A Unique Bed & Breakfast In the Heart of San Antonio's Historic District

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Shared Public Rooms and Patios

As with many B&Bs, the guests at Ruckman Haus could of course avail themselves of the full use of the public areas of the house (although the ambience and comfort of their individual rooms and suites might have made leaving them difficult).

The Living Room and Library at Ruckman Haus

We furnished and decorated the main living room at Ruckman Haus to provide a quiet, comfortable environment for guests to read, watch television, sit by the fire or converse.

A Place to Relax- and Books to Read

Our Living Room is light and airy, with a large bay window that looks out to the front of the house. The sofa there was an excellent place for our guests to curl up with a good book, have coffee or tea before breakfast or read the morning paper afterwards.

At the east end of the room are antique French doors that lead out to the East Patio and Garden.

At the other end of the living room is the library; it had an extensive collection of books of every description that we encouraged our guests to borrow. I have collected a great many books about famous artists, as art and artists are one of my interests.

The East Patio                            East Garden Collage

The East Patio is just outside the French doors off the living room. It is a covered patio and looks out across the formal garden, so it is a great place to sit outside should the weather preclude sitting down by the waterfall in the garden itself.

This patio is also a great place to have coffee or tea in the mornings, and many of our guests did just that. In the afternoon and early evening our guests could usually be found there having a glass of wine or a snack- as we do now. It was also an excellent place for groups of guests to gather for conversation or perhaps a friendly game of backgammon, and we now use it in the same way.

Of course, we've mentioned the dining room quite a few times in these pages; it was the one room that all guests made use of, for it was here that Ron served his deservedly famous gourmet breakfasts.

The Dining Room

The room is tastefully decorated and features a large, antique refectory table that could accommodate all of our guests at the same time. That's one of the things we will miss now that Ruckman Haus is closed- the conversations we had with interesting people from varied backgrounds and locales who were visiting San Antonio for many different reasons.

When we first undertook the renovation of Ruckman Haus, we envisioned the need for an outside area that would seat a large number of people in a setting that encouraged conversation. The result was the construction of the West Deck.

The West Deck

The deck can be accessed either from the front porch or from the back door/parking apron. It runs the depth of the house, and it is fully covered and equipped with ceiling fans.

The West Deck has a rustic design, and there was ample seating for even large groups. Here, I put some of my collection of plants and flowers in pots and planters all around; I thought they would help provide a lovely environment for a relaxing morning or afternoon. From this deck, we can survey the neighborhood around Ruckman Haus, and watch the occasional pet walker or someone heading over to San Pedro Park. As our guests did, we often enjoy a beverage and relax on the West Deck.