Sheffield Park House

Located in Sheffield Park, the grounds famously designed by Capability Brown in the 18th century, is an extraordinary gothic house simply named Sheffield Park House. Isn't this right out of a spooky 19th century novel? Fantastic! The house is privately owned but the gardens are open to the public - information HERE.

San Giorgio Maggiore

Yesterday I showed you Venice from the air via the bell tower of San Giorgio Maggiore. Today we'll explore the interior of the church.As I said yesterday, the building was designed by noted architect Andrea Palladio in 1565 after he had worked on the adjacent monastery for the Benedictine Monks who run the church.

The church was finished in 1610, 30 years after Palladio's death. The original bell tower from 1467 fell down in 1774 and was rebuilt 20 years later in Neoclassical style to better suit Palladio's efforts.At the crux of the center nave, where the tower is located, is a strange smoke machine installed for the Biennale.

Now that explains the strange piping we saw on the roof yesterday!

The interior is crisp, white and clean -the type of classicism I love best.

Located behind the apse alter screen, seen above, is a beautiful choir stall.Designed by Palladio, the stalls were built between 1580 and 1589.And I couldn't let you go without a close up of the gorgeous marble floors!

The Red House

My Australian 'penpal' has been traveling again and has sent me loads of photos from fascinating places around the world! I had to share 'Red House' with you, the home of Arts & Crafts artist William Morris.

The house was designed by his friend, architect Philip Webb in 1859. Morris wanted his home to be a "Palace of Art" and the Red House surely is. The gardens were designed to be a part of the house as a series of rooms: a very modern idea.While most known for its courtyard side (top 2 photos) the entry side is shown above; partly neo-gothic don't you think?

Sadly, Morris was forced to sell the house for financial reasons in 1865. The house remained in the same family for 150 years afterwards, a testament to its lovliness. It now is a part of the National Trust and is available for tours.

This 2nd story bay window has a really interesting stepped footing -almost like a chimney.

The little round windows on the courtyard side line a hallway, seen below.

The stained glass in the house was all done by Morris's friend, noted artist Edward Burne-Jones.The work that went into the house is really incredible. I love the woodwork in this sitting room below.

And no surface was forgotten; this tiled ceiling is amazing!
Update: Many thanks to my friend Richard for supplying me with a copy of the floor plans!

Dupont Carillon

Alfred Dupont loved his estate, Nemours, so much, that despite spending his last years in Florida chose to rest there eternally after his death in 1935.The 210 foot tall Carillon tower stands off the main mansion museum grounds (now) but within the original surrounding walls on the grounds of the adjacent children's hospital. Designed by his architect son through his firm Massena and du Pont, the carillon is still in working order and plays a number of songs daily, watched over by 4 stone eagles at the summit of the tower. Oddly enough, the mausoleum contains a 6 passenger elevator; can't seperate the industrialist from his gadgets even in death! Dupont's 3rd wife, Jessie and her brother, Edward Ball, are also interred at the Carillon.

Nemours

As some of you guessed correctly, last weekend I visited the stately Nemours mansion outside of Wilmington, Delaware.Built by the industrialist, Alfred I. Dupont, in 1909, the mansion was designed by the prominent New York firm of Carrere and Hastings. The French Beaux Arts styled house was loosely based on the Petit Trianon. On the main facade you can find a stretched out and enlarged version of the western elevation of the villa with a roof plopped down on top and wings to either side.

Dupont had a local contractor build the estate, much to the chagrin of the architects but he was always concerned with using local labor and materials. Much of the stone used for construction came from the actual building site. Designed on a symmetrical axis, beautiful views exist from the main house down through the gardens (inspired by Versailles that I will post on next week) of the reflecting pools and colonnade.

While interior photography was not allowed, I am able to share with you what I noticed on the exterior of the house. Pairs of gracious Corinthian columns grace the front facade.The scale of the place is immense which thanks to a very balanced design isn't instantly recognized. Notice the size of the front porch columns next to the furniture!Doesn't your house have the building date inscribed?The front terrace contains only a fragment of the many urns found throughout the grounds, all filled with beautiful flowers.

The southern side of the house features some beautiful trellis work and green & white striped canvas awnings. Yes, that trellis is flat against the house with some great use of false perspective!

Also located on the south is a neoclassical limestone pavilion which houses the plant (and bird!) filled morning room; probably my favorite room in the house! It was also the favorite room of Jessie Ball Dupont (Alfred's 3rd wife) and where she spent most of her time. Jessie died in 1970 and the house was eventually converted to a museum.

The cornice on this house is great, I love the Greek key freize.The rear of the house is much simpler stucco with the continued cheerful canvas awnings.The backyard has, I fear, suffered from neglect as the front yard is the showpiece of the estate. We were the only people from the tour to venture back here!To the right of the main house is the massive servants wing, which easily is over 1/3 of the house. Like many industrialists of the time, Dupont was obsessed with the latest technology which fills much of the basement of the wing; ice making machines, ice cream making rooms, generators, a movie theater / bowling alley and his own water bottling plant still all exists. Servants rooms are on the second floor while the first level is full of a number of kitchens and pantries.The laundry, oddly enough, is located in this small house behind the servants wing.The house must have been very efficiently run as the kitchens feel almost commercial. The yard is a practical loading dock!Join me next week for a tour of the gardens, out-buildings and an additional house on the grounds which charmed the pants off me!