A Road Trip to the Biltmore House

I’ve just returned from the most marvelous, fun enriching trip and best of all, shared with my dear cousin Charlotte. We decided to take a road trip to Asheville, NC to tour the Biltmore.

George & Edith Vanderbilt’s home completed in 1895, a country manor estate in Asheville NC that would rival the great manors of Europe and embody the finest in architecture, landscape planning and interior design.

250 room mansion, featuring 33 family and guest bedrooms, 43 bathrooms, 65 fireplaces, 3 kitchens, and an indoor swimming pool and bowling alley.

Grounds encompassing 125,000 acres.

Banquet Hall – the largest room in the house, measuring 72’ long by 42’ W with a 70’high barrel-vaulted ceiling. The triple fireplace, flanked with armor dating from the 1400s to 1800s.

Tapestry Gallery – Displays three silk and wool tapestries woven Brussels around 1530. The detailed pictorial designs personify Prudence, Faith and Charity and incorporate biblical, mythological and historical images.

Library- Besides a 2 tier walnut library that houses 23,000 volumes the room has an impressive black marble fireplace with baroque-style carvings of two female figures flanking a 17^th century French tapestry.

Mr. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom- Befitting the head of the household is this dignified room with deep ceiling moldings and gilded wall covering. The furniture is a mixture of Baroque-style pieces from the 17^th & 19^th centuries.

Mrs. Vanderbilt’s Bedroom – A graceful, feminine oval shaped space decorated in the Louis XV style, with silk wall covering, Savonnerie carpets and cut-velvet draperies.

All photos by The Biltmore House.

More on road trip gardens, and Blue Ridge Mts. & Spa next month.

Design News

1. “Chris Larson: The Katonah Relocation Project & a Home for Art” Multi media artist & sculptor Chris Larson recreates local architect Edward Larrabee Barnse Mt. Kisco home to scale. Closes June 28^th. www.KatonahMuseumofArt.org . 914.232.9555.

2. “Art for the Man Cave”– Local photographer Elizabeth Pollaert Smith presents images that will have special appeal to boys, men and all those who have an interest in sports, modes of transporation and hobbies. Runs thru June 20^th. Tues-Sat. 12-5pm. Mamaroneck Artists Guild, Larchmont. www.mamaroneckartistsguild.org. Free event.