Privacy, elegance in North Adams

Breakfast is elegant in the sunny dining room at Blackminton Manor, the 1832 mansion built by a North Adams mill owner. (NECEE REGIS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE)

NORTH ADAMS - I have to hand it to Sanford Blackinton; the 19th-century mill owner knew how to build a grand home. And thanks to the careful restoration by innkeepers Laura and Paul Macionus, Blackinton's 1832 Italianate Federal mansion is again a place to relax in style.

The Macionuses considered 23 properties before purchasing this lush acre in the northern Berkshires. They chose wisely. In addition to the magnificent house, with views of Mounts Fitch and Williams, the location is ideal, resting along a rural back road midway between North Adams and Williamstown. Within a five-mile radius there are three important museums, and access to the Appalachian Trail is a quarter-mile down the road. Directly across a small lane sits a stunning white clapboard church, built by Blackinton for his employees.

The inn's five bedrooms have been restored with period furniture and antiques, though the overall vibe is a homey elegance. Guests are free to play the grand piano in the living room, and the dining room's morning sun is perfect for lingering over coffee and the paper.

The second floor Queen Anne Room is the most popular with guests and, coincidentally, is the one I chose from Internet photos. A view of the mountains, framed by a soaring white willow and a flowering poplar, is visible from the queen sleigh bed adjacent to one of two unusual, floor-to-ceiling pocket windows. (We had seen pocket doors but never pocket windows.) The room is both spacious and cozy, with 12-foot-high walls, original wide-plank pine floors, and colorful oriental carpets.

My main disappointment was that the promised Wi-Fi didn't work with a Mac (the owners say that has been fixed). That, combined with my cellphone's inability to find a signal, found me feeling a bit like I was stranded in the 20th century.

The Queen Anne's bathroom is sunny and large. The claw-foot tub with European-type handheld shower may not be everyone's cup of tea, but for people like me who love to soak, it is perfect. Other rooms have either a regular standing shower or a Jacuzzi tub. All have TV (except for the smallest, the Blue Room) and air conditioning.

Weekday breakfasts are a simple affair served in the formal dining room: a cold cereal selection, seasonal fruit salad, yogurt, bagels or toast with cream cheese or butter, and hot cereal on request. On weekends, there's also a hot breakfast offering such as cinnamon French toast with hot sauteed apples and bacon, custom omelets with just-picked garden herbs, or Maine blueberry buttermilk pancakes.

For dinner, it's an easy drive to either Williamstown or North Adams. I headed to Gramercy Bistro in North Adams and indulged in the sublime offerings of chef-owner Alexander Smith: Thai mussels in spicy red curry broth, veal schnitzel with caper berry sauce, and rack of lamb. The place was packed on a Monday night (it's the only restaurant open in the area on this night) so reservations are recommended.

The Macionuses relocated from the Hartford area, where they worked in sales, marketing, and management. Before making the leap, they took a class for aspiring innkeepers, hoping to learn not only what to look for in a property and what to expect from the business, but also what it is that guests are looking for. They were surprised to learn that privacy is the number one issue for travelers today, along with concierge services.

Blackinton Manor offers both. In terms of privacy, the inn is quiet (no children under age 8) and guests can come and go as they please. Laura and Paul serve breakfast and are more than happy to answer questions, but they don't intrude when they aren't asked. There's a plethora of helpful brochures, maps, local menus, and magazines, and Laura also works with visitors before they arrive to recommend hiking trails, restaurants, and offer tips on the area's cultural offerings.

One thing Sanford Blackinton didn't have is a pool. There's one on the property now, surrounded by a garden with mountain views. It is a terrific place to unwind after a busy day touring art museums, climbing mountains, or tooling around the scenic roads in this vibrant corner of the Berkshires.

Necee Regis can be reached at neceeregis@yahoo.com.