Weekend Getaway: Sunnyside on the Hudson

Washington Irving's Sunnyside

Why visit Sunnyside? If you’re looking for a bucolic retreat that’s only a short scenic drive by the Hudson River from Manhattan, then Sunnyside is a beautiful destination.  But don’t just come for the scenery; visit Sunnyside because it’s also the home of writer, Washington Irving. You may remember his chilling stories around Halloween – of headless horsemen and the time-travelling Rip Van Winkle. 

As a teen, Washington Irving went to live in the Hudson Valley area to escape a yellow fever outbreak in New York City.  In Tarrytown, he discovered the old Dutch ghost stories that eventually became the basis for his stories, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. 

Irving later traveled extensively throughout Europe, living in England, Germany, France, and Spain.  While he was in Spain, he received access to the Spanish archives, and as a result he was able to write a biography of Christopher Columbus and stories of Granada’s old Moorish palace, the Alhambra. Due to his book of the Alhambra, Irving was able to raise awareness of the deterioration of the palace and consequently managed to save the palace from decay. 

Lions Court at the Alhambra

Irving came back to the Hudson Valley and began work on his home. Sunnyside started out as a simple cottage and grew to incorporate Irving’s interpretations of Scottish Gothic Revival architecture and Spanish monastic buildings. Much of the house’s original interior design and furnishings is still intact.  Irving’s study, where he wrote his books, remains the same and in good condition.

Irving's study at Sunnyside

A 19^th-century costumed guide will give you a lively tour of the house and the grounds – which also include an ice-house and a Spanish tower. And when you're done touring Irving's house, take a walk through his estate. His house overlooks the Hudson and commands stunning views. 

Hudson River Valley 

Interested in learning more about architectural history?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.

Decorating Tips: Wall Decor

If you're looking for a different way to decorating your walls - take a look at these wall accessories. Instead of the usual paintings or prints, go for three-dimensional accessories.  Above we have a variety of floral decor, the silver and red flowers are made from metal and available from Joss & Main. The turquoise carving is from painted teak. Below we have colorful ceramic tiles with a raised sunflower motif - from Hayneedle. 

For a classical theme, try plaster relief panels.  This graceful urn from Restoration Hardware could top a fireplace mantel.  If you want an exotic theme, turn to this intricate Islamic pointed arch plasterwork from Hayles & Howe.  The panel can placed over a door or simply by itself on a wall. 

(Urn Plaster from Restoration Hardware)

Islamic arch from Hayles & Howe

If you really want creative control and a variety of configurations to choose from, take a look at the Wallter panels from Inmod.  These are light weight shapes that can be painted and positioned into different designs. Below is the Retro Hex shape and the Retro Teardrop shapes. 

Wallter Panel from Inmod

Wallter Panel from Inmod

Interested in learning more about accessories?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.

http://www.inmod.com

Antiques versus Reproductions

Dining room at Old Westbury Gardens

I’m frequently asked by budding interior design students – do I need to know about antique furniture? Many clients can’t afford it! Or another refrain:  I don’t understand the different styles of period furniture – help! To which I reply: Yes, you do need to know about antique furniture and yes, I can help you figure out the different nuances of the period styles. 

Antique furniture is very expensive – first, they are a limited supply, second, they’re usually made of rare (or even extinct) woods and finally because of their exquisite craftsmanship. Since antiques are limited but still sought after, furniture manufacturers have created reproductions of the popular styles. And this is where your expertise comes in handy. If you know how the original antiques looked like and how they were made, then you can better assess whether or not the furniture makers did a good job with the reproductions.

Let’s compare some originals and reproductions!

Louis XV Fauteuil from 1st DibsA popular French period style is the Louis XV style, also known as the Rococo style.  A Louis XV chair will feature a cabriole leg – an S-shaped leg – that is carved and decorated with shells or floral motifs.  The chair will also display the same carved motifs on its chair rail and seat rail. In the above photo, we have an original Louis XV antique fauteuil or armchair. Furniture of this period was made of expensive woods like walnut or oak. Chairs were typically upholstered in expensive silks.

Below we have a reproduction of the Louis XV style from Ethan Allen.  Their Chantel chair boasts of the same cabriole leg and the curved chair and seat rail but the details are simplified with none of the shell or floral motifs of the original. Also, the reproductions are made of a less expensive wood like maple or birch. In this case, the manufacturer did a wonderful job of recreating a Louis XV reproduction, albeit a simplified version.

Chantel chair from Ethan Allen

Stay tuned for next week's discussions on Antiques versus Reproductions!

Interested in learning more about antique furniture styles?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.

Weekend Getaway: Visiting Winterthur

Winterthur

Looking for a weekend trip idea?  Why not combine a weekend getaway with a little interior design education?  Winterthur is a beautiful 19^th century home of the du Pont family located in the picturesque Brandywine Valley region of Pennsylvania and Delaware.  What’s even more special about Winterthur is that it houses the largest collection of American period furniture and decorative arts and it is open to the public.

Period furniture, courtesy of Winterthur

Winterthur houses several galleries full of decorative objects such as ceramics, glass, textiles, furniture and paintings. The above photo shows exceptional examples of period furniture – including a Sheraton-style secretary, a Federal high chest of drawers, and a pie-crust tea table with a tilt top.   

Besides decorative objects, the mansion boasts of 175 rooms and several of them are decorated in authentic period furniture.  The Port Royal Parlor below is just one example. The parlor is full of Chippendale-style chairs, tea table, and high chest. 

Port Royal Parlor, courtesy of Winterthur

Besides beautiful interiors, Winterthur sits on a 60 acre estate filled with floral gardens, walkways, woods, and picnic spots. Don’t forget to include Winterthur in your weekend getaway plans!

Interested in learning more about the history of furniture periods?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories.

Book Contest: Win the Curtain Bible

Don't know what to do with your windows?  Do they pose problems in size or proportion?  Or are you just bored with the same old window treatment?  Katrin Cargill will offer you new and wonderful solutions in her book, the Curtain Bible.  She'll show you how to make roman shades, valances, sliding panels and more.  Cargill also demonstrates how to add special touches to ordinary curtains like scallops, pleats and fringes. She also provides a list of suppliers for your own window treatment projects. 

Win a Free Copy

To win the book, please leave a comment below letting us know what your favorite window treatment is and why and we’ll select a winner by Monday, July 8^th. We’ll contact the winner via email and announce the Curtain Bible book winner next week. Last week's winner of our Interior Transformations book was Lisa from North Carolina.