A Designer's View of Biltmore

My family and I just returned from our first family trip to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. My sister and I had the opportunity to tour the late-nineteenth century French chateau when we were children, but our husbands and kids had not been, so we decided to take a quick break from the hustle and bustle of the season and take them to see it.

The gallery I've included in this blog post is a collection of images I've taken from the perspective of an Interior Designer as well as a Library designer. So they won't be your typical Biltmore images. I hope they will bring a little beauty and extravagance to your week as we catapult into the Christmas season at a seemingly break-neck speed as it seems to be going for my crew this year. So click on the link and enjoy.

Here's a quick list of some details to note as you browse:

Here's a panoramic view of the Library that my sister shared with me.  Every book in this space was personally selected by the owner, George Vanderbilt II.

The image of the enormous tapestry is the very last one in existence to this day and portrays portions of the New Testament.

I've posted ceiling details and linenfold details as well as stonework and the iconic acorn motif hidden throughout the entire house.

And of course, the panoramic view of the mountains from the first floor balcony is an amazing sight to behold.  Apparently Vanderbilt had two towers built just so he could climb to the very top to make sure he had the exact right location for the house that gave him the best view on his property.

By the way, for any of you who are not familiar with the history of this home and it's owners, the chateau was completed in 1895 and the owner and then bachelor did not meet his future bride, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, or marry her until three years later.  George Vanderbilt II carried out his great-grandfather's legacy by continuing in the railroading business which is where they made their fortune.  George and Edith had one daughter, Cornelia who remained at the Biltmore until 1932 when she left her husband and sons to take over the business of caring for the estate so she could relocate to England where she dyed her hair pink, married a couple more times and never returned to America again.

The Biltmore is still in the family and is being run by the great granddaughter and grandson of George and Edith, to this day.