As we continued our tour of Chateau Sur Mer, a photo of the original 1852 home and the subsequent 1873 renovation.
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This portrait of the owner and his daughter creeped me out a bit.
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I can’t give you any specific reason, just an overall vibe.
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The dining room was a focal point of the home , with the upper part of the walls covered in Spanish leather that was stamped, silvered and painted.
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It’s all original and in relatively good shape.
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The matching chairs show a lot more wear.
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The fireplace carvings were lavish.
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With French majolica portraying disturbing scenes of a hunt.
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Cavorting Bacchus figures are enjoying some wine…
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With this amply endowed creature pouring.
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This sculpture gazes longingly at an iced tub of champagne and I got the feeling a lot of drinking went on here.
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Chateau Sur Mer is a house of exotic wood. And in order to prevent it from fading, most of the heavy drapes in the house are drawn. This made for some very dark photos and required me to edit them here so you can appreciate the richness.
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The butlers pantry was fully stocked.
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With some absolutely amazing silver.
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Nothing I own is anywhere near this elaborate…
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And I still have a hard time keeping it polished.
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I wouldn’t doubt there was a servant whose sole job was keeping this collection shiny.
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Finished with the downstairs …
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We made our way around the central hall …
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And headed for the staircase, which was a work of art in itself.
Day four Newport, Rhode Island trip, part two… morning balcony selfie.
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First thing on the agenda that day was Chateau Sur Mer.
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Meaning Castle By The Sea, the home is a landmark of High Victorian architecture, furniture, wallpapers, ceramics and stenciling. It was the most palatial residence in Newport from its completion in 1852 until the appearance of the Vanderbilt houses in the 1890s.
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One of the first grand “cottages” on Bellevue Avenue, its lavish and extravagant parties ushered in the Gilded Age of Newport.
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From the outside it felt almost gothic.
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And beside the front door?
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One of those marvelous ancient weeping birches I keep admiring.
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This one had a canopy that delivered you into another world when you ducked under it.
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It was fabulous.
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During a conversation with a docent on our previous trip, we asked him which of the mansions was his favorite.
Being a woodworker, he said Chateau Sur Mer.
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Just a few steps inside revealed why.
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A three story 45 foot ceiling with broad balconies draws your eyes up.
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The Italianate library was designed and built in Italy, disassembled and rebuilt here for the owner, William Shepard Wetmore, whose portrait is in the foreground.
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The owl was shocked.
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The home is one of only a few year round residences and I cringe to think what it cost to heat.
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The marble hall served as an exhibition space and gallery for art and sculpture.
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The ballroom was also known as the Gold Salon.
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As the walls and moulding are highlighted with gold leaf.
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Elaborate entertaining was done here.
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With some guest lists exceeding 2,500 people.
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Where there's only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.
River's world..... 