Keeper's master handiwork graces Conn. inn
We slept (as all
the guests do) in a bed made in Beeching's workshop. We ate at a table he
designed and built. We breakfasted on Belgian waffles and orange-stuffed French
toast he prepared, all the while admiring his Impressionistic oil paintings on
the dining room walls. Steve and his wife,
Susan, bought the inn in 1985 , renovated it, and opened it two years later .
Though Susan comes from a line of innkeepers (her mother and grandmother owned
inns on Nantucket), she is the first to admit that Steve runs the show at the
Tolland Inn. Susan has a remarkable talent for engaging guests in conversation,
often sharing tales of her "real life" as a second-grade teacher, and
her voluble charm complements her husband's reserve. On busy Sunday mornings,
her pupils sometimes help serve breakfast. Listed on the
National Register of Historic Places, the inn is located across from the scenic
Tolland Green, which boasts several historic buildings dating from Colonial
times. Guests are welcome to use a sun porch decorated with grapevine wreaths
and pierced-tin lamps and warmed by a fireplace Steve built using bricks from a
chimney removed during the renovation. There also is a parlor with a Victorian
daybed (again Steve's handiwork) and a tea table stocked with an impressive
variety of teas and homemade chocolate chip cookies. Our room, one of
two on the first floor, had its own entrance from the porch. Though it abutted
the dining room, a double door insulated sound. The room was small
but comfortable. In addition to Steve's four-poster queen-size canopy bed, it
featured a highboy and space-conserving shelf tables, all with a distinctive
scallop shell design. It also had an armchair, a large closet (with terry
robes), gas fireplace, television with VCR/DVD player, alarm clock, phone, and
Wi-Fi access. High box windows on both sides of the bed provided light while
preserving privacy. One window box held wine glasses, flutes, and a corkscrew;
the other was packed with an eclectic assortment of books. Dark green and rose
floral wallpaper contrasted nicely with creamy white trim, and linens featured
the same colors in a bold plaid. Black iron hinges and latches on the door
enhanced the Colonial feel. The highlight of
the bath was a large, kidney-shaped hot tub in a cozy alcove with pierced-tin
lights and wall maps of Guadeloupe and St. Martin. The sunken tub, with steps
and a hand rail, was easy to enter and exit. (The only disadvantage is that the
tub runs constantly, so a slight smell of chlorine lingers in the room.) In
many historic properties we've visited, there is one heating system for the
whole building. Here, not only was there a thermostat in our room, there was a
separate thermostat in the bath. We took Steve up on
his invitation to check out the other rooms before they filled up on Saturday.
We loved the Pacific Suite. Its king-size bed features unusual cutouts in the
headboard and footboard, and a "see-through" gas fireplace can be
viewed from both the bedroom and the sitting room. Steve's woodworking
skills extend well beyond the inn. His furniture is in homes across the country
and in Japan and Italy. He recently crafted a pipe organ facade case for the
Wellesley Hills Congregational Church and two years ago built a console for the
pipe organ at Boston's Symphony Hall. Alexis Zachary White,
a guest from New Haven, admitted she was impressed with Steve's craftsmanship,
but said the best part of her stay at the Tolland Inn was the friendly
atmosphere. She and Jose Carrasquillo had sought a romantic getaway close to
home. It was their first time at a bed-and-breakfast. "I was not
disappointed," White said. "The inn was quaint, and Sue and Steve
were just so accommodating." Contact
Ellen Albanese at ealbanese@globe.com.
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Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company. 