Design Post Update

Numerous courtyards contain different gardens and water features.
Each are slightly different reflecting the tastes of each ruler and the style of the day but all followed the rule of  making a 'paradise on earth'.
On this cold snowy day I could imagine spending a lot of time in Southern Spain!
The striking thing about each section are the numerous patterns and decoration employed.
The earliest patterns were Arabic inscriptions which morphed into geometric patterns.

No interior surface was left unadorned. Imagine the crews of artisans required to create all of this!
No two rooms are alike, no two ceilings are even the same shape!
Bright colors were also orginally used and many still survive.

Tilework is also a common decoration found throughout the Alhambra as well as most of Spain.
Glazed and painted or else laid into patterns.
I love the colorful herringbone floor above which appears to be laid with common subway tile nearly; so modern!
The complex lay abandoned for centuries, full of squatters and vandals. Renewed interest led to rehabilitation in the 19th century.
While this level of detail isn't something we aspire today I think we could learn a lot from the attention to detail.

Why don't we have World's Fairs anymore? They provided us with some of the worlds great monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and the entire City Beautiful movement. If you have any Beaux-Arts styled buildings in your city or town, such as a courthouse, museum, or townhall, you can thank the World's Fair movement!  I saw an exhibit on that at the National Building museum a few years ago and it was really an eye opening experience (read more about that and how it influenced modernism HERE).
Recently I was sent photographs of the Plaza de España in Seville, which was the centerpiece of the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929, by my Australian Penpal which really took my breath away.
This enormous plaza designed by Jean-Claude Nicolas Forestier contains fountains and a Venetian-style lazy river complete with boat rides, surrounded by a semi-circular building which now houses government offices.
At the base of the building designed by architect Anibal Gonzalez which surrounds the plaza are 48 alcoves which represent the provinces of Spain, seen in the image above. These have provided great photography fodder with Spanish tourists posing in front of the alcove representing their home province.
In true Spanish tradition albeit with an Art Deco twist, the ceiling of the loggia is beautifully patterned.
Lets step inside the main building to the central staircase, setting of many Spanish weddings. The image below shows why!
The tilework of painted encaustic tiles is beautiful and lends human scale to the otherwise massive stair.
As if one needed another reason to visit sunny Spain, be sure to check out the Plaza de España in Seville!

Details matter. Details are what separate a mansion from a mcmansion, a generic box from a lovely structure, a house from a home. They need not be as ornate or historic as those at the Musee Nissim de Camondo in Paris but any good architect or designer will fill a home with lovely touches that will separate the wheat from the chaff.
The stairhall that I mentioned yesterday HERE features this lovely plaster painted to appear as limestone blocks. Notice how each individual block, separated by the thin white 'mortar' lines, is a slightly different tone of French gray? This adds depth and texture to the walls and adds to the illusion of real stone walls.
I warned there would be many light fixture photographs -here is one of them! These Classical gilded sconces line the stairhall.
The above image captures the curtains in the main salon and the boiserie. Notice the many different subtle shades of color picking out the detailing. Nothing high contrast mind you - subtle.
The boiserie in the dining room are also picked out in many colors. The color is softer in real life and less 'lettuce'.
 The relatively simple iron railing leading up to the private 2nd floor is probably my favorite.
 The perfect sconces line this intimate stair.
The interior halls on the 2nd floor which don't benefit from windows still are flooded with natural light from skylights. Notice how the chandelier is hung from the lay-light.
I love the worn finish on this simple door on the 2nd floor corridor with such elegant minimal hardware. Now you have to visit the museum yourself to pick out more lovely details to share!

While in England visiting 40 country houses, my penpal visited one of the most famous houses in the world (seen in my previous posting the Chairs of Chatsworth), Chatsworth House.
More of a palace really, Chatsworth House has been home to the Dukes of Devonshire since 1549. Over the years it has been rebuilt and grown numerous times, encompassing many architectural styles. The most commonly seen view, above, was possibly designed by the 1st Duke, William Cavendish, or by architect Thomas Archer.
The gatehouse was constructed by the 6th duke. The 3 gates serve different purposes. The lefthand gate serves the service areas, the central main gate leads one to the main north entrance of the house, and the gate to the far right is the gate still used by the family privately which leads one to the original west facade entrance.
The iron gates are lavishly gilded.
The large 2 story wing off the main house, seen above and below, was also constructed by the 6th Duke with architect Jeffry Wyatville, doubling the size of the house. It ends at the Belvedere Tower seen above.
As you can see, Neil visited on a typical cloudy day, but it doesn't dampen the beauty of Chatsworth.
One can see the original gilded windows in the original bulk of the house. The view above and below is of the courtyard.
The stylish black and white marble floors were laid by the 5th duke in 1779. The 6th Duke added the ground floor windows. Every Duke added something!
The painted murals were designed by architect William Talman and depict scenes from the life of Julius Caesar.
 This metal stair dates from 1912 and was designed by W. H. Romaine-Walker.
The dining room is in the wing added by the 6th Duke and faces east. The current duke likes to add his mark to the house, as have his fore-bearers, and has artists work modern art exhibits throughout the house (one seen on the dining table above).
 The English certainly know how to do grand!
There are so many treasures that they are displayed on every surface throughout the 126 rooms (sometimes I feel this way about my own apartment!).  The  sunlit corridor leading to the chapel is lined with works of art.

The library was installed by the 6th Duke into a space built as the 'long gallery' by the 1st Duke. It still wasn't large enough for his always-expanding library and they overflow into adjoining rooms.
On the great stair even the metal railing is a work of art. It was made by Jean Tijou, a French ironworker, who worked for William III.
 The baroque ceiling above the great stair was painted by Antonio Verrio.
The upper stairhalls are as beautiful as any of the ground floor public spaces.
 Each guest room is more beautiful than the last. Many of the guest rooms feature the chinoiserie wallpaper installed by the 6th Duke. Chinoiserie was popular in the Regency period just as it is now proving what goes around comes around!
 No detail is overlooked, even in the bedcurtains.
 The tassels on the curtains are works of art in themselves.
 The guest rooms all start to look alike, but all beautiful.
While many of the furnishings date to the Regency period, notice the mix of items that have been added over time.
 This hand-painted wallpaper is really stunningly beautiful.

 The sculpture gallery was also added in the 19th century and is the largest room in the house.
The south sketch gallery, in a very familiar green, is dedicated to the 5th Duke and his famous wife, Georgiana.
 So much care was taken in the details added to the curtains that it seems a shame not to feature them.
 The collections of luxe housewares from the time period are astounding.
The displays in these rooms were recently changed to reflect the tastes of the time in which they were built.
The embossed leather wallpaper in the background is truly stunning and a rich backdrop to the tableau.
The delftware vases above would have been at the height of technology and fashion of the time.
The state music room above features more embossed leather wallpaper.
The private closet seen above, or boudoir, would have been the most private of state apartments -reserved for the King and Queen's personal use.
Did you know you could STAY at Chatsworth? Not in the house itself sadly but in one of many outbuildings, including the amazing Hunting Tower (future birthday trip for myself?)! Thanks to Neil as always for sharing his beautiful pictures with us all!
For more information be sure to check out the 2007 article on Chatsworth at Architectural Digest.