Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-30
copyright, 1881

ROOM OF MRS. CORNELIUS VANDERBILT
copyright. 1881
The Renaissance, as we derive it in this coun-
Try, comes through the French rather than
moEe directly from the land of its birth. Italy.
The most prominent influence is that of the
transitional period from the French gothic
into the renaissance, which was at its height
during the reign Of Francis 1. OF this there
are some magnificent examples in New York city,
The lofty vaults, the arches, the professional
pillars and cold splendOr Of materials that dis
tinguished Italian interiors do not adapt easily
either to our climate or our manner of living
unless it shall yet prove to the contrary on the
Pacific coast and in the land of gold. There
are, however, some examples of houses and of
decoration of which Italy is the direct inspira-
ton, and these are surpassed in magnificeuce
by nothing else in this country. One of these
Is the Willard house, now the property of Mr.
Whitelaw Reid. Another is the water-color
room Of Mr. Cornelius Vanderbilt to which
may be added the details of the dinng-room
consisting of work of a kind not done before in
three centuries.
THE WILLARD HOUSE
is almost the only example of consistent adj
herence to one style, for in most Of our fine
houses we are given samples, as it were. of the
different decorative schools and periods and
with an lmpartlallty which ought to prove their
owners truly cosmopolitan The Willard house
Is one wing OF group of seven houses that
have been distributed within the proportions
OF an Italian palace. The house was built at
a time when Queen Anne was rampant and its
calm exterior and straight lines were at first
Disappointing to people who had been edu-
Gated toward gables and flying forms. The en-
trance is through the CONT. The vestibule is
large and lofty. and gives the note of the house.
1t is lined with Siena marble with deep frieze
or marble mosaic In upright slender floral
oil
and broad marble steps lead up to glittering
glass doors that open into the main hail
The hall runs at right angles, and into the
central room of the drawing room suite at one
end, and into the music room at the other.
Here 1t broadens and receives the wide sweep
OF the marble stairway. AS will be seen this
length allows for that rare thing in an American
house, vista, in this case one that does not do
violence to the adjective palatial. The hall has
superb proportions, and il Is hoored lined and
ceiled with marble. But in justice to the archi-
tects and decorators one must add that the first
impression Is not of magnihceuce of material,
but OF color, light, gay. cheerful color. This is
acquired very subtly, for there are no positive
tnts used
FEATURES OF THE HALL.
The marble is Siena, the SOFT warm, creamy
tint OF which Is so agreeable. The side walls are
paneled and the panels separated by narrow
strips of lighter tinted marble. The ceiling
! consists Of a series of shallow vaults, carried
down to the side walls. and these are orna-
mented with shells, garlands, and ribbons i'll
marbles of lighter tint. The principal feature
of the hall is the fireplace, above which is a
hemicycle containing the gracious figure of
Hospitality, with two smaller attendant figures
these were modelled by Mr.. Augustus Saint
Gaudens and are carved in low relief Bal
ancing this panel is another oppo-
site, containing an heraldic emblem,
with its legend in marble mosaics
Where the grand staircase enters the walls are
carried up two flights to a ceiling composed of
panels hiled with flowing ornaments in relief.
The walls are lined half way up with Siena
marble. The stairs are marble and each men,
Der OF the balustrade is Of marble cut in some
different design. But the beautiful and salient
feature OF the stairway is the clock placed in
the wall above the wide spaces of the lower
landing. This Is carved in the marble paneling
In the form of square made Of the signs of the
zodiac In low relief. These indicate the hours
In the center Of the panel, amid waving silver
rays, are the clock hands, and above these the
silver-rayed pendulum flashes across the
creamy marble. table of white holly and a
nan seat reproduce as nearly as possible the
tlnts OF the marble.
IN THE DRAwING-RooM.
Some one has said that to go from this hall
into the drawing-room was to emerge from a
bath OF peaches and cream to one of strawber-
rles and cream. This is crude but effective
| way of suggesting the two color effects and the
pecullarlty IN each case is that the color does
not seem to belong to the fiat surfaces but to
stain the air. In the hall ii results from the
two-hued marbles so inextricably mingled La
the drawlng-room 1t is resultant tint from
mahogany, white wood and the embroidered
silken hangings.
The drawlng-room consists of three rooms
or rather 1t is one room separated by panels
and pillars into three divisions. The pillars,
Pllasters ana walnscotlng are mahogany, but
the wood is everywhere only the basis for Or
nament. This consists of light graceful designs,
in lnlays OF white wood and mother of pearl
and amid its interlacings the monogram Ii. V.
The wall panels are hung with light yellow silk
covered with an all over design embroidered in
red or with these tnts reversed. The furniture il
upholstered in the same manner. The msntels
make panels of great beauty. The inlays are
ut for museum prices; the fire faclngs are of
Mexican onyx. Such O room, as may be
imagined, is sufficient for itself, and is lnhos-
pitable for bric-a- brac pictures, and the usual
adornments Of a drawing-room.
THE DININa-RooM
is opposite the grand staircase and ia entered
through double oak doors. One end of the
room is recessed by perforated screen of oak
into q small breakfast-room. The mantel is of
Verona marble, copied from an old Italian
piece, and has q procession Of buffaloes COW
cred in low relief as frieze. The walls are
wainscoted to the ceiling in small panels, plain
except where they merge into the frieze, as
German legends written in inlays. The ceiling
is spanned by cross-beams, and within these
are color decorations Of garlands and women's
faces, executed by Mr.. Francis H. Lathrop.
The end Of the room is paneled to the ceiling
figures, 10Y hospitality" and ''modera-
ton" The peculiarly Of these figures is that
they are full length, but seated, the arms clasp
ing the knees In this manner they form bold
medallions that are connected by broad rib
bons. On each side of the mantel are inches
marbla w haa 10,
represent dolphins plunging downward be-
meath ripping water. From these inches the
Croton, purified and refrigerated, is intended
to dow.