CLAYDON HOUSE

This gorgeous image from England's Claydon House has been making the rounds on the web for a while, and it's such a fantastical, compelling scene, I was curious about the rest of the room.

 Well, it does not disappoint. 

The rococo icing is perhaps best left to palaces, but the bamboo furniture could grace any chic home today and not look a stick out of place. Master Craftsman Luke Lightfoot carved the fabulous woodwork (and as Luke Lightfingers, he also set about carving out a large portion of Lord Verney's fortune, nearly destroying the future of his greatest creation). The stunning wall color was a later addition by 20th century decorator John Fowler.

More of those marvelous chairs.

Fantastic detail.

Of course, there are other grand rooms, too. This ballroom was featured in the Gwyneth Paltrow version of Emma.

We are lucky to have any of these exquisite rooms with us today; in fact, there used to be quite a few more of them. When the ill-fated Lord Verney, employeer of Luke Lightfoot, died, his heir was niece Mary Verney, an apple that certainly fell far from the tree. Far from being a big spender, Miss Mary (later Baroness Fermanaugh), tore down two other wings of the house, reducing it to its present more economical size. Indeed, the exterior doesn't give anything away! Would you expect such extravagant treasures inside? 

/Images/ Claydon House doorway/ Yellow couch view/ Full room view/ Second full room view/ Pediment detail/ Plaster bird detail/ Carved niche detail/ Mantel detail/ Exterior view/ 

CHATEAU D'HAROUE

Sometimes, the best things don't come in small packages. They come in exquisitely overwrought, mind-blowing packages of stunning proportions. Castle-sized proportions. The beautiful French Château d'Haroué is hosting Three Great Creators, the work of Cristobal Balenciaga, Hubert de Givenchy, and Philippe Venet from May 7 to August 17, 2010. Forty - 40! - haute couture evening gowns will be on display, including Givenchy's black duchess satin gown from Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Balenciaga's mink-trimmed wedding dress for Queen Fabiola of Belgium. But perhaps the most surprising detail of all is that this collection has been curated and arranged by the great Givenchy himself, now 83 years old. Located in the Lorraine region of France, the breathtaking architecture and grounds of Château d'Haroué would be enough to woo any vacationer (and the stunning interiors include the largest collection of French royal furniture in private hands). But a castle full of couture, chosen by one of France's greatest couturiers? Genius! 

The original LBD:  Givenchy's Breakfast at Tiffany's Gown, worn by Audrey Hepburn.

Above, Balenciaga's wedding gown for Queen Fabiola of Belgium.

Buy those plane tickets! For full details on the event, visit here:  Château d'Haroué.

Images, Château d'Haroué website.

Oak Alley and St. James Plantations

NOLA update: as promised! Last week I visited New Orleans and drove out West of the city along the Old River Road, fabled home of a thousand plantations. While most of them are long gone, a few beautiful dames of the antebellum era still exist along the Mississippi's banks. Two of them, Oak Alley and St. James, sit side by side. While the house at Oak Alley is now a popular tourist destination and has been featured in several films, St. James is a quieter, austere mansion set on 1,000 acres of a working sugar cane farm.

Stunning Oak Alley. It is surrounded by 28 classic columns, each 8 feet in diameter. Famous for its beautiful views and eery evening landscape, the plantation and home have appeared in numerous movies, including Interview with a Vampire and (so weirdly) Beyonce's Deja Vu music video.

The magnificent trees are layered in leafy ferns. The trees are thought to be over 300 years old, planted in the early 1700s by a colonial settler. The house was not built until the 1830s.

A view from the second floor balcony, toward the Mississippi River. Unfortunately for the view (but fortunately for life and property) the river's levee was increased from 5 feet to 15 feet in the twentieth century. In the house's heyday, the Mississippi River and passing boats would have been visible from the house.

The St. James Plantation, next door. I had the honor of receiving a tour from one of the plantation owner's descendants. The same family has owned the plantation since 1875.

Every October, the St. James home is dressed for mourning. Mourning in 1800s Louisiana plantation country was a complicated cultural ritual that defined every aspect of the mourner's lives. In a world without internet or even reliable mail, the first step was to notify passersby that the tragedy had occurred. At the time, riverboats traveling on the Mississippi would have seen the signs of mourning, and carried the news along the shore.

Mourning extended to every aspect of home life. In a world where early death and disease were tragically common, loss was still treated with reverence and care. The mourning period could extend from a few months to a year and a half, depending on the age and importance of the deceased, and the mourner's relationship to them. A widow mourned longest, and even her bed linens were trimmed in black ribbon (something to think about the next time you fall in love with a black and white bedset!).

Creole mourning traditions had both French and Spanish roots. Here, a drape is hung over a mirror, to prevent the spirit of the deceased from becoming trapped inside. In Creole tradition, spirits were attracted to shiny objects, and so widows also refrained from wearing bright jewelry for the first few months after the death. The clock in the mantel is stopped at time of death, as was traditional.

Most Creole families were Catholic. Here, a prayer bench and rosary are placed coffin side. In the warm Southern summers, a coffin would be kept before burial for three days or less, often with bowls of ice beneath. The piece of furniture under black cover is the piano. After a death, pianos were covered because music was joyful - and thus inappropriate. Notice that even the candles have little black ribbons on them.

Widow's weeds. These elaborate laces would not have been worn until later in the mourning period, as would the shiny brooch. With the death rates in those days and the extreme measures for mourning, women who lived past 40 would spend almost all of their remaining lives dressed in black.

All images, my own. Please request permission to use.

And Now, We Fantasy Shop for Real Estate

One of the most exciting websites in the world for an historian-turned-house-shopper is Historic Properties. They feature homes from across the country, some older than the country. The cut-off year is 1957, so don't bother with visiting if you're one of those people who adores their maintenance-free condo. The finds are amazing (and the prices can be too). I once discovered an entire Founding-Fathers era Virginia PLANTATION for sale (we're talking redcoats wandering the pastures here). With several thousand acres, a horse barn, and an elegantly rotted main house with woodwork dating back to the 1700s, the price to renovate would have been ruinious, but I still dream about it.

Anyway, it's not all hard work. Most of the homes are in fabulous condition,

like this 1820 lemon-yellow colonial, off Long Island Sound, with all the trimmings...

...including a private dock and this fabulous view. $995,000.

Here's a Georgian Federal, in Milledgeville, GA, circa 1822. It's so special it even has a (unpronouncable) name: The Williams-Orme-Crawford-Sallee House.

The entry hall - look at the stair and woodwork. So much could be done with this place!

The house has been in the same family since 1836, and it is in stunning condition. And - STEAL ALERT! - it's only $365,000! (To see more of the gorgeous homes in historic Milledgeville, click here.)

Moving from colonial to antebellum, here's a gorgeous 1837 home that was featured in the magazines Antiques and Southern Living, and also on HGTV! (Not hard to see why.)

The interiors are stunning. Located in Columbus, MS, it's on the block for $1,125,000.

Finally, a darling gingerbread Victorian (Victorians are like cakes: the more icing the better) in New Haven, CT. Built in 1869, this home also comes with it's own title: the Herbert Barnes House (feel free to tack your own name on the end!). $525,000.

All images, Historic Properties.

The White House Diplomatic Reception Room

A recent post on The Peak of Chic about gorgeous scenic wallpaper reminded me of a collection of photographs I have of the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House. This is one of my all time favorite rooms - I would steal every stick of it if I could! I've been lucky enough to spend time there and study the design, and there's just not a thing I would change.

The "look" - yellow silk damask and the famous Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington. The room is a perfect Oval (as you'll see below) and opens directly onto the South Lawn. At formal State Arrival Ceremonies, a limoisine bearing the visiting head of state comes up the circular South drive, where he or she is greeted by the President and First Lady. After the ceremony, they proceed directly into this room, hence the name. The fireplace you see is where FDR had those "fireside chats." 

Detail of more yellow damask and the intricate wallpaper, which is divided into 32 panels (this one displays the Natural Bridge, of Virginia). The door to the left opens into the lower cross hall, the main thoroughfare through the State Floor. The door to the right opens into the China Room, named for the beautiful displays of historic Presidential china. The photos don't do this space justice - the colors are so rich and vibrant in real life.

A scene from Boston Harbor. We owe these beautiful walls to Jackie Kennedy (as well as most of the other historic pieces in the State Rooms today). The print is by Jean Zuber, of Cie in Rixheim, Alsace, and is called "Views of North America." It dates to 1834, and scenes include Niagara Falls, West Point, Boston Harbor, and the Natural Bridge. The rare paper was discovered rolled up in a farmhouse attic in New England and Jackie immediately snatched it up for this room, installing it in 1961.

The room is decorated in the Federal Period, and most of the beautiful pieces are by New York or New England cabinetmakers. 

A wide view of half the room, facing the South Lawn Vestibule. There are three floors of oval rooms in the White House residence. The Yellow Oval on the top, family, floor; the Blue Room on the main State Floor, where most receiving lines occur; and the Diplomatic Reception Room. Over a century after the White House was built, the West Wing was added, and efforts were made to keep it uniform with the older residence it adjoined. One result was the decision to continue the idea of an oval shaped room into the West Wing. That's the reason we have today's Oval Office.

The vestibule opening onto the South Lawn (as above), seen from the Diplomatic Reception Room. Notice that the intricate wallpaper continues even into this space. The canopy you can just make out through those doors is the famous entrance you'll frequently see pictures of Presidents walking to and from.

A stunning mahagony desk by John Shaw, made in 1797, highlights this side of the room. The rug incorporates emblems from all 50 States. In this view, you can easily see the State symbols woven into the rug border. 

A panel depicting Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls was one of the most interest-exciting natural wonders on both sides of the Atlantic in earlier days. Today it's seen more as a cheesy tourist destination than a stunning natural wonder, but in the 1800s it was considered one of the seminal representations of the New World's landscape, rather how we view the Grand Canyon today.

A close-up shot of the falls. Note the picturesque little steamboat at the bottom.

Last look: A rather bare Diplomatic Reception Room prior to Jackie Kennedy's restoration (courtesy of whitehousemuseum.org).

All images, my own. Please email me for permission to use them. Thanks!

Americana All Year Round

The Fourth of July is always a bright, fun-filled holiday, heavy with color. But for some homes, a more subtle approach can be very attractive, and a patriotic theme can work longer than a few days a year. The new Americana collection at Wisteria reminded me of some of my favorite patriotic decorations.

This regimental drum basket from Wisteria would look wonderful 

filled with a bouquet of flags or festive flowers, such as red tulips.

Folk art and traditional American symbols are a subtle way to bring a patriotic touch to the home.

You can use traditional wooden game boards as trays or table decoration as well.

Or, find something you enjoy that reflects a famous American home, such as a mirror reminiscent of the White House.

Products: Wisteria. Sketches: the White House. Table: http://www.table-settings-with-pictures.com.