From the first reply to my request to the moment we drove away, I felt welcomed by Norma and Jim. The description of the room was very accurate. But its even more relaxing and comfortable than the words describe. Even the photos don't tell you how inviting the hosts really are. It's more of a bed & breakfast feeling at Norma and Jim's. The neighborhood is nice. It looks like the neighbors really look forward to Spring gardening. The house is really close to the interstate and downtown, but still feels tucked away. They have plenty of off-street parking. Jim and Norma are so sweet and greeted like family. You can't fake that. Either you like people or you don't. The guest room has its own entrance and key. Its a uniquely made house with high ceilings. Because one side of the room is connected to the solarium, you have lots of light facing the side. There are blinds to close off all windows of light when you need them. There is a space to nap so you can save the bed for later. Lot's of interesting books and jazz cd's are stored there if you are looking for something to pass the time. The bathroom had a very nice shower. They provided many big, fluffy towels. I enjoyed sitting in the solarium by the unique indoor plants, like Japanese lantern maples. We appreciated the tea kettle and tea Norma provided. She even offered us delicious chocolate chip cookies to eat on the day we arrived. We were visiting Asheville to attend a concert, so we spent our down time at the house in the room. Norma and Jim prepared our room for sleeping by turning on the warm baseboard heat and closing the blinds. They even refreshed our tea service!
The morning we checked out, Norma and Jim had fruit, yogurt and croissants waiting on us. Then Jim made us cheesy omelettes. So delicious! Jim played a little jazz piano for us. Before pulling off, Norma gave me an Ikenbana lesson. And she shared her stories of her artistic life. By the way, all the artwork you see around the home is Norma's. They have a little puppy, Casper the dog. I'm not a dog person. But he was awfully cute. My husband planned this trip for me because I needed some relaxing time away. I was definitely soothed by how orderly and beautifully the house was arranged with such care. I will try to stay here as much as I can when visiting Asheville.