Q: What inspired you to take the leap to restore Elmwood 1820 into a bed and breakfast?
It really wasn't so much a leap as it was a course correction.
I'd worked in hospitality throughout college—from small mom-and-pop operations to the Ritz-Carlton—and always dreamed of running my own boutique hotel. After nearly 30 years in my original career (and one particularly bleak day sitting in Washington, D.C. traffic), I decided it was finally time.
Years earlier, I discovered Washington, North Carolina, with my husband, John, and we noticed Elmwood 1820 was for sale. A couple of years later, we came back and couldn't believe it was still on the market. It almost felt like the house was waiting for a reinvention.
One phone call to the listing agent. One more visit to Washington. In what felt like the blink of an eye, we were the new owners. After a year of hard work, Elmwood 1820 opened as a bed and breakfast in early 2016.
Q: As an avid traveler, you've stayed in a lot of places over the years. What makes a great bed and breakfast different from a hotel?
I think the biggest difference between a good hotel and a great bed and breakfast is scale...and a little quirk.
We have beautiful guest rooms, gracious public spaces, and great food—just no crowds. With only five guest rooms, you can't help but have a more personal, customized experience.
Parts of the inn date back to the 1820s, and anytime you're caring for a 200-year-old historic home, there's bound to be a little quirkiness. I've joked with guests that it's a "patina" you simply can't replicate in a shiny new property.
Q: Let's settle this once and for all. What's the secret behind your legendary biscuits and homemade jams?
I could tell you, but I won't. I will say I'm a huge devotee of White Lily Flour, and I won't make biscuits with anything else.
Q: Elmwood 1820's rooms all have personalities—The Writer, The Explorer, The Painter, The Romantic, and The Gardener. Which one are you, and why?
Easy. One hundred percent The Explorer.
At last count, I've visited 51 countries and every continent except Antarctica (and that's definitely on the bucket list). Growing up as a military brat, wanderlust was ingrained in my soul from an early age.
Q: How's Miss Lemon adjusting to life as Diva of the Front Desk? Has the promotion gone to her head?
She's become insufferable. She's on a power trip and thinks she runs the place. She's not wrong.
Q: Every great place has a soundtrack. What's one song that perfectly captures the feeling of Elmwood?
Elmwood is too many things to be summed up by one song. Its playlist, though? That's another story. Easy morning jazz. Classical. Edgy modern divas. And always room for whatever great new song comes along next.
Q: Describe Elmwood 1820 in one word.
Home.
