Michigan State University Extension
Tourism Educational Materials - 33420034
06/06/02
Establishing the Ambiance in a Bed and Breakfast or Farm Vacation Home
Source: Minnesota
Author: Alexander, Harold
ID: He-FO-3219
Year: 1987
Development of this publication was a cooperative effort by
Community and Natural Resource Development, Home Economics,
and Agriculture.
"A romantic Victorian mansion and carriage house."
"Country charm and farm-home breakfast."
"Newly restored 1881 Second Empire Home."
"Elegant turn-of-the-century breakfast on a wicker-filled
porch."
"Bedrooms filled with lovely antiques."
"Sunny guest rooms overlooking the river."
Who could resist these descriptions of bed and breakfast
and farm vacation home locations? Each offers something
unusual and memorable - an experience different from the
average motel or hotel, a chance to "get away from it all".
There are truly elegant bed and breakfast and nostalgic
farm vacation home opportunities available throughout the
state.
It occurs to you that, since your home and its furnishings
have been admired by friends and acquaintances, perhaps
this might be a good way to supplement your family income.
And it could also be a pleasant experience. After all,
there are a couple of rooms upstairs that are empty most of
the time.
The more you think about it, the more excited you become.
Immediately you think of a dozen or more things that must
be done before you can welcome guests. The rooms need to be
fixed up a little - new wallpaper, perhaps, or new
bedspreads. That sticking dresser drawer must be fixed. The
bathroom should be modernized. You begin to look in
magazines, visit antique shops, drapery and wallcovering
stores. Before long, you're so immersed in details that the
once-clear picture of how you might turn your home into a
family-based business has gone completely out of focus.
Develop a Plan
Planning is the key to any successful project. Regardless
of how attractive, interesting, or unique your home is now,
it will undoubtedly need to be adapted for its new use as
a business location. Analyze your assets. What do you have?
What more will you need?
Is your home located where you'll have a good opportunity
to attract guests? Why would guests like to stay in your
home? What makes it unique or attractive to prospective
guests? Will the structure need to be altered to function
well for you, your family, and guests? Will you need
additional furniture? Should you refurbish the furniture,
interior, or exterior of your home? Do you have the time,
money, and skills to accomplish what is needed? And
finally, are you emotionally prepared to have strangers
stay with you and your family?
Let's look at these questions and consider some possible
answers. Priorities should be established early in the
planning process. Some changes may have to wait, or may not
be accomplished as soon as desired or while other changes
are in progress. What can wait and what must be done before
any guests arrive?
1. Is your home located where you'll have a good
opportunity to attract guests?
While Minnesota has more than 10,000 lakes, a wide variety
of scenery, interesting locations, and abundant
recreational opportunities, there are still areas that may
not be attractive or just do not draw tourists and
travelers. If your home happens to be located in an area
without interest, you may not want to spend the time and
money to establish a business that caters to travelers.
Perhaps a business based on local needs and customers would
be a better idea.
However, if your home is isolated and difficult to find,
but the location offers some unique scenery, recreation, or
simply the opportunity to "get away from it all", then your
home may be suitable for a bed and breakfast or a farm
vacation home business.
2. Why would guests like to stay in your home?
Analyze why you think paying guests would find your home a
place where they'd want to stay. Is it warm and charming?
Do you and your family make them feet welcome? Are the
beds, food, general ambiance of the interior and exterior
surroundings of the type and quality that make people want
to stay there?
There's a lot you can do to make people feel welcome. It
goes beyond a ruffled sign or a hand shake. Do some
play-acting. Enter your home as if you were a stranger.
Have family members greet you. Go to your guest room and
stay in it for a night. What do you need that is there,
that is not there? Is the bed comfortable? Is there
adequate seating, a place for a suitcase, a place to hand
your clothes? Does the room smell fresh and clean? Doe is
look fresh and clean? Is the bathroom nearby? Is it
private or does the family have to share it? Is it easy to
find "your towels"? In the morning, is breakfast served in
the guest room, dining room, or kitchen? Is the food
served in an attractive way? What has been done to make it
attractive? And is the food good?
3. What makes your home unique or attractive to
prospective guests?
Every home should be a unique environment. It should
reflect your family, the people who live there, through its
architecture, furniture styles, and accessories. Your home
should reflect the geographical area in which it is
located. And your home should exude a sense of shelter and
warmth, an overall feeling of security, happiness, and
serenity.
Your home does not have to be a mansion; nor does it need
to be old, ornate, or of historical importance. But it
does need to be different and special, a place that will be
fondly remembered. It's not unusual for guests to return
again and again to favorite bed and breakfast or farm
vacation home locations and develop long-lasting
friendships with the owners.
First and foremost, the guest room and bath, as well as the
rest of your home, must be attractive, comfortable, and
clean. The amenities that travelers need and appreciate
should be available. Beside the bed, include an easy
chair, adequate light for reading in the chair and in bed,
a bedside table for glasses, books, medicine, etc., clean
linen, an extra blanket, clean towels, and adequate storage
space for clothes, both in a dresser or chest and in a
closet or wardrobe. Extras, such as a full-length mirror,
fresh flowers or growing plants, some recent magazines, a
small selection of books, fresh fruit, and a bedside
container of ice water will all be appreciated. Room
-darkening window shades or draperies for those not wishing
to awaken early will be welcomed.
The bedroom does not need an adjoining bathroom. Guests who
stay in bed and breakfast homes are used to sharing a bath
with the host family. However, the bathroom should never be
unavailable for long periods because of extended family
use. Have some air freshener and a separate soap and towel
supply for guests' use.
You should determine the "look" you want to have in your
home and in the guest rooms. Analyze the furniture and
accessories you have, along with the style of your home and
its interior architecture. Today, there are many variations
from which to choose, and certainly one does not have to
have the same period of furniture as the architecture, or
even the same style of furniture in a room. Mixes of styles
are actually more reflective of our lifestyles. In some
guest homes, bedrooms are decorated differently. It's a
matter of you and your guests' preferences. Overly
decorated homes and rooms may be tolerated, or even
appreciated, by some guests, but it is safer to avoid too
many ornate or cute accessories.
On the other hand, individualism is strongly recommended
because your home should reflect your taste and interests.
Personal items placed in your home and even in the guest
rooms are very appropriate. Your guests may pay for the
privilege of staying the night or longer with you, but they
are houseguests, not clients. A bed and breakfast or
country vacation home is a more personal experience.
4. Will the structure of your home have to be altered to
function well for you, your family and your guests?
It's extremely important when considering a bed and
breakfast or farm vacation home facility to check all
applicable city, county, and state building and health
codes with local inspectors. (See Minnesota Extension
Service publication CD-FO-3225, "Starting a Bed and
Breakfast or Farm Vacation Business".) Usually, little
structural remodeling is needed to adapt a private home for
a bed and breakfast business, but it's good to know what is
or isn't needed early in the planning process.
Apart from what the codes require, you may wish to make
minor alterations to insure guest and family privacy.
Perhaps removing a doorway between a guest room and an
adjoining family bedroom would provide more privacy for
both. Additional clothes storage may be needed in a guest's
room: this would be especially useful if guests were
staying longer than one night. To provide additional space
for eating breakfast, a wall may have to be removed between
the kitchen and pantry. (When any wall is to be taken out,
be absolutely sure you are not removing a supporting wall:
if not certain, contact a qualified architect, builder, or
engineer.)
5. Will you need additional furniture?
One important point cannot be overstressed: Regardless of
the type, antique or new, the bed must have a top quality
mattress. There are many ways to adapt or refurbish
existing furniture, but there can be no substitute for a
good mattress.
You may need additional furniture, such as a comfortable
chair in the guests' room. To provide adequate lighting,
you may need to acquire additional lamps. Does your
breakfast table have enough chairs to seat your family and
your guests at the same time? It's often expected that the
host or hosts will visit with their guests during breakfast
and, preferably, eat with them, too.
When selecting additional furniture, especially when
purchasing new pieces, consider strong construction and
upholstery fabrics that are wear - and soil- resistant and
compatible with what is already in the room. The whole
ambiance of a room can be destroyed if something new or
different stands out. When guests enter a room, they should
experience a total effect, not focus on individual pieces.
If you expect many guests, investigate contract-grade
furniture. Today virtually every style, type, and scale of
furniture is available in contract-grade, which is of
sturdier construction than that manufactured for
residential use. It is not always found in local furniture
stores, but can generally be ordered by them or through
interior designers or architects. In appearance, contract-
grade furniture is nearly identical with the more available
residential-grade, but being stronger it will last far
longer before it must be discarded or refurbished. It can
be more expensive, but in the long run it may prove to be
less costly.
Always purchase the best grade of furniture you can afford.
Furniture comes in many grades and prices - not always
related to each other - so check carefully the construction
and sturdiness of any potential purchase.
6. Should you refurbish the furniture, interior, or
exterior of your home?
Your home and its guest rooms should be not only
comfortable, but also a visual delight. The ambiance should
be distinctive and pleasant. Of course, not everything will
be new, nor should it be. On the contrary, quite often the
most memorable bed and breakfast homes are older and are
often filled with lovely old furniture.
However, you realize that your home does have some details
and furnishings that could be improved. Replacement is not
necessary or possible, and if it were, the new might not go
with what you already have. Careful attention to
refurbishing is necessary.
Don't introduce anything that's not in character with
what's already there. Consider color, for example. Current
fashion colors are beautiful, but they might not be
compatible with the colors now in your home or guest rooms.
They also tend to date a room, going out of fashion as
rapidly as they came in.
Rather than create a whole new color scheme, try
introducing a slightly brighter, fresher hue that
harmonizes with what you already have. One trick is to
introduce a lot of sparkling white to enliven a tired color
scheme. Perhaps instead of using colored bed and bath
linens you might try pristine white instead, particularly
with sheets. The freshness of the white may be all that is
needed. The addition of other white touches will also
enhance the other colors and textures.
If the finish on your furniture is dull and cloudy, don't
immediately run for the paint and varnish remover. Original
finishes are much more desirable and the furniture is more
valuable when they're left intact. Try cleaning wood
furniture with a mixture of alcohol and paint thinner (test
first). You may find that when the accumulated polish has
been removed, all the surface needs is the addition of a
well-polished thin coat of wax or oil. The furniture will
glow with only an occasional waxing, not more than two or
three a year. Remember that in America a hand-rubbed look
is more admired than a slick, shiny finish, and seems much
more compatible with older furniture.
Mix your woods and surfaces. Natural-colored, transparent
finishes can be mixed with painted surfaces, and have been
for centuries. Even a few nicks, scratches, and
discolorations add a warmth and charm not found in new
pieces. Let your furniture reflect its age and experience.
Some of the most charming rooms are those that appear to
have evolved through the years rather than having been put
together all at one time.
Not every fabric in a room must be the same. On the
contrary, mixing fabric patterns is one of the signs of a
good designer. They should, however, be compatible in some
way. There should be some elements that are similar, such
as the colors or pattern motifs. Of course, a plain-colored
or textured fabric can always be mixed with a pattern.
Accessories frequently make the room. They provide the
character in a home. They should always be objects and
devices that add interest and need not be expensive to be
interesting, tasteful, or decorative. A beautiful shell or
rock can be just as effective as an expensive vase or
sculpture - and far less costly. Personal needlework
projects, such as decorative pillows, crewel, or crosshatch
pictures, are good additions. Accessories can change the
gender of a room; without changing the furniture,
draperies, or bed coverings, just adding a few of the right
accessories can change a room from masculine to feminine,
or vice versa.
7. Do you have the time, money, and skills to accomplish
what is needed?
Do you have the time to do all that you plan to do before
you begin accepting guests? If there is a time limit,
decide which projects are most important. A good rule of
thumb is that whatever is going to be done will take twice
as long as you think it will.
Frequently, guests are interested in what you are planning
to do. Your home should never be finished, because you and
your family are always living in it and it should reflect
the ever- changing lives of those who live there.
Consequently, if your home is being or is about to be
remodeled, but this work does not inconvenience or affect
guests, they may be very interested in what you are doing.
An unfinished guest room can provide a topic for
considerable conversation.
Do you have the money to accomplish what you want to do?
While money is not the sole criterion for additions or
adaptations to your home, changes can be costly, especially
if you do not have the skills to do all or part of the work
yourself. But careful planning can often reduce costs. If
the entire project is carefully thought through and all
necessary steps are clearly defined, costly changes or
alterations can often be minimized or eliminated.
Do you have the skills to accomplish what is needed? It can
be tremendously satisfying to do the work yourself. Major
construction is often beyond the skills of most of us, but
there are many smaller jobs that can be accomplished by
even the most unskilled hands. Care, teamwork, a little
expert guidance, and the ability to ask the right questions
can do much to eliminate a lack of deftness or capability.
8. Finally, are you emotionally prepared to have strangers
stay with you and your family?
The owner of a successful bed and breakfast or farm
vacation home enjoys meeting new people. If you or the
members of your family do not like talking with strangers,
perhaps these businesses are not for you. There is a lot of
personal contact involved. It is the hallmark of bed and
breakfast and farm vacation home businesses. You must be
friendly, open, and informative. You must show that you
like and welcome your guests, even if it's been "one of
those days". The days will be consumed by your guests and
the details of keeping the home attractive.
Although you are pleased with your home, are you willing to
share it with others? Are the furniture and furnishings in
your home so precious to you that you will be worried if
strangers use or possibly damage them? How would you react
if something were broken or stolen? Accidents do occur,
and it must be admitted that there are individuals who take
things that are not their own.
You must also ask yourself questions like: "Will I allow
children and/or pets to accompany guests in their room?"
"How will I handle an undesirable guest?" "Will this new
use of my home affect my family and its way of life?" "Will
having additional people in the home prevent my family from
entertaining and enjoying our home as they do now?"
It is important to know whether you have met the
expectations of your guests. An evaluation form left on the
dresser in the guests' room prior to their arrival and left
with the host upon departure, or given to guests as they
depart with an addressed, stamped envelope for mailing,
will assist you in determining how well you have succeeded
in making their stay comfortable and memorable. It is often
by recommendation rather than advertising that bed and
breakfast and farm vacation home businesses get their
guests. And it is always wonderful to have guests return.
Harold H. Alexander is an Extension Specialist and
associate professor in the Department of Design, Housing,
and Apparel, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work In
agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30,
1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of
Agriculture. Patrick J. Borich, Dean and Director of
Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota, St.
Paul, Minnesota 55108. The University of Minnesota,
including the Minnesota Extension Service, is committed to
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