The collection of more than 55 teapots features traditional teapots, holiday-themed teapots, and even a musical teapot, among others. Some were new when they were purchased, while others were found buried in antique shops.
They made the journey to Kodiak from China, France, Switzerland, the U.S. and Great Britain.
Each one has a story to tell, like their owner Beth Davis, also known as Mrs. Potts, the inspiration for the business’s name.
“They’ve all got character,” Davis said. “They’ve all got a certain style.”
Davis grew up in a bed and breakfast home in Wales, Great Britain. As a child, she helped her parents set the table and serve food to guests each morning, and she loved it.
“It was fun for me,” Davis said. “I got to meet a lot of people from different parts of the world.”
From her interactions with guests and her parents’ influence, she developed a love of traveling, and had traveled across the world by age 13. Through her travels she met her husband Dan, in Austria. They made the move to Kodiak in 1985, and married shortly after.
Davis, a real estate agent for Alaska 1 Realty, bought her house four years ago and fixed it up with her husband’s help.
Because of the location and her background, it seemed natural for her to open up a bed and breakfast.
“I love people,” she said. “Sharing a part of Kodiak with other people is inviting them into your home and sharing Kodiak stories.”
The business opened in May, and Davis housed her first guest shortly after opening.
The bed and breakfast, on Mill Bay Road near Rezanof Drive, gives her visitors a view of either Pillar Mountain or the entire downtown area and harbor. The house, built in the early 1940s, has a unique feel with its sloped ceilings, wood floors and carpet going up the stairs.
“It has that feel of years gone by, like Grandma’s house,” Davis said. “The ambience of the place makes it look like home.”
Visitors who stay at Mrs. Potts’ will enjoy a home-cooked breakfast each morning, and a cup of either tea or coffee.
Davis herself prefers coffee to tea, and at one point even worked at Harborside.
“I grew up in a coffee-loving home, but I just love teapots,” she said.
She will gladly whip up a pot of tea for any guests who would like one.
Davis even allowed one of her guests to choose which teapot to use.
“She just loved the fact that she could choose the teapot,” Davis said. “If anyone wants to pick a teapot and have a cup of tea out of it, that’s wonderful.”
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Information from: Kodiak (Alaska) Daily Mirror, http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
AP-WF-06-24-12 1503GMT
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