Design Post Update

Located in Bathurst, Australia (about a 3 hour drive west of Sydney) is Abercrombie House. This charming English country house style structure was built in the 1870s for William Stewart, the Lieutenant Governor General, or 2nd in command. Since 1969 it has been in the hands of the Morgan family who have restored the house and have it open to the public to help with funding for further care of the house.
Don't let "open to the public" fool you; this is a real family home which is probably the most interesting reason to visit the mansion.  Staid house museums can sometimes be a tad boring (even I'll admit that) and seeing an active family in residence and how they live in period style is the main attraction here.
This Victorian house mixes elements from many genres but Gothic Revival might be an appropriate moniker if one must be chosen.
Period details such as Gothic plaster arches and stained glass though proclaim the age of the house.
The furnishings are casual and old; nothing fussy. One might believe they have accumulated over generations of Stewarts.
The double parlor is of course very Victorian. Lovely plasterwork and colorful wallpaper lend the period aire.
The original marble mantel pieces really steal the show. Notice the Gothic door paneling to the left below. Piles of books and a fireplace..... heavenly.
 The grand dining room looks right out of a period drama.
 Much of the wallpaper is in fact original, including this William Morris wallpaper.
 The William Morris wallpaper in detail has lovely shades of brown, ivory, and gilding.
 The grand oak stair is lined with old family photographs.....
 which continue up to the landing. Notice the much narrower stair to the 3rd level.

It's lovely to see these old rooms LIVED in. One of the sons is interested in anthropology which is evident in his taxidermy filled bedroom.
 Notice the modern lamps mixed in amongst the antiques.
 Their other son occupies another cool and shady bedroom -also full of antiques.
 The very clean fireplace sadly doesn't look as if it has been used in years.
 The gardens, which occupy 50 acres, are frequent hosts to weddings and events.
 Notice the old green house at the rear of the house above along with utilitarian farm vehicles.
 Further out back are vintage Austin Princesses in 'storage'.
 Lovely old wrought iron surrounds the immediate gardens.
It's somehow reassuring in this age to see such houses really lived-in and in such time worn style! Thanks to Neal for supplying us with his gorgeous inspirational photos!

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.