Built with Intention: What a Hornet's Nest on Our Pergola Taught Us About Beauty, Purpose and Home
- Merrick Green
- 9 hours ago
- 4 min read
Sometimes, the most extraordinary things at Sunday Morning at Savannah’s aren’t things we planned at all.
Recently, we discovered a hornet’s nest tucked beneath our pergola.
Now, admittedly, discovering a hornet’s nest isn’t normally the kind of surprise that inspires delight. But before we could think about anything else, we found ourselves staring at it.
Really staring.
It was magnificent.
Layer upon layer had been carefully constructed into sweeping patterns of gray, cream and brown. The surface almost looked hand-painted. There were curves and folds, subtle variations in color, and an architectural quality that made it difficult to believe that something so intricate had been created without blueprints, rulers, machinery or human hands.
It was craftsmanship in its purest form.
And standing there looking at it, we were reminded of something that sits at the very heart of Sunday Morning at Savannah’s:
Beautiful things are built with intention.
Layer by Layer
A nest like this doesn’t appear overnight.
It is created little by little. Layer upon layer. Piece upon piece.
There is something profound about that.
Because that is also how meaningful places are created.
Sunday Morning at Savannah’s was never intended to simply be a beautiful building where people could spend the night, drink a cup of coffee or host an event.
We have been building something much deeper.
One guest at a time.
One breakfast around the table.
One wedding.
One anniversary.
One birthday.
One conversation over coffee.
One weary person receiving a massage and finally allowing themselves to exhale.
One family gathering together to celebrate something that matters.
Layer upon layer, we are building a place where people can feel at home.
The Beauty Is in the Details
Perhaps what fascinated us most about the nest was the detail.
From a distance, you see its shape.
But when you move closer, you discover the artistry.
And we believe hospitality works the same way.
People may initially discover Sunday Morning at Savannah’s because of our historic property, guest rooms, coffee lounge, celebrations or wellness experiences.
But what we hope they remember are the details.
The smell of coffee brewing.
The breakfast prepared for them in the morning.
The conversation that lasted longer than anyone expected.
The music playing softly somewhere in the house.
The beautiful table waiting for a celebration.
The feeling that someone thought about their experience before they ever walked through the door.
Those details aren’t extras.
They are the experience.
For us, hospitality is not simply providing a service. It is the intentional act of creating an environment where another human being feels welcomed, cared for, celebrated and seen.
Created According to Its Design
There was another thought we couldn’t escape while looking at this remarkable structure.
The hornets didn’t need to be taught how to build it.
Creation already carried the instructions.
There is something humbling about that.
Nature continually reminds us that purpose and design are woven throughout creation. The bird knows how to build its nest. The flower knows when to bloom. The tree knows when to release its leaves and when to begin again.
And sometimes, in the middle of building businesses, making plans, solving problems and moving through very full lives, we need those reminders.
There is wisdom in building according to what you were created to build.
Sunday Morning at Savannah’s exists because we believe hospitality can be transformative.
We believe people need beautiful places to gather.
We believe celebration matters.
We believe rest matters.
We believe conversation matters.
We believe sitting across a table from another person matters.
We believe there is still something sacred about opening a door and saying:
Come in. There is a place for you here.
That belief shapes what we create.
More Than a Property
This old property continues to surprise us.
Its history, trees, gardens, wildlife, changing seasons—and apparently even its hornets—have a way of reminding us that we are caretakers of something much larger than ourselves.
We aren’t interested in creating hospitality that feels manufactured or transactional.
We want Sunday Morning at Savannah’s to feel alive.
A place where history and new memories meet.
Where elegance doesn’t require pretense.
Where strangers can become friends over breakfast.
Where someone can arrive carrying the weight of the week and leave a little lighter.
Where families mark the moments they will talk about years from now.
Where coffee isn’t simply something you drink—it becomes an invitation to linger.
And where even an unexpected discovery beneath the pergola can cause us to stop, look closer and marvel at the extraordinary craftsmanship surrounding us.
Keep Building
Eventually, the practical matter of having a hornet’s nest near people has to be addressed. Hospitality also means making sure our guests are safe.
But we didn’t want to miss the lesson before it was gone.
That beautiful structure had been forming quietly while life around it continued.
No announcement.
No applause.
Just steady construction.
Layer after layer.
And perhaps that’s a reminder for all of us.
Much of what becomes extraordinary is built exactly that way.
Quietly.
Faithfully.
Intentionally.
One layer at a time.
So we will keep building Sunday Morning at Savannah’s that way too.
Not simply as a bed & breakfast.
Not simply as a coffee lounge.
Not simply as a place for celebrations or restoration.
But as a place created intentionally for connection, beauty, rest, celebration and belonging.
Because we believe places can hold something special.
And when they are built with care, they can become part of people’s stories.
Sometimes it just takes a hornet’s nest hanging beneath the pergola to remind you.
There is extraordinary beauty in what we build—and in how we build it.
— Sunday Morning at Savannah’s
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