Piper Street Inn
October, 2009
Rating:
10 out of 10
Tariff : Lodging
for 2
Location/Atmosphere
As you walk up the path to The Piper
Street Inn you may meet a friendly grey and white cat curled
up on the front porch chair. This lovely Victorian style
home, built in 1882, is owned by photographer and artist
Marian Murphy. Centrally located in walking distance of the
Healdsburg town square and all of its shops and restaurants,
it is a great location for a B&B. Once inside you'll see
what Marian's artistic vision and eye for decorating has
yielded. An avid collector, she frequents yard sales early
Saturday mornings, calling them "a treasure hunt."
And she
makes amazing finds. Every wall, every nook and cranny, and
even the garden is decorated in amazing detail. The
individual pieces are truly an eclectic lot, but the overall
effect of the home's decoration is just wonderful-- a feast
for the eyes. There are photographs, paintings, unique ink
creations on yupo paper, a colorful collection of antique
plates, a gorgeous handmade quilt, and so on. The
collections and arrangements grew over time in an organic
way, which is just the way Marian thinks it should be.
Marian has been in Healdsburg for 21
years now, after bouncing back and forth between the coasts
in her previous life. Sixteen years ago she got a B&B
license and has run the Piper Street Inn ever since.
Sometimes in winter she rents the cottage, closes the Inn,
and takes time for travel and her latest art projects. As
for the town, she loves it and says it was one of those
simple twists of fate that she found just this house in just
this location in just this town. Healdsburg residents
are nice and there is a feeling of being connected,
according to Marian. It's only in the last 10 years that the
town started to become more of a true wine destination. The
Healdsburg Hotel was a big addition to the square. The city
had old fashioned street lights installed and had shops put
up awnings. More wineries opened tasting rooms downtown and
upscale restaurants began to arrive--voila!
Rooms
Inside, the front hallway leads to
the living room and just off the living room is the house's
one guest bedroom, aptly named The Mirror Suite. This room
has a luxurious queen sized bed with giant comforter and
extra pillows. It is decorated with antiques and artwork.
Next to the bedroom is a tiny sitting room with couch and t.v. Through that room is a large light-filled
bathroom with a large soaking tub and many decorative
touches. The collection of mirrors in this suite is just
beautiful: from antique to deco, large to tiny.
The mirrors are not the first things you notice, so the
scheme is not overwhelming by any means.
Back in the living area of the
house, continue past oriental carpets, a freestanding wood
stove, thriving plants and more antiques and works of art into
the old fashioned kitchen with its working white
enamel stove, and out on to the back porch. There you have a
perfect view down onto the loveliest backyard garden.
Winding paths thread their way between clumps of flowers,
plants, ornaments, outdoor seating and fountains. A
cottage is nestled in the garden and, while it was once
Marian's photographic studio, it is now a complete private
apartment for guests of the B&B.
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French doors lead from the garden
into the cottage's high ceilinged main room with sitting
area, fireplace, and queen sized bed. An intricately carved
wood folding screen from India stands at the head of the bed. To
one side of this room is a bathroom with two person
whirlpool tub below a hand painted tile wall mural of giant
sunflowers. To the other side of the room is a hall to a
sitting area, window seat and efficiency kitchen, and
storage.
Hospitality and Amenities
Both rooms are suites and have
bathing supplies as well as t.v. with cable and a video
collection. The use of the house, porches, and garden is
open to guests. The continental breakfast is offered at a
downtown coffee shop called The Flying Goat!
You can call or
email for reservations; cash or checks are expected in
payment.
As for the inn's host, Marion is a
fascinating woman and very willing to share information
about her town, her home, her life. As she talked to
us out on the back porch she introduced to the Inn's
'concierge' hanging on the wall behind her--the bust of a sexy
lady wrapped in a feather boa!
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Marion and her concierge |
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Yet she has a clear sense of
when visitors don't need much help or advice or want some
private time. One more nice thing about The Piper Street
Inn: it is child and pet friendly.
Piper Street Inn
412 Piper Street
Healdsburg, CA 95448
707-433-8721 |
