Colstrip bed and breakfast owner Deborah Haas tries to put a little of her personality into every room she decorates.
Her method seems to work. Each of the rooms at Lakeview Bed and Breakfast in Colstrip are cozy, relaxing and downright beautiful.
There's the Seashore Room which recalls the long days Haas spent on the beaches of southern California, where she grew up; the Woodland Room, representing a passion for the great outdoors and the Castle Room, where she played with her romantic side in her design. The Western Room plays off her experiences living here in eastern Montana, the heart of the Old West. The Garden Room shows off her love of growing things.

Now, visitors will have one more glimpse into their hostess' personality. There's a new room in the Lakeview Bed and Breakfast - the Yellowstone Room. The woodsy outdoors decor of the Yellowstone Room recalls for Haas the many happy months she spent as a young woman, working in Yellowstone Park. "Yellowstone Park has a really special place in my heart,” Haas said. “My time in Yellowstone included some of the coolest years of my single life.” When decorating a room, Haas first chooses a theme. After that, the color palette follows naturally as she tries to create an atmosphere that matches the theme. With the Yellowstone Room, Haas said, she tried to capture the wonderful feeling of Yellowstone National Park - the outdoors feel and spirit that made her so happy during her time there. "What I wanted in that room was the feeling of woods - the real, soothing feel of hiking and enjoying the peaceful outdoors," she said.

Once she had chosen her colors, she set about gathering the furniture and other furnishings that transform a plain room into something remarkable. She found a distressed wood furniture set with hand-carved trim that fit perfectly in her "rustic but elegant" bedroom. She installed a jetted tub in the bathroom - a first at the Lakeview Bed and Breakfast - because it seemed like such a perfect fit with Yellowstone's hot springs and geysers. "Theme decorating makes it easy," Haas said. Of course easy isn't the same as quick. Decorating takes patience and willingness to look in store after store for just the right piece, she said. Haas plans an open house to show off her new room and allow people to view the rest of the bed and breakfast from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 28-29 at 7437 Castle Rock Lake Drive in Colstrip.