(Photo: Crooked River Inn Bed & Breakfast open for reservation | provided by the Crooked River Inn)
Crooked River Inn Bed & Breakfast is the newest edition to overnight stays in Prineville and will accept reservations starting June 1. Elizabeth Hendrix, owner and lead designer on the six month farm house conversion, says the building was, “pretty much gutted down to the studs and shiplap. Wherever possible, we kept the shiplap in order to preserve the character of the house, which was buried under at least twenty layers of wallpaper.”
Hendrix muses, “The same was true for the floors. After removing about two inches of old linoleum, we refinished what we could and added new hardwood where needed. I guess you could say we brought the house into this century by removing all the old knob and tube wiring, updating the plumbing, insulating the whole house and adding central air and heat. Then we put it back together, keeping a balance of the old look and feel while adding modern conveniences like a completely new and efficient kitchen, laundry and two comfortable guest suites.”
The first suite, a one bedroom with a sitting area and access to the upper outside porch contains a kitchenette and a bathroom. The second suite is a two bedroom which includes a large bedroom with a sitting area, a small bedroom, a kitchenette and a bathroom. Beds are made with bright white linens on comfortable featherbeds and the motif balances an old country farmhouse feel with modern luxury.
Preparing to debut Crooked River Inn to the community, Hendrix says, “I lived in the house during the whole process. Not having a kitchen for four months was really difficult and sketchy laundry and shower availability was a challenge. I learned to cover my bed every morning to keep the sheet rock dust out and fell into it every night tired to the bone. It was messy and exhausting- but the end result is well worth it.”
Recalling the difficulty of moving in furniture she recounts, “I would say the funniest and most frustrating thing that happened was discovering that much of the furniture wouldn’t fit through the doors and stairwell. When this house was built, there were no king and queen beds. We had to hoist beds with ropes up over the outside upper porch and remove the entire window and trim to get furniture into the office. All done in the middle of a snow storm.
“Having my family (I have five children and thirteen grandchildren) come and help and be part of it all has been a gift,” Hendrix reflects, “Everyone contributed in whatever ways they could and it has been a fun and interesting family project.”
Originally from a small town in Virginia, Hendrix says she came to Prineville this fall after many years in Juneau, Alaska where she had career in sales management for Blue Cross Blue Shield. The dream of opening a bed and breakfast is one she decided to pursue after her husband passed last summer. She looks forward to becoming more involved in the Prineville community and sees many parallels with Juneau in population, rodeos and other pleasantries.
Hendrix says her vision for Crooked River Inn is that every visitor feels like they are a guest in her home and to give them true southern hospitality. “We offer a hearty made from scratch country breakfast every morning featuring fresh eggs and seasonal homegrown vegetables, herbs, berries and fruits. Afternoon refreshments will be served and sack lunches are available upon request.
If our guests are interested, we can accommodate small gatherings of their friends and family in our garden.”
Crooked River Inn Bed & Breakfast
541-362-5988
www.crookedriverinn.com
marketing@crookedriverinn.com
