Mar 25, 2005  |  By: ROB MEINTJES  | COMMENTS     

MEMBERS OF THE household at 1337 10th St., NW, tend to gather in the kitchen for good food, wine and company. No wonder patrons of the D.C. Guesthouse keep coming back to this home-away-from-home in the historic Shaw district.

The hospitality of gay proprietors Randy Kuczor, Tom Bell, Ron Wilkerson and Mike Molock has earned a large repeat clientele for the guesthouse. Not to mention the rich and eclectic art collection housed in this restored Victorian, one block from the new Washington, D.C. Convention Center.

The ever-growing collection ranges from African to Chinese and includes many works from gay art deco master Erté and several pieces by Beryl Cooke. Recent additions include a Tibetan altarpiece and Russian Perestroika paintings.

The four friends bought the house in 1999, after seeing it advertised for sale in the Washington Blade. A black-owned mortuary for close to a century, the mansion stood vacant in the ’70s, stripped of its Victorian moldings, which makes the current incarnation all the more miraculous.

It’s been two years since the friends opened their home and its accumulated riches to the traveling public. They made the decision in February 2003, after all of them — except for Molock, the architect — lost their jobs in the wake of Sept. 11 attacks.

Now, the guesthouse has become such a second home for two regular guests that they carry their own keys.

“Vinny has a key,” Wilkerson says. “He leaves clothes here. Mary has a key too, because she arrives for supper late. She’ll call to ask what room she’s staying in.”

The proprietors target the high-end gay and lesbian market. Room rates range from $175 to $275 a night, depending on the suite and time of year.

“The more grounded gay people tend to come here,” Kuczor says. “You don’t expect guests to bring parties back here.”

The guesthouse also draws a considerable heterosexual clientele.

“They have a great time, and hopefully we’ve changed a few stereotypes about gay men,” says Kuczor, who balances cooking gourmet meals for the guests with working in the wine department at the Whole Foods on P Street, NW.

“This morning, breakfast was Mediterranean bake with roasted red-pepper sauce, pan-fried potatoes (a guesthouse legend) and spiced apple fruit compote,” he says.

SOME GUESTS FEEL free to come downstairs in pajamas for their morning coffee and it’s not unusual to have a Baptist minister, a lesbian couple and people from the Senate around the same breakfast table in the dining room.

Bell, who handles marketing and guest relations, tells of the D.C. Guesthouse’s first Valentine’s Day romance. The hosts had set the scene for a mixed couple’s arrival: a crackling fire in their room, champagne on ice and flowers arranged by Wilkerson. In the morning the woman preceded her partner to an “extremely diverse” group at the breakfast table.

“Next thing she raised her hand to show off a new ring and said: ‘I got engaged last night.’ Everybody around the table applauded. I ran to the kitchen to announce our first engagement.”

“It’s amazing how people get on,” remarks Wilkerson, fresh from a Hirshhorn exhibition of master sculptor Isamu Noguchi, renowned for his paper lanterns. Wilkerson keeps guests informed as to the latest happenings in the city.

Guests also seek advice on interior design from this 20-year veteran of displays at Woodie’s, a former department store in downtown D.C., who now keeps an eagle eye on changes to the decor at the house.

“The secret is balance,” he says. “Nothing overpowers. We’ve a lot of African and mix it with Chinese. But don’t ask me about technology. That’s Mikey’s job.”

In a neighborhood that favors diversity, the tight gay “family” has the full support of neighbors, some of whom help out in the guest lodge during busy times.

The D.C. Guesthouse family gained a new member four months ago when Bell’s friend of 24 years gave birth to his daughter, Taylor Yvonne DiNovo-Bell.

“It feels wonderful to be a dad,” says Bell, who cares for his baby daughter 13 days a month. “She has three uncles. Ron buys her an outfit a week. She’ll be well socialized.”