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Dragon Dreams at Oak Ridge Bed and Breakfast |
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For Marilyn and Don Breese, the proud new owners of the Oak Ridge Bed and Breakfast, dreams do come true. They spent more than a decade nurturing the idea of owning a bed and breakfast inn, a place where they could provide a charming, comfortable home away from home for travelers and visitors. After searching in Colorado, West Virginia, Maine, and the North Carolina mountains, they found themselves in Oak Ridge, where a licensed bed and breakfast was available for purchase. “I guess this was meant to be,” says Marilyn “because it all fell into place so beautifully.”
The bed and breakfast located on Oak Ridge Road represented roughly 90 percent of what the Breeses had in mind when they developed their dream. Though they originally thought they wanted more land around their B&B, they found that the three-acre property in the Oak Ridge Historic District held tremendous appeal. The establishment had served as a licensed B&B, which met a portion of their selection requirements. Since purchasing the property, the Breeses have devoted a great deal of time and effort to creating a special atmosphere for their guests.
“The first rule of buying a B&B is to buy one that already exists,” says Marilyn, “so you don’t have to furnish and paint. We ignored that second part.” The dedicated bibliophile had the former dining room converted into a library with built-in bookcases to hold her delightfully eclectic collection of mysteries, fiction, science fiction, and romance novels, as well as biographies, travel portfolios, and business related volumes. The walls in the living room and dining room have been painted in warm, welcoming colors that accent the hardwood floors. Marilyn has found working with local craftspeople to be such a pleasurable experience that she and husband Donald, a retired landscaping business owner, recently held a thank you party for the workers who helped them manifest their dream.
Formerly of New York, where she owned and operated a business designing and implementing pension plans, Marilyn has carried her love of books upstairs to the guest rooms. The Anne McCaffrey Room was influenced by her fondness for the Dragonriders of Pern books, and holds a collection of dragon and fantasy figures from all over the world. The décor of the second guest room was heavily influenced by the writings of Tony Hillerman, another favorite author. The American southwest flavor of this room includes hand-detailed surface treatments on the walls and artifacts collected during the Breeses’ travels throughout the country. The third room, when complete, will celebrate cats and the works of cat-loving authors such as Lillian Jackson Braun and Rita Mae Brown.
After two years of traversing the United States and Mexico in their motor home, complete with Harvey the dog and Cody the cat, the Breeses invited Donald’s 90-year-old stepmother, Nora, to share their dream in Oak Ridge. While their guests enjoy the luxurious rooms upstairs, the Breeses live in the spacious owners’ quarters, which Marilyn had renovated to make room for her quilting workshop.
In the future, she hopes to offer quilting workshops and weekends at the B&B, as well as mother/daughter overnights, and financial planning seminars. Marilyn is a certified financial planner and former stockbroker, and hopes to share her knowledge and skills in these areas. In the meantime, she will be quite busy completing the cat room and adding the finishing touches to the house, as well as overseeing the completion of the Hidden Meadow. A gazebo is planned, along with a sheltered picnic area, and will provide a lovely setting for weddings, family reunions, and corporate events.
As the final details are being taken care of, Marilyn is looking forward to welcoming guests, quilting, and gardening. She also appreciates the fact that daughter Stacey lives nearby in Stokesdale, with husband Craig Panchyshyn and 14-month-old grandson, Adam. Other children and grandchildren live in Guam, Connecticut, and California. The Breeses are anticipating a visit from more family in November.
The Breeses have found that the community of Oak Ridge has been encouraging and supportive of their efforts. “Everybody here has been just terrific,” Marilyn says. “We’re looking forward to being good community members.” Eventually, she hopes to open the house library to residents as well as guests.
An official Open House will be held on July 27, from 3 to 9 p.m.
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The above article appeared in the July 17, 2002 issue of the
Northwest Observer, the local news and information source
for northwest Guilford County |
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