Lancaster County bed and breakfast, Amish Country, PA

The Carriage House

As many of you know, for twelve years we have been talking about, dreaming of, looking at and wishing for the 160-year old original barn that went with our property.  The owners before us went bankrupt and split the property, selling the barn. Since then it has been turned into two apartments. 

This structure is where the original owner, Sam Watts, stored his fine carriage.   So, in his honor, we have christened the property, the Carriage House.

We are excited to announce that we have just secured the right apartment, renting with an option to buy (uh, that would be after some sort of financial windfall we hope).

It has three bedrooms and two baths, a full kitchen (with dishwasher!), living room and dining area.  We will be renting it as a whole-house vacation rental - for the first year we will keep the prices the same as The Olde Stone Cottage - $235/night Sunday through Thursday nights and $260/night Friday and Saturday nights - based on two adults.   Kids under twelve stay free.  Additional adults are $25/day.

Here's a picture of the back deck.  Yes, we will have a table, complete with umbrella and a grill.  I can smell the chicken now!

So the quest is on for finding furniture, sewing drapes, and making it our own.   We invite you to follow our journey until we open - sometime this spring.

This is really the fun part - searching through antique warehouses and stores in nearby Adamstown to find items that are fun, functional, and uh, within our budget.  This is an old tool box and we think it will make a great magazine rack - with a little cleaning.

Here's a little children's table - complete with ABC's painted on the top.  What a cute end table it will make....

We think these old trunks can be cleaned up and used for a coffee table.  They will go well with a black rocking chair.

Our neighbor, Eric, happened to stop by when he saw us unloading furniture.  Bad mistake.  Guess who took my place!

Eric and Bruce move in the TV cabinet.

I stopped in to Garden Spot Used Furniture on Route 322 in Ephrata and found a bunch of furniture that we just couldn't live without.  In fact, I found so much that we decided to change the Rose Room bed to a king because there were two twin headboards and footboards that would go perfect in that room.  It was a happy day when the delivery guys arrived with our bedroom and dining room furniture.

This is the mirror for one of the art deco pieces that belong to the bedroom suite.

Here's the dressing table with matching chair.

And the rest of the set.

This Hansel and Gretel set will go perfectly in the dining room.  Isn't it just the cutest thing you've ever seen?

The next day the mattresses arrived.  Though they'd never admit it, these guys just love getting their pictues taken.

Well, at lease they were smiling before we showed them the steps to the second floor....

It was the last turn where we nearly lost them....

And now for more shopping!  Bruce adjusts the bins above
the kitchen cabinets.  We've decided to do the kitchen in red. 

And because there is a kitchen complete with everything that
you'll need, we won't be serving breakfast here but will stock
the fridge with everything you need - just like we do at The Olde
Stone Cottage - eggs, ham, cheese, yogurt, apples, baked goodies
from the inn, milk, coffee, tea, juice, cereal, and, of course, a
full cookie jar.

And these vases will look oh-so-cute somewhere.  Well, I just
HAD to get them because they're the right colors....

The master bedroom starts to come together.  It has a king-size bed
and is upstairs along with another bedroom and bath.  Downstairs
there is a bedrooms with a queen bed and bath that will be bad knee
and hip friendly - all on one floor.

Ok, now the real plotting begins.  This is the patch of grass that currently sits in front of the Carriage House.   It just will not do.
The plan is that this patch will become our Secret Garden, allowing
the gardens from the inn to breathe and spread into this space.  Let the
digging begin!

We think that we should be ready by June.  You will soon be able to make reservations online, but can call us now to book the Carriage House for your next romantic weekend or girlfriend's getaway.

The new sofabed and chair are delivered...

and the kitchen starts taking shape...

This is the clock that my mom got us as a housewarming gift for The Carriage House.   I bought two hanging baskets, but the one was so big that there's no room for the other!

Stay tuned for more!