In 1988 Ron and Pippa Seichrist, who were newlyweds, bought a turn-of-the-century farm from the elderly children who had grown up on the property. Fascinated with the history, Ron and Pippa worked together on weekends to restore the original farm house, root cellar and smoke house. Over time, they added a barn, pottery studio and woodworking shop.
During the week, the couple lived in Atlanta where they developed a new kind of creative school that allowed students to study and intern in ad agencies and design firms around the world. They expanded their school to 15 cities in eight different countries. They acquired Blackberry House, on an adjoining piece of property, so they could invite students to the farm for workshops in photography and creative writing.
Wanting to share their beautiful life, Ron and Pippa adopted a six-year-old girl from Ukraine. When she learned English, she told them she had two brothers. They quickly found her middle brother who had already been adopted by a family in Spain, then it took five years to find and adopt her oldest brother who was still in a Ukrainian orphanage. The three siblings, who had never expected to see each other again, have now spent many summers together at the farm.
When their daughter was 25, Ron and Pippa received a call from a young man asking permission to marry her. Her dream was to get married at the farm where she had spent so many special moments of her life. So Pippa got busy designing the Carriage House for the wedding.
Both of her brothers were there for her big day, along with a hundred and fifty guests, who celebrated late into the night under a beautiful white tent next to the pond, with white lights shining up into the trees.
A few months later Ron and Pippa’s school was named Global School of the Year and the duo was inducted into the Creativity Hall of Fame at a ceremony in New York City. After having spent 30 years training 20,000 young people for the creative career of their dreams, it was time to pass the baton. They sold their school and decided to live full-time at their happy place with their menagerie of critters and frequent visits from their family and graduates.
In 2023 they opened Satolah Creek Farm as a micro resort for couples wanting to turn their wedding into a relaxed multi-day experience with friends and family.
Blackberry House and the Carriage House can also be rented for family get-togethers or weekend get-aways. Guests can enjoy an immersive experience in nature and, if they are feeling creative, take a class in pottery or woodworking. You can see Pippa’s Dog Face Pottery in galleries in Clayton and Highlands.
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