^ vintage spaces
LEFT: Many of the inn’s original features, from the woodwork to the ornate designs on the front doorknob, can still be found. RIGHT: An original gramophone sits in the front parlor at the inn. German inventor Emile Berliner developed the device in 1887, only a year before the house that would eventually become the Inn at 425 was built.
The two men dove into their work, knowing that every detail had to appear as near to the original as possible. They employed the help of a local carpenter, Anthony Bartlomi, who was instrumental in adhering to that need, Zweifler says. “We met (Bartlomi) a couple of weeks after we bought the house,” Zweifler explains. “We decided we were going to make the third floor our private space, and we created it to get away from the restoration. He’s the one who restored the (main) staircase and built the deck.” But the association created another dynamic. “When you know one person for so long, you begin to complete each other’s sentences, you understand the person’s design aesthetic. Now, it’s like working with the other half of your own brain,” Zweifler laughs. “People who are together long enough start to act and sound alike, and people mistake him for my brother all of the time.” DETAILS LOVINGLY PRESERVED From the moment visitors step into the main entryway, the attention to detail is stunningly evident. The doorknobs on the front door feature a wo- ven bamboo design, while the green-tiled fireplace mantle exudes a colorful warmth. To the left is the parlor, where guests may relax and browse one of the photo albums documenting the inn’s restoration in photographs, or a coffee table book on Kansas City’s history. In front of the parlor window
sits an old Victrola, a gift from a longtime friend. To the left of the entryway is the dining room, its focal point a large crystal chandelier that hangs over the table where guests may enjoy breakfast prepared by Zweifler or one of his friends. Guests may choose from one of four different rooms, each with its own different look and accents. The Carriage House, surrounded by an award-winning garden, boasts a two-bedroom suite, a gathering room, a kitchenette, and a shared bathroom with a large, tiled shower. In the main house, on the second floor, the “Roomwith a View” over- looks Gladstone Boulevard. The room is decorated with a queen-sized bed, as well as a variety of boutique furniture and antiques accumulated over Zweifler’s lifetime as a collector. The room includes a private bathroom. The inn’s website describes the “Rose Room” as akin to “a trip to the English countryside,” complete with a canopy bed, lace curtains, and a screened-in sun porch. Zweifler says guests can leave the door lead- ing to the sun porch open on a quiet night and listen to the babbling fountain in the garden below. One of the more notable features of this room is the original 1888 bathroom, which includes a marble sink and the home’s original claw-foot bathtub. The last room, “Emeline’s Room,” is an homage to the original matriarch of the house. Decorated with plenty of Victorian style, the room includes an adjoining bath.
16 VINTAGEKC SUMMER 2017
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