When I was deciding where to stay for a night in Marfa, Texas, I had a plethora of unique options. Somewhere between a tipi at El Cosmico and a room in the historic Hotel Paisano, I came across The Lincoln, unique private residence like suites in what once was the historic stables of the Presidio County Courthouse in the 1890s.

As soon as I parked and saw the turquoise bistro set on the patio and inviting yellow door in the shade of two crepe myrtle trees, I knew I’d found my own little private retreat. If you want to stay like a local, The Lincoln is the place in Marfa. It’s right on the courthouse square and an easy walk to anything in town. There are eleven suites, including one that is the only vintage bomb shelter from the 1950s you can rent on AirBnB. I decided to stay above ground and picked Suite 2.

As soon as I opened the door I thought it was mash up of mid-century modern meets upcycled heaven meets West Texas. It’s cool, funky, filled with repurposed pieces, yet the decor is not overdone. In the living and bedroom room there’s tons of space to relax on the couch or sleep on the platform bed. Two things I loved in this space – the in-wall bookcase and a small side table. The bookcase was filled with cool reads like Ian Fleming’s James Bond series and an old copy of Mark Twain’s “Tom Sawyer” artfully placed on the shelves. The side table caught my eye because of the art deco vintage radio that’s perfect for listening to the award-winning Marfa Public Radio. Good thing it’s good because it is pretty much all you can get on the radio in these parts.

I instantly fell in love with the kitchen, probably because of the cool use of old lockers as drawers in a cabinet under the counter. It’s a bachelor kitchen with filled with necessities and nothing more. There’s a microwave, double burner, mini fridge/freezer, compact dishwasher, and open shelves filled with essentials like pots, pans, plates and bowls. I particularly loved the exposed cement with old paint splatter as the backsplash for the kitchen wall.

The bathroom is simple allowing for color pops of yellow coral to cover the circuit box and red hangers to really accent the space. There’s tons of storage on the shelves and even a luggage rack. Only weird thing was the sink and mirror. They are opposite of each other so natural light can stream in from the small atrium. I actually thought they did it on purpose because in Marfa something has to be odd or quirky and this fits the bill. The shower and toilet space is super simple with white tile against a bluish grey paint and really cool cement floor. I loved the wall color so much that I emailed to ask what it was. If you’re wondering – owners Clark and Adam found the color through trial and error. It’s registered at True Value in Marfa under “Meredith Grey” and yes, I’m calling.

After I settled in, I explored the grounds and quickly found the yellow Marfa payphone. The zeroscape courtyard is filled with great sitting spots and a bocce court. I walked to dinner then walked around town a little at sunset before settling into my home away from home watching Netflix and getting a great night’s sleep before continuing on my road trip the next day.

I enjoyed 105 Lincoln so much that I stayed until checkout time, something I don’t normally do.

For more on Jennifer‘s stay, read post One Night in Marfa.