Silver Poplar Studios LLC 1519 Door Bluff Road, Ellison Bay, WI 54210

"My family and I recently stayed at the Firebird Cottage at Silver Poplar Studios and our experience was awful. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by a woman named Carol who seemed very upset, telling us we are parked in the wrong driveway and showed us where our cabin was. She said that she was very busy and had someone on the line and that she would stop by to speak to us about the cabin after. As we were unloading our car, Carol walked into the cabin unannounced to explain the many many rules. She had a booklet containing five pages, front and back, of rules for the cabin; certain lights we cannot turn on, certain dishes and utensils we cannot use, certain chairs we cannot sit on, certain trash and recycle bins we can and cannot use… etc. Upon reading the rules further, it explained that they retain the right to let others into our cabin at any time and that they retain the right to cash our damage deposit if we do not use the correct recycle/trash bins or if we do not turn off all lights and fans or do not unplug all small appliances to conserve energy. She came back moments after she left to add a sticky note to the cutting board stating that we could not cut on that cutting board. There were sticky notes all over the cabin reiterating the rules. Carol did this while walking through the cabin with a mask that was not around her mouth or her nose, it was down below her chin and that made us very uncomfortable considering the pandemic that is going on currently. On the second day of our trip at around 8:30pm Carol knocked on our door to tell us that she forgot to mention that we had a thermostat for the A/C and heat and to remind us to turn off the front porch light. On the last day of our trip, we arrived back to the cabin to find a note on our door reiterating the rules and asking us to clean the cabin and "leave it as you came". The note also stated that the couple that were staying in the Granary Cabin had wanted to see the Firebird Cottage so Carol’s husband let them see the kitchen and the living room. This either means that they allowed strangers to come into our cabin or they allowed them to look through the windows not knowing whether or not someone was still in the cabin. Two of our family members have autoimmune diseases and we were hoping to take this trip to have some privacy in a cabin away from people and feel safe during the pandemic and unfortunately we didn’t. *In response to the owner's reply: I was not there for an event. That's a lie. I was there with three family members on a small vacation. Because of our bad experience, Silver Poplar Studios was taken off of the website of the realty company that used to rent for them. I told them about our experience and they told us that they've heard about many bad experiences there and would not be working with them in the future. I'm not one to leave bad reviews based on biased opinions so if you'd like, see for yourself. Make your own opinions but be careful."

"My husband and I happened upon Silver Poplar Studios while looking for art studios in Ellison Bay over Labor Day weekend. We weren't sure if tours were being held but happened upon the owner, Carol, tending one of the many beautiful gardens. Another couple had arrived at the same time we did. Carol, and her husband Jim, were so gracious in spending an hour, at least, showing us around the beautiful property steeped in Russian and Door County history. The cottages, barns and main house were wonderful to see, as well as the art and book collections of the owners. For me, an avid gardener, the flower and vegetable gardens were a favorite. My husband enjoyed spending time with like-minded artists such as himself. I highly recommend touring the estate, as well as renting one of the historic cottages. Thanks Carol and Jim! Steve and Allison Johnsen"

"The reviews about Carol are sadly true. She did not make us feel welcome and she was condescending and claimed she did not remember our phone conversation. I know they have had prior issues like racoons and a fire that burnt down one of their cottages. She also walked in on us without us answering the door to prove a point about the contract. The cottage was clean and unique but not worth the anxiety from the owner. They also don't take credit cards and expect a $500 check deposit."

"My sister and her husband got married on the grounds, and rented the cabin to stay in for the weekend. Don't be fooled by the beauty of the gardens and cabins. The owners entered the cabin multiple times, without permission, and demanded her son and my daughter get out of the cabin. Mind you, they were only standing in the living room. The owners then interrupted while family pictures were being taken to complain about none of us going to their art gallery. My sister never asked for them to open it, nor did anyone know about it. The only reason any of us were there was for the wedding! The owners were extremely rude to ALL of the guests. If you are looking for somewhere private and relaxing to get away to, this is NOT the place. The owners will intrude on you, charge you for ridiculous things, and will ruin any event/getaway you are trying to have! This was my sister and her husband's day. They shouldn't feel the need to apologize to their guests for how rude Carole (one of the owners) was."

"My husband Kyle and I recently got married here. Upon describing our wedding details, they offered a 50% discount off their usual wedding fee, since we were only going to have a small ceremony (29 people total) and pictures onsite. Kyle called a couple weeks before the wedding to ask her if there would be room in the cottage fridge for us to store our wedding cake until the reception. She said none of her refrigerators have room and the shelves are not removable. Lastly, Kyle asked if we could do a toast with our guests immediately after the ceremony, before pictures. He said we would bring our own table from home. She claimed this was fine, and even told Kyle he didn’t need to bring a table as they have a lot of tables sitting around. When I arrived at the cottage, I noticed the shelves ARE indeed removable. Assuming the owner must’ve been mistaken about the “non-removable” shelves, we removed two shelves so the cake would fit. Owner entered the cottage without knocking, demanded that my two nieces, nephew and son get out of the cottage (they were standing in the entryway), then walked to the fridge, opened it and began throwing a fit. My mom asked the owner if this was going to be an issue. She said that she would “just have to have a conversation with Brianna later”. We got $243 of our $500 security deposit back for silly things like prepping the gardens (isn't that normal maintenance??) and loads of other things WE NEVER ASKED FOR and she never told us we would be charged for. She inserted herself any and every way she could, being more of a nuisance than a help. On top of that, she hollered at my husband five minutes before the ceremony started about the stupid fridge shelves. We also had to hang black paper in the windows of their garage to hide their toilet paper rolls and clutter in the windows. The owner complained to our guests about us and the fridge shelves, too. The icing on the cake is that they entered the cottage several times without our knowing/when we weren't there. We eventually had to meet with a deputy from the sheriff's department to see if they could do that. Turns out they can't if you're paying to rent the place, unless there is an emergency. In addition, halfway through family photos, Owner came over to our group, where she loudly interrupted: “My husband has been sitting in his art gallery all afternoon and nobody has gone over to see his artwork.” After finishing with family pictures, the guests left to go to our reception. Owner followed us around during our photo session, insisting we get pictures in gardens and in their silo. There were little signs posted all over the cottage, instructing people on what they can and cannot do in the cottage. We did not feel as though we could even enjoy our time inside the cottage without violating one of her excessive rules, so we did not spend much time there. I wouldn't wish this place on anybody, ESPECIALLY people who are planning to get married or have just gotten married. It was a nightmarish weekend. Great way to remember our wedding weekend. *SARCASM*"