About the Rue Magnolia Bed & Breakfast

- A Classic Craftsman Beach Cottage -

Guests are invited to step back in time and enjoy the 1920’s classic Southern architectural features of the Rue Magnolia Bed & Breakfast in Biloxi, Mississippi. The Historic Carnovale-Keller home was built in 1920 by the owner’s great grandfather and has never left the family. The home is a Biloxi Landmark home and is located on the National Register of Historic Places within the boundaries of the Downtown Historic District of Biloxi. After Hurricane Katrina, the home was one of few remaining habitable structures in the historic district. Rented to the National Historic Preservation Trust and the MS Dept of Archives and history, the house became known as The Preservation House. For several years, it served as the hub for architects, engineers, state planners and volunteers all working to save, restore and preserve many of the remaining historic structures on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast.

Designing, planning and repurposing the building as the Rue Magnolia Bed & Breakfast began in 2012. In 2015, the Kellers retained notable Pass Christian architect Leah Watters and her associate Shelly Kish, to bring their plans to life and to meet all requirements of Biloxi’s commercial building codes. In late 2018, the extensive restoration began and over the next 3 ½ years (enduring storms, hurricanes, covid restrictions and associated material delays & labor shortages) more than 150 craftsmen from 4 states would contribute their talents to masterfully and meticulously complete the project. Our talented craftsmen, becoming as passionate about the inn as we were, completed the restoration with materials and fixtures sourced from around the globe. Truly a family affair, in addition to the wonderful craftsmen contributions, Phylanne & Frank’s sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews from all over the country pitched in to help with the final details of the project readying the home for opening as the Rue Magnolia Bed & Breakfast.

The home is decorated in a 1920’s-40’s vintage theme featuring artwork throughout from local, regional and family artists. The home is designed with separate owner’s quarters and four guest rooms, each with ensuite bathrooms, individual HVAC systems, and every modern amenity for today’s traveler. Heart pine flooring is original and found throughout the home. The tiled bathroom floors, all unique, are period reproductions. Virtually all of the millwork throughout the home is original or custom reproduced.

Meet Your Hosts

a smiling man with a salmon colored shirt, a beard and glasses, with his arm around a smiling woman with dark hair, wearing a yellow shirt and earrings.

Owners, Phylanne and Frank Keller have a long history of love affairs with historic homes and meticulously restoring them for succeeding generations to enjoy. Their beautiful Biloxi homes on Historic Rue Magnolia in Biloxi are no exception and each enjoy Biloxi Landmark status. Five of the 6 properties built by Phylanne’s great grandfather, left family ownership and over the years, Phylanne and Frank reacquired 3 of the original properties bringing them back to family ownership. The Bed & Breakfast location, the largest of the collection, was built and subsequently given to Phylanne’s grandmother as a wedding present and has never left family ownership.

As a child, every holiday and special occasion was celebrated at Phylanne’s grandmother’s home at 125 Rue Magnolia, and Phylanne would travel from her home in Hattiesburg to visit Grandma as often as possible. It was during these times that the dream of owning a bed and breakfast was born. After a distinguished nursing career specializing in Nursing Informatics, she retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel from the Army. In the private sector, she continues to work as a public health and informatics specialist. She also worked for a while as an event planner to develop skills and further her dream of owning a B&B and is well known among family and friends as a gourmet chef.

Holding a master’s degree in Nephrology Nursing, Frank worked as a clinical nurse specialist for many years before transitioning into a directorship for healthcare’s leading credentialing agency, the Joint Commission. As a sideline, Frank developed his historic restoration business and restored and renovated many homes, including historic homes in both Chicago and New Orleans. Cooking since a child, Frank also developed a successful cheffing business in New Orleans in the early 2000’s serving as a personal chef for many local folks, celebrities, and was the sole source chef for the Parker Barnes NFL Sports Agency out of Indianapolis. At the time, he was a featured chef in Fortune’s Small Business Magazine and other New Orleans media outlets. Frank retired from nursing in 2013 and went on to become a real estate agent and eventually retired in 2018 to devote a full-time effort to restoring and maintaining their historic homes and opening the Rue Magnolia Bed & Breakfast.

The Rue Magnolia Bed & Breakfast is the culmination of many years of dreams, hard work, and the desire to create a historic home to celebrate, welcome and delight guests with wonderful breakfasts, cozy bedrooms and abundant hospitality.

A living room with grey walls, white trim, a tapestry covered sofa, burgundy curtains, wood floors, round wood end tables, and an opening to a foyer with red walls.

A dining room with wood floors, a tapestry carpet, a table covered with a white table cloth, set with black and white china and silverware, antique furniture along the walls, and an opening to the living room adjoining the dining room.

people gathering around a table of food at night in front of a green house light up with lights, palm trees, and hanging lights criss crossed over the street.