Diane Catoe
Climbing the stairs to the bed and breakfast
on the third floor of an old family home, I have no idea what a delightful
treat awaits me. My first glimpse of the guest quarters is followed by
an exclamation of approval and knowing appreciation. The residence was
built in the late nineteenth century with rough hewn logs from Heart Forest
pine trees. In 1921, the parents of Roy Catoe, current owner and husband
of innkeeper Dianne Catoe, purchased the three-story home. For the next
forty years, the Catoes reared their twelve children in the old home
place. Roy, the youngest of the children, was born on the premises in 1943.
He’s lived in the house since that time and says he’s just moved “from
room to room.”
Always mindful of artistic talent, creativity, and conscientious attention-to-details,
I’m enthused with Dianne’s abilities and the charming effects of her interior
decorating. Her ambit of talents and abilities amazes me.
HomePlace offers three guest rooms with private baths. Consider requesting
the Granny Catoe Room if you’re traveling alone, the Rose Room if traveling
with children (please check with Dianne in advance), and the Magnolia Room
if you’re on a romantic getaway or celebrating a special occasion.
An elegant and
spacious room, the Magnolia Room, my favorite, features a mahogany Queen
Anne bed covered with an elegant lace canopy made by Dianne. The four-poster
bed is adorned with a matching lace-edged quilt, shams, dust ruffle, and
assorted pillows. The room’s furnishings include a desk, an antique dresser,
and a conversational grouping consisting of two chairs and a table. A decorative
border, stenciled by Dianne, completes the room in high style. Adjoining
the Magnolia Room is a proportionately large bathroom with a garden tub.
As in each bath, personalized toiletries are graciously provided.
Guests have easy access to a kitchen and sitting room down the hall
from the guest bedrooms. Each night a plate of goodies, freshly
baked by Dianne, tempt guests at bedtime.
Not only is Dianne a gifted artist, she’s also an excellent cook. My
breakfast consists of orange juice, coffee, fresh fruit, homemade blueberry
pancakes (made with blueberries grown on the Catoes’ farm).
The happy breakfast nook, flood- ed in the mornings with shimmering
sunlight, is difficult to leave even after the food is gone.
A bright red table cloth covers a round, country-style table; matching
cushions pad the oak, ladder-back chairs. A delightful centerpiece, composed
of porcelain watermelon, supplements the cheerful motif; a red-and-white
gingham window treatment adds even more. However, I’m the most enthralled
with the border, intricately stenciled by Dianne, on the walls which match
her breakfast china. A corner, oak china cabinet displays additional pieces
of her china—it further enhances the border, and the border effectively
augments the china.
At HomePlace, the outdoors calls quickly. Whether the weather permits
a swim in the pool or suggests a hike through the woods, there’s no excuse
for boredom during a visit at HomePlace. Located in South Carolina’s “Old
English country,” fourteen miles east of Lancaster, the Southern
style farmhouse sits in a bucolic setting surrounded by several acres of
woods, ponds, pas tures, gardens.
For those who enjoy fishing, two two ponds are stocked
with bass and brim. However, I prefer feeding the ducks! I once read
that the secret to success can be learned from these adorable creatures:
“stay cool and calm on top; paddle like crazy beneath.” I find their
secret challenging.
Before leaving, I look for the cows, but they’re out to pasture.
I vow to return to HomePlace before I “go out to pasture”—while I can still
swing from the old tire hanging from a tree overlooking the pond. Maybe,
by then, I can teach the ducks a few things!
NOTE: Reviewed in the Fall 1998 issue of The INNside Scoop by Maxine Pinson.
Copyrighted 1998.
AT-A-GLANCE INFO
INN: The HomePlace; LOCATION: 7096 Pageland Hwy.--Lancaster,SC; TEL: 1-800-249-7773;
E-mail: rcatoe@infoave.net; ACCOMMODATIONS:
3 guest rooms w/private baths; BREAKFAST: Full gourmet; RATES: $45-$60;
CREDIT CARDS: Visa & Mastercard; RECOMMENDED RESTAURANTS: ; WEB SITE:
www.lancasternet.com/homeplace
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