New bed and breakfasts offer the best of town and country.

The Seattle ferry seems larger than life as it glides by, filling the living room window of the Point White Bed and Breakfast on Rich Passage.

At the Inn at Winslow Corner, the attraction is less about view than location.

“You walk up the street to go shopping,” said Daniel Reisfeld, co-owner of the inn. “It’s wonderful to be in such a convenient spot.”

The bed and breakfasts are among several new lodging options on the island.

The Inn at Winslow Corner, which opened this January, is just steps from the ferry terminal; away from town, proprietor Linda Reed says Point White B&B is for visitors yearning for rest and island scenery.

City mouse

The Inn at Winslow Corner has all the modern conveniences, following a complete renovation of two former apartments above Island Ice Cream and Coffee.

Daniel Reisfeld and his wife Lynn Scullion Reisfeld took the lead on rejuvenating the space, which is co-owned by islanders Bruce and Judy Weiland.

The 100-year-old building has a lot of history; photos on the suite walls show it standing when Winslow Way had only a few structures.

During the year-long renovations, Daniel Reisfeld said, “we ran into people who know people who lived in those apartments. Everyone had a story to share.”

“And were excited about preserving this building,” Lynn said.

In the design, Lynn looked to “keep elements of the older building.”

The result are two smart, modern suites with a 1940s feel, from the old-fashioned tiled bathrooms to faux old-style black phones with push buttons.

The two-bedroom units, which sleep up to five each, are tastefully designed with puddling curtains with patterns of golden leaves in the living/dining area and contrasting wall colors. Double-paned windows shut out noise from the intersection outside.

The dining table seats six, with extensions to turn it into a roomier table for business meetings.

The kitchen with cherry-wood cabinets is fully equipped with refrigerator and modern appliances and offers coffee and tea in the cabinets. Beverages and goodies are also available downstairs at the cafe.

With Town & Country Market and many restaurants just down the street, it’s easy to stay in and cook, take out or eat out.

“It’s really a home away from home,” Daniel said. “Even staying a couple of months, you wouldn’t have to bring anything.”

The Reisfelds and their two children currently reside in California, but are building a house on the island. Lynn, a Seattle native, lived on Bainbridge in the 1970s. Her heart, she said, has always been in the area with family and friends.

“I promised we’d someday have a home here,” Daniel said. “It’s a real gem.”

Country mouse

Through the open front door of Point White Bed and Breakfast, the blue water of Rich Passage is the first thing you see.

For the owner, that was the selling point.

“I walked through the gate and saw straight through to the water and fell in love with the house,” Linda Reed said.

A southeast-facing floor-to-ceiling picture window lights the dining room exactly opposite the front door.

Waters shimmer like minnows near the pebbled beach two floors below. All three rooms open onto decks along the upper and lower floors.

Reed bought the house four years ago when she retired, to be closer to her daughter in Poulsbo. During 20-plus years in the computer industry, she stayed at B&Bs for company and personal trips and dreamed of opening one of her own.

She likes the establishments for their “little touches.”

“I like to find surprises by putting things in nooks and crannies,” she said.

Art by area artists such as Debbie Fecher, Elizabeth Smith, Lugene Whitley and Little and Lewis fill the three-bedroom home.

“I love to surround myself with beautiful things and share it with people,” Reed said. “What I like to do is find up-and-coming artists and support them.”

The master room features an armoire designed by Bob Ruch of Bainbridge and Chris Braund, based on Reed’s concepts of “mountain, water, moonrise.” Like a broad paint stroke, a swath of blond wood cuts across the doors of the armoire from northwest to southeast and round discs of wood rise on its side panels.

Reed was negotiating for a house in Ohio to turn into a B&B when she realized that she already had everything she wanted – mountain, water, city – on Bainbridge Island. Selling her home in Denver, she moved to the island full-time and opened her lodging in March.

Sharing wine and cheese with guests back from a Seattle shopping trip are what Reed enjoys.

“I hope they will find the environment so relaxing and such a sense of convivality that they’ll come back,” she said.

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Inn fashion

The Inn at Winslow Corner is at 580 Winslow Way East. Rates are $185 a night, $995 a week or $2,795 a month plus tax. Contact Bainbridge Vacation Rentals at 780-0907 or see www.innatwinslowcorner.com.

Point White Bed and Breakfast is located at 3240 Point White Drive near Crystal Springs. Rates are $125-$165 per night plus tax. Contact Linda Reed at 855-8359 or lindaj.reed@comcast.net.