Dolly Parton Writes Songs in This Very Unexpected Room in Her Home

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It would be easy to feel like we know everything there is to know about Dolly Parton. After all the country singer and icon has been in the public eye since she performed at the Grand Old Opry (introduced by Johnny Cash, natch) when she was 13. But Parton’s Nashville home has always remained a bit of a mystery. Except for a few glimpses here and there, Parton keeps her private life, well, private. So when Parton invited House Beautiful into her kitchen (fine, fine stage kitchen) to celebrate her new line of baking mixes with Duncan Hines, we had a lot of questions about Parton’s home, kitchen, and her approach to entertaining and true to form, she answered them all perfectly.

House Beautiful: If you are having people come over for dinner, what does a typical evening look like?

Dolly Parton: I don’t have any new company, so when my friends and family are over, they just do as they please. I’ll have appetizers and the quick stuff all done up and whatever drinks we are going to have ready. I usually have music going—and if somebody wants to change it they can. Everybody knows me well enough, I’ll say, “You know where the stuff is, go to the fridge and get it.” If it’s my sisters or my girlfriends we’ll just mill around, we’re everywhere, you know how girls are.

Now, if I’m planning a dinner for business or for out-of-town people who I don’t know very well, then I’ll have someone come and cook and serve the dinner in the dining room.

I put my house together the way that I enjoy. And I love that I have a beautiful dining room if I want to entertain people. But growing up in my house with mama, there was always something going on in the kitchen. Now, I have a beautiful home, and a beautiful entryway, but nobody ever comes in through the front door. People come in the back door right into the kitchen.

How do you use your kitchen every day?

I’ve always enjoyed a big kitchen, so when we moved in, I wanted to make sure it was the center of the home. I have a big, long bar and little chairs around so if I’m cooking people just sit around and holler.

When I’m alone, I’m usually working on a project while I am cooking, so I’ve got my notepads, my tape recorder, whatever so I can work. I’ve gotten a lot of dough on a lot of my pencils and my notebook. I love to cook, but if I’m cooking and I start coming up with a great melody and a great line starts coming, I wipe my hands off and get it all down. Sometimes the better I’m writing, the better I’m cooking and vice versa! That’s just me in my life, in my kitchen and the world.

I’ve also got a little kitchen nook with a TV so if I’ve got something in the oven I also like to sit in my little chair and watch TV. I just enjoy my house and I love being home.

We are going to do a little rapid fire session? Ready?
Ok!

Paper towels or cloth dish towels?
Paper.

Colorful glassware or clear?
Both.

Napkin rings or folded napkins?
Folded.

Matching china or casual tableware?
I have great china but for my real life I use everyday dishes and a lot of paper plates and Solo cups. I'm a musician and a working girl so I don't have time to do dishes too much.

Early dinner or late?
Early, unless I’m going out.

Go-to baked treat for guests?
Well, anything is good, but everyone loves banana bread. Then again, it’s specific to the person. My husband loves chocolate, so for him it’s always chocolate cake.

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