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impressive entrance hallwelcome guests to this grand1897 Colonial Revival-style inn.

PPAT AND KIRK HORSTMAN HAVE ALWAYS LOVED STAYINGAT BED-AND-BREAKFASTS, SPENDING A WEEKEND IN A HOUSE WITHCHARACTER AND MEETING INTERESTING INNKEEPERS AND GUESTS. Afterretiring from busy corporate jobs in eastern Pennsylvania—but not wanting to get bored—they hit on the idea of opening their own B&B, and quickly began searching the mid-Atlanticregion for exactly the right property.

B & B StyleTransforming a Historic Inn

� BY MEREDITH ERICKSEN OF TUSCAN BLUE DESIGN

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARY KATE MCKENNA PHOTOGRAPHY

“We approached the hunt as ageographical puzzle,” says KirkHorstman. “After all, everybodyknows investing in real estate is allabout location, location, location.We hoped to find an existing B&Bthat was both viable and available,so we planned vacation tripsaround central Maryland and theEastern Shore. We saw a lot of

gorgeous scenery and stayed at anumber of beautiful inns over thecourse of a few years.”During their travels, one of the

places that impressed theHorstmans the most was Frederick.“I absolutely love DowntownFrederick,” says Pat Horstman.“Love the people, love the area.”Her husband agrees: “It was the first

place I had ever been that actuallylived up to the glossy brochuresdistributed by the tourism council.Downtown was bustling, and theshops and restaurants were great.We met lots of friendly folks.”The couple was looking for a

large B&B, not only with manybedrooms and baths, but alsowith space for guests to host

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parties and events. They foundwhat they were looking for inBuckeystown. “We stumbled acrossthe perfect inn on a lark, and I wasalmost instantly smitten,” says KirkHorstman. “Not only was the 1897Colonial Revival home anarchitectural wonder, but thesetting was magnificent. Althoughit needed a lot of work, we knewthis was the place for us.”That was the beginning of The

Frederick Inn. Before opening theirdoors to guests, however, theHostmans realized that the B&Bneeded a top-to-bottom renovation.Kirk Horstman remembers hisinitial thoughts about interiordesign in fall of last year: “I justassumed we would spend a fewweekends shopping at used

furniture stores and flea markets,and then cobble together the roomsusing a combination of old andnew pieces. It took only one trip tothe antique mall to realize that wecould shop forever without findingitems that suited our wants andneeds, not to mention our budget.”Pat Horstman had other ideas.

She wanted the inn to be fresh andup to date, while still maintainingan authentic feel. She wanted newcolor schemes and textures. Shewanted the rooms to be functionaland to flow properly. She knew sheneeded professional guidance. “Ihad a vision for the inn,” sheexplains, “and I knew I did nothave the skill set to accomplishwhat I wanted. I knew I neededexpert professional help, and I was

extremely lucky to find TuscanBlue Design.”

DESIGNING A PLANFast forward a few months. TuscanBlue Design was easing thecouple’s concerns by providing acomplete design plan for the inn’sfive guest suites, seven bathroomsand public spaces. We collaboratedwith the Horstmans on everything

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In Suite Four, soft gray-green walls create a backdrop for the charmingarchitectural details—an original fireplace, large dentil molding, and thevintage chandelier.

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from the initial design concept toall interior selections, fromworking side-by side with thegeneral contractor during months

of construction to the installationof all furnishings, windowtreatments, art and accessories. Our initial design concept grew

out of many conversations with theHorstmans about their vision forthe inn. Pat Horstman used wordssuch as “comfy, welcoming andtidy” and was drawn to all the

beautiful Victorian details in thehistoric home. In the end wedecided on a fresh and modernapproach for the spaces paired with

the authentic Victorian interiorarchitectural elements.

THE DETAILSAfter settling on an overall designconcept for the inn, we beganwhere we begin every project—with detailed scale drawings andlayouts. The design drawings

helped the Horstmans move to thenext step—how they were actuallygoing to use spaces in the inn. TheFrederick Inn has a center hallfloor plan with four spaciousparlors on the first floor and fiveguest suites on the second floor.We designed the layout for eachspace based on specific input fromthe couple—including trulycomfortable chairs, ottomans toput your feet up on, nice-lookingbut sturdy fabrics and goodlighting for reading. With the finalized layouts in hand,

we began selecting furnishing andfabrics for all the rooms. Workingwith an old home always proves to bea bit of a challenge. Every room has itsown unique configuration anddimensions—including workingaround vintage radiators. The

Hex tiles, new and original, set the style for the five remodeled in-suite bathrooms, part of Pat Horstman’s vision of aninn that would be “comfy, welcoming and tidy.”

“WE STUMBLED ACROSS THEPERFECT INN ON A LARK, AND I WASALMOST INSTANTLY SMITTEN.”

—Kirk Horstman

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The main sitting room is accented in tones of blue and provides plenty of comfortable seating for guests to relax or chatwith other visitors at the inn.

furniture needed to be precisely thesize we specified on the plans. Therewas not much wiggle room. The initial color palette set the

tone for selecting fabrics forfurnishings and window treatments.The budget and availability of thepieces were always on our mind aswe worked our way through thedesign phase. It was an intensiveprocess, but in the end PatHorstman appreciated how wepresented the information andmade it easier to make decisions bynarrowing down the choices.

PHASING INOur plan divided the design-renovation of the inn's interiorinto phases. During the winter, thebuilding was a buzz of activity.

First, we focused on the design ofspaces that needed the mostconstruction: renovating sevenbathrooms and the main publicrooms. The bathroom designproved to be a challenge—

updating odd-shaped spaces with aclean and tidy look, while stayingwithin the budget. We met thechallenge, and in the end settledon a crisp, white color palette forthe baths. We selected budget-friendly ceramic subway tiles,splurged a bit with frameless glass

shower doors and added lovelyvintage details with pedestal sinks,chrome faucets and lighting. While painters began removing

layers of wallpaper and repairing oldplaster, we were busy creating a color

palette for the rest of the inn’s spaces:delicate blues, greens and grays,paired with a soft linen white for thetrim. With the new color paletteintegrated into the spaces, PatHorstman recalls the day she had an“ah-ha moment” regarding the design.“I clearly remember a day when all

IT WAS EXCITING TO SEE THEORIGINAL INTERIOR ARCHITECTURALELEMENTS BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE.

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the rooms were painted, and we wentto a design meeting. That was themoment I thought, ‘I get it and I loveit.’ As all the elements came together,I thought back to our first designdiscussion, where I said I wanted awarm welcoming, comfy feel to theplace, where the rooms flowed fromone to another. That’s exactly whatwas achieved.”As the renovation progressed, it

was exciting to see the originalinterior architectural elementsbrought back to life: lovely millwork,large dentil molding in the foyer, tallbaseboards and an impressivechestnut staircase. Warm pine floorsglowed again after years of beinghidden by carpeting. Magnificentoriginal pocket doors in the parlorsare back to working order and the

vintage keys still lock them. Originalsash windows now open and closewith ease. It was a true delight towatch the transformation of thisgrand beauty into a comfortable,modern space that still retains itsauthentic charm.

OPEN HOUSE“In the end, The Frederick Innturned out to be a collaborativeeffort between Tuscan Blue Designand ourselves,” says KirkHorstman. “We are very pleasedwith the results. We think ourguests will agree.”The Frederick Inn is just about

ready to welcome guests, and theHorstmans are having an open houseon July 25 to show off its newlypolished splendor to their new

neighbors throughout the region. “Iam very excited as openingapproaches. I feel very comfortableand happy to show this beautiful placeto our guests,” Pat Horstman raves. “Ilook forward to having people comeand enjoy this beautiful home andexplore the entire community—fromDowntown Frederick to beautiful,rural Buckeystown.”

Frederick Inn3521 Buckeystown PikeBuckeystown240-341-2902www.frederickinn.com

Tuscan Blue Design147 W. Patrick St.301-620-0500www.tuscanbluedesign.com

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A glimpse into Suite One offers a hint of coastal style and colors. “We are very pleased with the results,” says KirkHorstman. “We think our guests will agree.”