March/April 2009
Alumni Profiles
Tom Werman ’67 Offers Informal Luxury at Stonover Farm
Suky and Tom Werman ’67, ’69 Business at Stonover Farm, their upscale bed-and-breakfast in Lenox, Mass. PHOTO: KEVIN SPRAGUEThough life as a musician, producer and innkeeping entrepreneur has kept him busy since graduation, Tom Werman ’67, ’69 Business has remained active in the Columbia community. His dedication is such that, in his role as an alumni interviewer, he has been known to go straight from doing yard work to greeting applicants, still wearing the jeans and plaid he uses for mowing the lawn.
For Werman, “mowing the lawn” is more of a production
than you might imagine. Stonover Farm, the luxury bed-and-breakfast owned and operated by Werman and his wife, Suky, is situated on 10 acres of land just outside the village of Lenox, a small, scenic community in Western Massachusetts. The grounds include forests, a duck pond and a great deal of grass.
Before opening Stonover Farm, the Wermans undertook an extensive renovation project. The inn’s main building, which once served as the farmhouse for a larger estate, was built in 1890, and while the exterior now looks just as it did in the 19th century, the interior of the bed-and-breakfast is far from rustic. There are five suites at Stonover Farm, complete with sitting rooms, closet space and thoroughly modern plumbing. Suky Werman has decorated the inn with a variety of contemporary paintings, sculptures and pottery pieces, adding to the atmosphere of up-to-date elegance.
The Wermans prize comfort over formality, a philosophy that guides their management style. Everything at the inn, from the on-premises library to Werman’s made-to-order breakfasts, is designed to offer visitors convenience and hospitality, without the stuffiness that, according to Werman, is characteristic of many other upscale bed-and-breakfasts. Instead of crocheted doilies and hand-knit afghans, the Wermans offer silent air conditioning and wireless Internet access. “In every suite is a private phone, plus a flat-screen television and an extensive DVD collection,” Werman adds. “We really have everything you could want.”
Werman added “innkeeper” to his resume with the opening of Stonover Farm in 2002. Before he and his family moved to Lenox, they had lived for more than two decades in California, where Werman made a name for himself as a record producer. Combining instrumental talent with corporate savvy was a natural career choice for Werman, who earned an M.B.A. after earning his undergraduate degree in music.
Werman applied to the College on the advice of a high school teacher, and it was a decision he has never regretted. He took advantage of the opportunities of city life, including going to concerts and clubs and, later, performing at some of those same venues with his college band, The Walkers, where he sang and played guitar and drums. In the classroom, he was particularly influenced by professors Robert Brustein ’57 GSAS (“The Classic Drama”) and Richard Gilman (“The Modern Drama”). Outside of academics, he remembers living in Carman Hall with particular fondness. “Those were exciting times,” Werman recalls. “College is supposed to be the most exciting and intellectually freeing experience of your life, and that’s exactly what it was.”
Which is not to say that there was any lack of excitement in Werman’s life after he left Columbia. During his career as a record executive, he produced albums for heavy metal giants such as Mötley Crüe, Poison and Twisted Sister. He also contributed to many of his albums as a guitarist and percussionist, even providing back-up vocals on occasion.
During the ’90s, however, Werman’s enthusiasm for the music business began to wane. The professional environment had changed, as had the consumers. It was then that he began to look seriously into the possibility of opening a bed-and-breakfast, an idea he’d been considering for some time. He found the Stonover Farm site on his first day of searching in Lenox, and he knew instantly that it was the perfect spot. Having grown up in Boston, he was thrilled at the chance to start his new inn in Massachusetts.
Even in his idyllic East Coast setting, Werman can’t avoid the spotlight entirely. Rave reviews from critics and visitors have given Stonover Farm a great reputation and a thriving business, not to mention an impressive client list — past guests include Bonnie Raitt, Malcolm Gladwell and Leonard Nimoy.
Werman is ecstatic about the success of his venture, but it has not been an easy feat. A great deal of effort, planning and creative ingenuity are required to make the bed-and-breakfast a continued success. Despite its challenges, managing an inn has been a rewarding process for Stonover Farm’s proprietors. “It’s been a wonderful experience,” says Werman. “We’ve done very well.”
Grace Laidlaw ’11