GALLERY EXCLUSIVE 360-DEGREE PHOTOS: See three guest suites decorated for the holidays

Biltmore House, in Asheville, North Carolina At 175,000 square feet, Biltmore is the largest home in the United States. The 104-year-old estate, now decorated for Christmas, opened four new rooms for public viewing in July.

December 13, 1999
Web posted at: 12:51 p.m. EST (1751 GMT)

By Laurel Shannon
CNN Interactive Arts&Style Editor

(CNN) -- As any homeowner knows, redecorating is no easy process. Before pulling out the paintbrushes or ushering in the carpet crew, there's planning -- months of poring over paint chips, furniture catalogs and magazine clippings.

It's enough to provoke trepidation in all but the most seasoned (or foolhardy) homeowner. Apply that to a century-old mansion that's an icon of American domestic architecture, and you have an idea of what staffers at Biltmore Estate faced when they decided to renovate four guest suites in the historic home.

Completed in 1895, the 250-room Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, is the largest private home in the United States. It belonged to George Washington Vanderbilt III, heir to an industrial fortune that made him one of the richest men of his time. He commissioned as his architect Richard Morris Hunt, who designed the pedestal for the Statue of Liberty and the main facade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of New York's Central Park, laid out the sprawling grounds.

Vanderbilt opened his new home to family and friends for the first time on Christmas Eve, 104 years ago.

The four renovated guest suites -- now decorated for Christmas as they might have been that festive night -- are the most recently opened of more than 90 rooms on public display. The project took more than three years and a good deal of domestic detective work to complete.

Vanderbilt named the rooms for artists and works of art represented in his vast collection: Van Dyck, a 17th-century Flemish painter; Madonna, a tribute to masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance; Morland, an 18th-century English landscape artist; and Watson, an 18th-century engraver. All four of the rooms have private baths -- an unprecedented luxury at the turn of the century -- and it's believed the suites were designated for single female guests.

Read about the renovations and see our exclusive 360-degree photos:

Watson Room	Explore a 360-degree view
	A butler's log gave curators essential information about renovating the neoclassic Watson room. A housekeeping record from the 1930s mentions twin walnut beds in the room. With only one set of twin beds in storage, the curators knew they had a match. The main fabric in the room -- a bold pattern of irises -- was reproduced from vintage drapery. Look for it on the two side chairs in the 360-degree view.
Morland Room	Explore a 360-degree view
	In the Morland Room, a tattered canopy turned out to be a treasure map. Searching Biltmore's textile collection, curators found two matching drapery panels in excellent condition. Research suggests the fabric -- a lively, hand-painted pattern of animals and flowers -- was created in India in the early 19th century and exported to Persia. The unique, non-repeating pattern would have been impossible to re-create mechanically, so the estate hired a local textile artist to reproduce the rare fabric by hand. The process took a year-and-a-half. The exotic pattern enhances the rococo feel of the room. See it in 360 degrees
Madonna Room	Explore a 360-degree view
	Gold and dark-wood accents set the stage for a luxurious Christmas display in the Madonna Room. Reflecting its name, the suite is arrayed with prints of Italian Renaissance masterpieces, as well as an intricately carved Italian-style wedding chest. The wallpaper, a reproduction of the original, looks like fabric woven with gold threads. Gold roping and cotton damask complete the rich feel of the room. See it in 360 degrees
Van Dyck Room
	A 1919 re-wallpapering job presented a challenge in restoring the Van Dyck Room. Curators were about to give up hope of discovering the original wallcovering when they found remnants under some molding. Matching the scraps to a pattern found in the estate archives, they were able to execute an exact reproduction. The terra cotta-colored floral pattern sets the tone for the suite, with its deep green accents and mahogany chest and bed. The fireplace mantel was preserved in its original two-tone green.

Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, North Carolina, is specially decorated for Christmas in turn-of-the-century style with more than 35 Christmas trees and hundreds of wreaths and poinsettias. The house is open daily except Christmas Day and Thanksgiving Day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $32.95 (adult), $24.50 (children ages 10-15) and free for children 9 and under with paying parent. Through January 1, the house is open 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for special Christmas candlelight tours. Call 800-289-1895 for holiday-season reservations, or 800-543-2961 for general information. Or visit the Biltmore Estate Web site.

 RELATED STORY:

CNN Travel Destinations: Asheville, North Carolina
September 1997

 RELATED SITES:

Biltmore Estate
     Christmas events
     Vanderbilt family history

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