mattress and individual room lock. Photo by Matt Huber
“We found Bruno in a shop in Key West,” Luftman said. “I wanted something that would be a mascot and that people could sit on and take pictures with.”
While the communal spaces at Bourbon Hous are sure to please any group, great care has also been taken with the private spaces. Each bedroom is “like its own hotel room,” he said, with its own TV, en suite bathroom, memory foam mattress and individual lock.
When Luftman purchased Bourbon Hous, he also purchased two other buildings on the same block, including a nearby historic home and a small pink building next to Bourbon Hous. He is currently working on plans for the house, which will also be an Airbnb.
“It’s an old house and I’m not going to gut it like I did this one,” he said. “I’m going to try to make it cool in different ways.”
“As of now, his next Airbnb may transport you to the West Coast,” added Sara.
While opening a vacation rental during a pandemic has had its challenges, Luftman has found a market in small groups that want an alternative to a hotel: a place where they can gather with their “pods” and feel like they are on vacation while still being able to socially distance.
“We had one group come in for a family get-together, and we had another group come in who were opening a restaurant, and they were here for almost three weeks,” Luftman said. “They were really smart because they had a big team, and they [rented this place so they could] be together and use it as a corporate retreat.”
Luftman foresees Bourbon Hous eventually hosting bachelor and bridal parties and welcoming groups visiting for bourbon or horse industry tourism or events at Rupp Arena, among other things. In the meantime, it’s a great option for a safe and socially distanced family gathering or “staycation.”
When it came time to welcome the first guests, Luftman said he turned to his college buddies with whom he has been traveling for so many years.
“Ceremoniously, that same group of friends were the first guests here – and they loved it,” he said.
“I wanted it to be the kind of place where we want to stay,” he continued. “Mission accomplished.”
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Inspired by a favorite annual travel tradition, Lexington entrepreneur Brian Luftman transformed a historic downtown building into a modern vacation rental in 2020. Photo by Matt Huber
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Inspired by a favorite annual travel tradition, Lexington entrepreneur Brian Luftman transformed a historic downtown building into a modern vacation rental in 2020. Photo by Matt Huber