story by GLENDA WINDERS
The hospitality that John and Karen Newton exude at their Prairie Guest House in Fishers is matched only by the ingenuity and creativity they exerted in turning a B&B, that was empty for two-and-a-half years, into one of the top-ranked places to stay in the Indianapolis area.
“We like people and we like to hear their stories,” John said. “We want them to be comfortable while they are here, like they are at home or at their fun cousin’s house.”
The couple met when John, an Indianapolis native, was running the Indy Hostel in the city. Karen, who was living north of Chicago in Lake Bluff, was visiting a friend when they attended a house concert at the hostel. John recalls that when he met her, he thought, “I might like her.”
They married in 2009 and for the next seven years operated the hostel together. When they discovered an abandoned bed and breakfast property in the Fishers area, it seemed perfect for the next step they wanted to take. “The feeling was it found us,” said Karen.
The brick pre-Civil War-era house was built as a home by one of the area’s first attorneys, Fabius Finch, in 1852. Two women, who later operated the home as a bed and breakfast, added a second building and made other changes.
“We saw that it had good bones,” Karen said, and it had a lot more, too. Through the years, left behind were pieces such as the Regency furniture, light fixtures, and gilt mirrors purchased when the Atkinson Hotel went out of business. Also in the dining room, you’ll find the board of directors’ table and tearoom chairs from L.S. Ayres department store in downtown Indy.
When the couple arrived, ivy had overgrown the main entrance and crept under the doors and onto the hardwood floors inside. Wind rattled around the windows, and every corner was in need of an overhaul. They resurfaced floors, installed new HVAC and appliances, painted, upgraded plumbing and electricity systems, and replaced doors and windows throughout.
John said his work with the hostel prepared him for what he is doing now.
“I learned how to make people feel comfortable, recruit rockstars, and provide good customer service,” he said. Karen gets all the credit for the warm, comfortable vibe and the well-appointed décor. Her management talents help to keep everyone on the same page. She is also an organizing expert with an eye for detail and the ability to create magic on a budget, she knew exactly what to do.
Working with her friend Carol Vernick, Karen used wallpaper to fashion “destination walls” in rooms that lacked interest, using designs that complemented wall coverings already there. She put up an elegant gold paper in the foyer of the guest house to go with the existing stripes and added a dramatic print of flowers and vines to the dining room and staircase in the other.
She papered behind a cabinet filled with glassware with a leftover piece to add dimension.
She enlisted Carol’s help to reupholster and bring new life to worn-out pieces. In one room she cut down two tables and upholstered the tops to make benches that sit at the ends of the beds. Chairs and stools throughout are colorful and bright, thanks to her touch. She learned to refinish furniture and did a lot of that, too, although in some cases she decided to leave the pieces’ patina in order to express their history.
She has taken castoffs and turned them into enviable pieces of décor. When a friend’s mother to whom Karen was close passed, the friend offered her the antique bench that graces one bedroom as a memento. In a bedroom with no headboards, two paintings for $10 each that she found at a garage sale now provide that illusion. Doors found in the barn became headboards in other rooms. A baby’s crib transformed into a daybed.
Travelers who stayed with them donated two French Provincial chairs that have become favorites for bridal photos. With the capacity to sleep up to 26 people, they frequently host wedding parties. The honeymoon suite with large garden tub takes up an entire second floor, and high hooks for long dresses and full-length mirrors abound.
Beyond the two houses, what was once a 2.5-car garage now houses a mirrored studio where the light and sparkling decor lends wonderfully to a bridal studio. There are seven nearby wedding venues, so brides often book the studio to relax with celebratory drinks while getting their hair and makeup done. The studio also hosts yoga retreats, birthday parties, celebrations of life, and even small weddings and showers as well. And what to do with the well seasoned barn with the peeling paint? They hired Aly Kirkham to create a lively floral mural on the side that visitors see when they turn into the driveway.
One of the Prairie Guest House’s greatest assets is its proximity to what visitors come here to do. They are across the street from Conner Prairie, just 16 miles from downtown Indianapolis, and close to the Ruoff Music Center, the Fishers Event Center, and the Payne and Mencias Palladium in Carmel along with the shopping and dining available there. Golf is always an option since Hamilton County is known as a “Midwest golf mecca.”
The couple and their cat, Fiona, live on the property, so they are available if issues arise, although John makes sure this doesn’t happen. They welcome families with children, and for disabled guests there is an accessible suite on the first floor. The Prairie Guest House offers ten bedrooms, each with private bath, for individual travelers; or groups can rent the entire house.
Besides looking after the property, John is also the chef who rustles up the gourmet breakfasts and healthy alternatives each morning.
“No one knows better how to love and nourish people than John,” Karen said. They look forward to hosting you soon.
For more information visit: www.prairieguesthouse.com
