Common Areas

[Innkeeper To Go]

Since we built we were able to make a good amount of common space. It's harder for those with historical homes. We have a sitting room, library, half bath, octagon entry, tasting room and back deck. Some have said that we are wasting space and should make the front rooms (sitting room and library) bedrooms but I don't agree. I like to have lots of common space.
Riki.

I sit here saying - I wish.......... The house that seemed sooo BIG when we bought it has shrunk. No room!!!
.

I sit here saying - I wish.......... The house that seemed sooo BIG when we bought it has shrunk. No room!!!

and then they will walk into your areas anyway! blast it!

I have had a good run, they will be okay, it is one of those things like in the Pocono NASCAR race last night. One driver had to man-up for the other driver to realize he needs to back off. I set this guy straight here and marched right into his "space" when I addressed him. I do believe...he knew he made a mistake after that.
Someone BUY ME! I AM FOR SaLE! See the fun that can be all yours!
.

Years ago now, DH was talking to a guest and went into his area to get someting to show him - and turned around to find he had just followed him in to our area (which is a disaster (worse than my Library) of paintings, paintings in progress, muz zle loa ders in various stages of completion (at that time), and DH toys and books all over.....)! Same guest would come perch in the kitchen as I made breakfast each morning. I was guaranteed to break at least 3 Fos toria goblets every time that man stayed here.
.

We've had guests follow us into our bedroom. If I realize they are doing that, I stop, turn around and say again, 'I will be right back. Please have a seat.'
Funny thing is, they don't even seem to care. Not a one has ever walked in, seen the bed and said, 'Oh, excuse me,' and gone away!
We have NO private space according to some guests. The WHOLE building is on display.
.

Funny thing is, they don't even seem to care. Not a one has ever walked in, seen the bed and said, 'Oh, excuse me,' and gone away!

That's really the most amazing part to me. I keep expecting that the poor confused guest will be mortified when they realize what they've done.
But no.

 

[Joey Camb]

We have a largish lounge on the ground floor and a 24 seater breakfast room in the basement but that's it for common areas. it is very rare that people sit in the lounge except to use the wi-fi. The only time people have nearly followed me into my quaters is for irons I have nipped through the door but I just turn round and say I'll be right back with it and that usually holds them.

 

[Morticia]

Since we built we were able to make a good amount of common space. It's harder for those with historical homes. We have a sitting room, library, half bath, octagon entry, tasting room and back deck. Some have said that we are wasting space and should make the front rooms (sitting room and library) bedrooms but I don't agree. I like to have lots of common space.
Riki.

I sit here saying - I wish.......... The house that seemed sooo BIG when we bought it has shrunk. No room!!!
.

I sit here saying - I wish.......... The house that seemed sooo BIG when we bought it has shrunk. No room!!!

and then they will walk into your areas anyway! blast it!

I have had a good run, they will be okay, it is one of those things like in the Pocono NASCAR race last night. One driver had to man-up for the other driver to realize he needs to back off. I set this guy straight here and marched right into his "space" when I addressed him. I do believe...he knew he made a mistake after that.
Someone BUY ME! I AM FOR SaLE! See the fun that can be all yours!
.

Years ago now, DH was talking to a guest and went into his area to get someting to show him - and turned around to find he had just followed him in to our area (which is a disaster (worse than my Library) of paintings, paintings in progress, muz zle loa ders in various stages of completion (at that time), and DH toys and books all over.....)! Same guest would come perch in the kitchen as I made breakfast each morning. I was guaranteed to break at least 3 Fos toria goblets every time that man stayed here.
.

We've had guests follow us into our bedroom. If I realize they are doing that, I stop, turn around and say again, 'I will be right back. Please have a seat.'
Funny thing is, they don't even seem to care. Not a one has ever walked in, seen the bed and said, 'Oh, excuse me,' and gone away!
We have NO private space according to some guests. The WHOLE building is on display.
.

Funny thing is, they don't even seem to care. Not a one has ever walked in, seen the bed and said, 'Oh, excuse me,' and gone away!

That's really the most amazing part to me. I keep expecting that the poor confused guest will be mortified when they realize what they've done.
But no.
.

I think THEY are probably thinking, 'Why did they tell me to follow them into their bedroom?' I doubt any of them think they made the mistake of following when they were told, 'I'll be right back.'
The worst is when I'm IN bed and I hear Gomez say, 'Let me go check on that,' and I panic that someone is going to follow him!
Even our guests who have stayed 50 nights have never come down the hallway where our space is. (They will YELL down the hallway for us, but they don't come and knock on our door!) But others just tag along.

 

[Samster]

That one B&B we stayed at in Savannah had this entire empty ballroom as guest space. A couch and desk at one end and the dining table a mile away at the other! It was so cold and unwelcoming, it was better to sit in the hallway upstairs! (Seriously, it was a mile from one end of the room to the other...perfect for a big dance with hoopskirts, but nothing else. It was not hard to picture Scarlett descending the stairs into that space! Marble floors and all.).

Interesting, the ball room was downstairs? One antebellem home I toured in GA had the ball room on the 3rd floor. Yes, it was huge as well. I was amazed over the very open floor space. They were unable to show it to more than 10 people at a time because there was only one staircase to the 3rd floor.
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I think you're right about most Southern Mansions having ballrooms on upper floors. My great Aunt's home had a 3rd floor ballroom. The music conservatory was on the first floor.

 

[Marianne]

We have a large great room as a common area for guests it is open concept close to the dining room. Our guests like to sit by the fire and enjoy their morning coffee in the am
It has a fireplace, lots of wing backs, no tv
the guest rooms have their own tv. We have our own private livingroom off our bedroom
we also have our own entrance to our part of the house.
We have a screened gazebo on the deck for the guests use,and lots of outdoor area hammock swing chair etc. I myself prefer a B&B with a nice common area
I have stayed at B&B's with no common area but they had wonderful suites with livingrooms