WHAT'S A NICE VACATION AFTER WORKING IN SAN FRANCISCO?

NORTH CAROLINA - OF COURSE !!

A few days after my return from the San Francisco projects, my husband and I headed over to the mountains of North Carolina, one of our most FAVORITE places to be. Our first stop was Asheville, to re-visit the Biltmore Estate, during their annual Festival of Flowers. If you haven't been to the Biltmore lately, it's worth a trip. They've added a whole new section called Antler Hill Village, with outdoor activities, and you can visit their farm and winery as well. Next time we go, we are going to make it a 2-day pass, since there is so much to see. The second day is really a bargain. Check it out on http://www.biltmore.com/

Also an enhancement to your next visit:  watch the new British Masterpiece Classic: Downton Abbey, a 2010 seven part series on aristocratic and servant life.  This made the Biltmore come alive for us!

The gardens were wonderful, as usual, and we hit this beautiful section just in time to take advantage of the dramatic lighting on these outdoor sculptures. After we had walked down to the lake and back, the light had totally changed, and I was so glad I had snapped these photos at the perfect time. It was a gorgeous cool day in mid-May, with Carolina Blue sky.

One of the most impressive things going on at the Biltmore, from the interior designer's perspective, is the current work in historic preservation. There is now a section on the second floor of the main house that details the process for restoring some of the previously closed off rooms. Some of these rooms are now open on the tour, and others are currently undergoing transformation , to be opened in the near future.

This educational area on the second floor is worth reading every line in each of the kiosks. They have written explanations, films showing the processes, and actual examples of the materials that you can see, and in some cases feel. For example: learn how they discover what the wallpaper looked like in the original room, and then how they track down the company in France that can re-create that original pattern. Watch how the French artists hand color the paper, and hand block the designs. Another example: learn the same information regarding the handmade velvet fabric that covers the walls in Mrs. Vanderbilt's room at the front of the house, where she bore her children; and feel the velvet. See how they restore the old furniture and porcelain. Allow at least a whole hour for this section of the house. It's fascinating to trace the magnificent work they are doing. Also be sure to watch the film by the descendants of the Vanderbilts. This is a family home that they are sharing with us all. It's a great privilege to visit!!

Also, if you are interested in high quality fabrics from different periods, be sure to check out this site:
http://www.rentmeister-manufaktur.de/       This family owned business produces exquisite fabrics to order, and his client list includes european nobility, movie stars, the latest Harry Potter film, and ordinary people like us!..........

After our wonderful visit to the Biltmore, and a few quiet days at Chetola in Blowing Rock, we returned to interior design in Cary, refreshed by the beauty of the North Carolina mountains!