After years in hotels, they found home on Rancocas Creek

After years of globe-trotting alongside a career in hotel management, Frank and Elizabeth Klare decided to plant roots in Delanco, Burlington County.

This was in 2002, when Frank’s last role before retirement, as a general manager with the Warwick Hotel in Philadelphia, was winding down. The couple, who hail from Germany, decided to stay in the Philadelphia area because they found its location strategic, between one of their daughters in New York and Frank’s mother in Washington, D.C.

The house they settled into was different from their digs in the Warwick Hotel.

The three-bedroom, three-bathroom home overlooked the Rancocas Creek and they loved the simplicity of its main-floor layout, where the dining area is part of the central, double-height living space. There were aspects of home living, however, that took some adjusting to after many years of hotel living.

“When I moved here, the first night I realized there’s six doors to the outside” all of which need to be locked at the end of the day, Elizabeth said. “In a hotel you don’t worry about any of that.”

But the Klares adjusted. Their home today deeply reflects their worldly background, dotted with items bestowed with precious memories from their adventures during Frank’s various hotel-industry roles across Europe, Asia, and North America. In 12 years of work-related travel, the couple lived abroad in Greece; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Moscow; Vancouver, British Columbia; and Narita, Japan.

Two items they collected during their travels are on proud display in their great room: a solid brass samovar — a vessel used to heat and boil water for tea — they purchased in Russia that’s stationed alongside a handmade lamp of dried and painted camel skin from northern Pakistan. Frank also stores a khanjar — a ceremonial knife — that he picked up in Oman nearby.

“It’s interesting to find things because they tell you about the culture and history of a place,” Elizabeth, who offered language services and proofreading throughout her career, said. “There was probably a time when that’s all they had in a simple way.”

In the sunroom, sliding doors lead toward the creek and a walking path the Klares enjoy in warmer weather. A cactus that they’ve had nearly as long as they’ve lived there reaches toward the sun. Opposite it, an intricate, chinoiserie-style cabinet draws the eye but has a decidedly less-worldly origin story, compared to their other items — the couple acquired it during their time in Indiana.

In their years in Delanco, the Klares have settled into their community and taken advantage of its perks. Its clubhouse hosts social events, like Mardi Gras and holiday parties, and has spaces for exercise and mingling.

About a decade ago, Frank undertook the new hobby of painting after a resident in the community started offering classes. He’s fond of the work of Van Gogh and, like the famous Dutch artist, is particularly drawn to using yellow and blue.

“You can express yourself so much in just the two colors,” he said.

His paintings dot the home and add a modernist flair to the couple’s otherwise simple aesthetic. They’ve also updated some of the home’s flooring to bamboo, because they liked the feel of it underfoot, and added a small, modern gas fireplace in the great room that makes it feel extra cozy on a cold winter’s day.

For Frank and Elizabeth, 85 and 83, the Delanco address where they’ve lived now for 23 years is the most long-term home they’ve had. After a lifetime on the move, they’re content.

“I’m glad we saw all that, but it’s also really good to be here,” Elizabeth said.

Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com.