1847 Blake House Inn B & B

Miscellaneous Happenings

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

2010 has already been busy and we’re only a week into the new year.

First off, the weather has been a real downer with temperatures in the teens and single digits for at least a week.  And, we’re expecting some more snow this weekend (January 8 – 9). It’s a real challenge keeping this old house warm, but it forces me to be creative. The second floor is no problem since heat rises, but the first floor (thank goodness there’s only one guestroom on the first floor) is another story.  The pipes under the original house always seem to do okay, but the pipes under and in the kitchen never fare well.  Last winter we had 3 burst pipes. So far this year, I’ve seen one tiny pinprick leak in a pipe that’s been topped off. The next couple of days will see temperatures higher than freezing so it remains to be seen if there are any issues.

While the weather outside has been truly frightful, I’ve been keeping busy, taking down holiday decorations. I pace myself so it takes a good week to get everything down and packed away.  Everything outside is finished and all but the Parlor and two guestrooms have been packed away. I hope to get that completed today and tomorrow.

At the same time, I have been making some changes to two guestrooms: the Rose Room & the Magnolia Room.  As soon as the changes have been completed, I will update the room photos and descriptions.  The main changes involve switching the beds between these two rooms.  The king/twin beds that were in the Rose Room have been moved up to the Magnolia Room and the queen bed from that room has been moved downstairs to the Rose Room.  The main reasons for the switch are 1) the Rose Room is a handicap accessible room and the king/2 twin beds were just too high for someone in a wheelchair and 2) with a queen bed in the Rose Room, there is more floor space to maneuver around if a guest is in a wheelchair.  Also, with a the king bed in the Rose Room, it had to be configured such that is blocked off half of the built-in bookcase and I simply hated that.  Now with a queen bed, the bed can be moved to a different position and the bookcase can be used fully. It looks so much better. I’ve also been installing bedside wall sconces on both sides of the bed, changing the curtains into a roller shade on the door and adding a painted window to the transom above the door. Just small adjustments that make a big difference.

I should have photos of the room changes within the next week so check the Rooms Descriptions Page (under Rooms & Rates) to see what I’ve done.

Lastly, I’m working with a previous guest, Angela McKeller, to put together a fabulous culinary weekend during the weekend after Memorial Day. Angela won a recipe contest I had a few years ago and since then, she has written her own cookbook and hosted her own cooking show, among other things.  Angela lives in Atlanta so she will be coming to the Inn and working her magic for a few days. We’re still working on the details, but this will be an all-inclusive package with demonstrations, cooking classes, accommodations (if desired), and tie-ins to the Asheville community (possibly Biltmore or Asheville Food Tours). It is shaping up to be a fun time so definitely check back often for more details.

Sycamore Suite Bedroom Facelift

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

Over the past week, I have been making some changes to the Sycamore Suite in the Carriage House. It has always been set up mainly for families, with bright colors and multiple beds.  I have decided to move towards a couples orientation, but still allowing for families.

I have left the living room and kitchen area the same, but have made changes to the bathroom and bedroom.

The bathroom had been brightly painted in blue and green with an underwater theme.  It is still decorated with fish, but the walls are now a bright white with gold flecks in the paint to give it a little sparkle.

In the bedroom, I replaced the two double beds with a king bed, new mattresses, and new bedding.  I also painted one wall in peach, keeping the other three walls yellow.  Also, there is a new flat screen TV hanging on the wall.  The room feels much bigger.

There is still a sofabed in the living room and we also have a toddler bed and rollaway bed in the closet for children. However, the plan is to make the Suite a romantic option. There are two things left to do to accomplish this goal: 1) set up an electric fireplace in the bedroom to provide a romantic ambiance and 2) replace the tub in the bathroom with a whirlpool tub.  The fireplace should be finished quickly; the whirlpool tub will take a little time.

In the meantime, potential guests can check out more photos and a full description of the Suite on the Rooms Description Page.

Bartering Opportunity

Friday, October 16th, 2009

One of the things I love about Asheville is the willingness here to barter for services. I have bartered for landscaping and other services in the past few years and it has worked out well.

While I have personally sewn the curtains in the three original guest bedrooms on the second floor, I am looking for help to make curtains for my two dining rooms. The windows throughout the house are not standard and are rather large, so it would take me years to sew curtains. And since I don’t use a sewing machine (I had one, but couldn’t figure out how to use it), I hand sew everything.

I am looking for a competent seamstress who could sew curtains for me and in exchange, I would not only put up the person for the amount of time it takes for the project, but I would also invite that person to bring a friend, partner, etc. to stay with him/her during the length of their stay.

Breakfast would be included each morning of your stay and the only time restriction would be that the stay would have to take place in January or February (Sundays – Thursdays).  I will, of course, provide the materials and we have plenty of space to work on the project.  I don’t have a sewing machine so the person would have to bring one.

You can view the dining rooms throughout the website and on our Virtual Tour to get an idea of the size of the windows.  If you think this is something you would like to take on, please send me an email.  We’ll communicate from there.