Book The Artist's Garret On AirBNB
Abstracted from an article Welcoming Guests From Traditional to Unconventional Accommodations in Outreach NC in February 2016 written by Jonathan Scott, with photographs by Diana Matthews
Most travelers in Colonial America had to rely on
local folks they found along the way who would rent them a room for the night
and possibly share a meal. In fact, it wasn’t until there were railroads and,
later, interstate highways crisscrossing the nation, that lodging for travelers
became a commercial industry. However, in one of those swings of the cultural
pendulum, a new “old” trend began to blossom in the 1980s and 90s, with the
rising popularity of bed and breakfast inns, what we now usually call B&Bs.
...
Northeast of Pinehurst in Chatham County lies Pittsboro’s Fearrington Village. That’s where Forrest Greenslade, a former molecular biologist with a stint at the Atomic Energy Commission, and his wife, Carol-Ann, bought their quaint retirement home in this picturesque neighborhood in 2000
The home’s original owner had built a garage with
a600-square-foot apartment above…
When the couple took over the property, they used the garage
apartment as a studio for Greenslade’s new interests: writing, sculpting and
painting. He was determined not to let things like heart attacks and retirement
slow down his thirst for learning and creativity.
Greenslade is the sort of person who likes new ideas, so he
and Carol-Ann wondered if they might be able to make a little extra money by
turning Greenslade’s art studio into an Airbnb. The venture, however, required
some work. “There was paint everywhere,” Greenslade says. “All over the walls
and
Calling their home a gallery is nearly an understatement.
When Airbnb guests arrive to stay at what the Greenslades call “The Artist’s
Garret,” they are inevitably taken on a tour of the main house where virtually
every inch of wall space is taken up with the prodigious output of Greenslade’s
colorful and varied two-dimensional art. His works outside include almost
uncountable original sculptures made from concrete and metal. The side yard
garden that the couple designed is a work of art itself, with a path that
meanders past a gurgling pond, flowers, shrubs
and unexpected, delightful sculptures of all sorts. The
passion that went into each creation permeates the entire ambiance and is
unavoidably contagious. “Most of the people who stay with us have come to
Fearrington for some sort of family reason: a wedding, a graduation at UNC,
care of an older parent or even the last days of someone in the supportive
living facility at Galloway Ridge,” Greenslade says. Some guests leave having
purchased one of Greenslade’s paintings or sculptures.
Staying at the Artist’s Garret was the first Airbnb
experience for Nancy and George Soldatow of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their
daughter lived in the area, and they were scouting the area for possible
relocation. “Location was the primary factor,” says Nancy Soldatow. “But we
definitely were charmed by the details about the apartment. I think it takes a
special kind of person to host an Airbnb—a real people person who enjoys
sharing his or her neighborhood with others, a community booster.”
