Gilded Source Collection

We are getting ready for our NEXT catalog - yes, it's getting warmer outside but we are gearing up for Fall and Winter 2011!  And what better backdrop than a Gilded Age Mansion in the Berkshires?!

Our Creative Director, Barry Webber will participate in Ventfort Hall's Designer Showcase, with opening reception scheduled for June 4th, 2011. His invitation is our chance to showcase our latest offerings and add three new "rooms" to our collection.  

"Ventfort Hall is one of Lenox’s (Massachusetts) largest Gilded Age mansions, a 28,000-square-foot summer cottage built in 1893 for George and Sarah Morgan, the sister of legendary financier J. Pierpont Morgan. Nearly demolished in the mid 1990s, Ventfort Hall has undergone massive restoration at the same time that it has become one of the county’s major cultural venues offering tours, lectures, theater, exhibitions, concerts, children’s programs, dances, a gift shop, Picnics on the Porch…and now a Berkshire Designer Showcase."
- gildedage.org

Fabled Front Porch, note the restoration work - to the left

Historical Image of Porch, overlooking the sprawling front lawn

Exterior View

Historic Interior View of Staircase

Historic Carriage House

"Described at the time of its completion as “one of the most beautiful places in Lenox,” the house had “28 rooms, including 15 bedrooms, 13 bathrooms and 17 fireplaces.” Typical of the period, the interior features a soaring three-story great hall and staircase with wood paneling detailing. Other rooms include an elegant salon, paneled library, a dining room, a billiard room and bowling alley. It was designed with all the latest modern amenities, numerous ingeniously ventilated bathrooms, combined gas and electric light fixtures, an elevator, burglar alarms and central heating. The property contained several outbuildings, including two gatehouses, a carriage house/stable and six greenhouses."
- gildedage.org

Barry is outfitting a room formally believed to be a gentleman's dressing room with selections for a "Traveler's Study." Here is an excerpt from the program:

"Just as homes of the Gilded Age were ripe with the finest finishes, exotic woods and fine craftsmanship, our room brings a refined, luxe collection of eclectic furnishings and accessories back to Ventfort Hall. Inspired by the world travels of the Morgan family, we envision the discerning and selective eye of Sarah seeking out superior examples of craftsmanship that shaped Ventfort Hall’s opulent decorative appeal. Although not a period restoration, our Traveler’s Study exemplifies a new traditional style befitting of period architecture.



Centering our room is an exquisite custom upholstered sofa in rich brown leather, a quilted velvet bench cushion, and spice-toned bespoke paisley and cat-print pillows finished with a brush fringe. The tight back of our sofa emphasizes the character of the room’s unusually shaped windows. We chose a traditional wing chair in non-traditional tiger print velvet to oppose the sofa and flank the period fireplace. A perching chair in brightly-hued Indian crewel motif alludes to fascinating travels and finishes the seating area. The generous fireplace and proportionate furniture grouping provides an ideal setting for what we can imagine are lengthy conversations about exploration, discovery, and enlightenment."

Artist rendering of "Traveler's Study"

Would you like to visit? The opening reception is on Saturday, June 4, from 3pm to 8pm. Thereafter, the Showcase will remain open daily for nearly eight months until January 15, 2012, weekdays from 10am to 5pm, on Fridays until 7pm and weekends from 10am to 3pm. Visit the Ventfort Hall website for more information. -ERB