Friday, February 22, 2013

Stunning Empty Manse




Yesterday, 
I got to go to 
a local magazine photo shoot
to assist my friend and her husband,
a wonderful chef,
to stage a dining room table
in this magnificent home 
 perched on a bluff
high above the shores 
of Lake Michigan.






I had been in the home 
 a couple of times 
in the last fifteen years.








The first time
I attended a ladies' tea
hosted by the owner at the time,
and the second time
(a month ago) 
 a holiday fundraiser was held
in the now empty home for sale.



The house was built in 1915.
There are now 12 bedrooms,
but it originally had 20.
But even nearly empty,
the house is stunning.

Three floors of loveliness.





This is the bar in one of the rooms. Caned wood panels slide up into an opening above . See the photo below and you will see what the wall looks like when the panels are pulled down.





Main staircase to second and third floors.




We were there 
for hours 
and I was so excited
to be able to take 
 many shots of the details 
to share with all of you.

I was in heaven.
Truly.



The library.

If walls could talk.








So if you 
do not like architecture,
feel free to skip this post!




No ghosts in the window today, though rumors claim that they have been seen  




The house is stupendous.
(Not a word I use very often.)


The mirrored dining room.



NOTE: The realtor supplied the linens and dishes in this shot. They are not
what I would have provided to reflect the grandeur of the room and the home.
This shot was taken hours before the food and drinks were added.


 The furniture in the home belongs to the current owners who are selling the house.
Most rooms are completely empty.


Back staircase.

Master bath -- the bath tub room only. Perfect view of the lake.

Wall and ceiling details.

Formal living room,



They just don't make them
like this anymore.



One of two parlors. The photo shoot for the magazine was staging a
wedding fashion spread in 1920's style. 




Looking out the living room windows to the west, away from the lake views. 

The other side of the room had the lake views.



Just walking through this home
 is a gift to behold.

One can only imagine what it must have
been like to live there in its day.





Enjoy.



Pay no attention to the gal behind the camera!


Close-up of the vanity in one of the entry power rooms,



Can you imagine a wedding here?

A gorgeous backdrop even in its undecorated state of abandonment.



A day 
and a home 
I shall never forget.



Thanks for stopping by.
Hope you enjoyed the tour.

xox
A




38 comments:

NanaDiana said...

What an awesome, awesome house! It is just gorgeous- xo Diana

Debra@CommonGround said...

just amazing!

Lynne (lynnesgiftsfromtheheart) said...

What an incredibly beautiful home, thanks for taking us on the tour. I know you had a blast spending so much time there. hugs ~lynne~

Anonymous said...

Oh, lucky you! What a house! It is gorgeous and what a treat to get to walk through all of the rooms!
Thanks for sharing.
Be a sweetie,
Shelia ;)

The French Tangerine said...

wow. wow. wow. This is the most amazing post I've seen in a while. Anywhere! My goodness, what a treat! Just amazing and I thank you for taking such wonderful photos and sharing! I'm in heaven over here and just might go to bed with this as nothing can get better from here..
And again I say, wow!
XOXO
Jan

At Rivercrest Cottage said...

thanks for sharing a glimpse of this fantastic house. what a treat!

Sarah said...

An incredible opportunity, Alison, and you were so thoughtful to take photos to share with us. Amazing to think that people actually lived in homes like this in our country. Thanks for taking us along. I always enjoy seeing architecture and interiors.

The enchanted home said...

Wow..how amazing! Such a beautiful stately elegant home and I ate up every delicious detail. It drew me right in with that incredible front door and hardware!! Incredible indeed.

At Home in English Valley said...

Alison, Thank you for sharing this amazing home, but especially for me the view of Lake Michigan. Our favorite Drive is down Sheridan Road hrough the North Shore where beautiful homes like this line each side of the road. I am not interested on the street side, but the lake side...Oh to wake up to the view of he lake every morning! Your tour was amazing. Thanks Alison! Love, Penny

Ron said...

Gorgeous details. Did you make an offer to purchase the home? You could have a field day in there. Thanks for the tour. xo

therelishedroost said...

THat is unbelievable, not detail is overlooked! Stunning!
XO Karolyn

Richard Cottrell said...

Shades of Downton Abby. See what people could do before income tax! leave it to the stealing government to kill all the fun. While this is not my favorite style of house, it is over the top beautiful and wonderful and full of the best materials and details. I would have been fun to lived there during the day when there was a real amount of money to support it in the style and favor that it was meant to be lived in. I am like you, the table setting could have been better for that period and time. Not bad, but rather mundane. I even thought the dress was a little simple and her flowers not much. i'd loved to had been there, you were lucky and I would have loved to been able to work behind the scene and showed them how to really style that place up. Thanks for sharing. Richard from My old Historic House.

laney said...

..oh my...it takes my breath away...what stories indeed could this house reveal...can you tell us about the original owners...who the architect was...the builder...there is something magical about being in an empty house of years...the people of its past swirling around you...their dreams and sorrows tugging at your heart...the emptiness is a bonus...there is no clutter of objects...the house alone is telling its story...

The French Hutch said...

Yes indeed, a grand old house! I always enjoy touring old homes Alison so what a treat. I love the details of these old homes. I can't imagine living in a home so stunning! Thanks for the tour.

~Emily
The French Hutch

Blondie's Journal said...

Thanks so much for the tour, Alison. This home is just stunning. Without the furniture the details really show. I can imagine the price tag on this beauty!

XO,
Jane

debra @ 5th and state said...

this architecture buff is gobsmacked! have always dreamt of going in some of those wonderful old manse's along the lake and this tour was extraordinary!! felt as though i was in england with those ceilings, linen fold doors, leaded glass windows........oh my, oh my alison, thank you for the tour
debra

joanne said...

what a wonderful tour of an amazing place! and what beautiful care it has seen....can you share a bit of the history of the house and its orginal owners? who was it built for? i cannot imagine living in such grandeur...there were so many wealthy people during that period who had money and class....thank you so much for sharing this marvelous treat....lake michigan is one of my favorite spots...

joanne nixon

Rose L said...

WOW! stunning place. So, are you gonna make an offer on the place? :^)
It would be great for weddings and charity events and such. I would have loved more photo's!!

Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces said...

This home is beyond exquisite...thanks so much for sharing it with us! They really don't make anything close to it anymore!
(P.S. What's the asking price? I might be interested...LOL)

Miss Char said...

I sure hope this exquisite home gets a new family soon, it looks so beautiful as she waits. Thanks for the tour.

nccmrm97 said...

Just found you through Enchanted Home blog. Definitely glad I clicked on over! This place is beautiful, and I love the wedding picture at the end.

Bliss said...

When you went to bed that night did you drift off redecorating that huge house?

Bliss

Karen said...

Alison,
This house is stunning. It's hard to imagine something with this much detail and craftsmanship being built today. Thank you for such a wonderful tour.
Karen

Cindy @ Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home said...

I can't find a good word ... beautiful just doesn't cut it! It has to be amazing to see all that wood detail, marble and all up close...such a treat! Thanks for sharing!
Cindy

Patricia said...

What grandeur and absolute beauty ! I would love to know the story of the family that built the home. I don't think you would ever find such craftmanship/workmanship in any home built today ! Not only is it stunningly beautiful, but it appears to have been lovingly cared for....

Thank you for sharing your lovely photos !

Betsy said...

Wow!! what an amazing place. It reminds me of Agecroft hall here in Richmond , Va built in England in 15th century and brought here in 1925 or so and re assembled.
I would love to know more about the home - love the wood on the walls.
Thank you for sharing as I love touring beauties like this.
Betsy

Tartan Terrace said...

This house is beyond gorgeous and so are your photos, Alison! Thanks for such a beautiful post.

Karena said...

Thank you Alison. The Architectural details are stunning, it would cost an absolute fortune even if one could find these superb craftsmen in this day and age!

Love and Hugs,

Karena
Art by Karena

Betty Marie's said...

Oh My! I can't come up with the words to describe this gorgeous estate!
It would be very interesting to know all the history those walls hold.
Thank you for sharing this!
BettyMarie

Gail Peterson said...

Is this house in Kenosha? I would love to know what is on the market for? I saw a home that looks similar in Kenosha on the lake. It is truly a beautiful estate!
Thank you!
xo,
Gail
CasualLovesElegance

Calypso In The Country said...

Wow Alison, that is an amazing place! Thanks for the tour! The moldings and windows are so impressive!
-Shelley

Unknown said...

Enjoyed it???
I'm over the top in love with this post!!!
You know how much I love historical home - Betsy this is just spectacular!!!
I'm going to be here for a while happily pinning away!!!
Big hugs, ( lots of exclamation points - can't help it - that's what this post did to me lol )
Suzan

Unknown said...

Stunning.... just stunning. The fresh pink roses contrasting the older elements in the room were lovely. Thanks so much for sharing. Yes - a wedding in this house would absolutely be a fairy tale. Michelle / newengland-style.com

zanetastyle said...

Hello ...you are a very lucky lady! So increadible, yes they don't build like this anymore...it is sad. Thank you for the peek, I miss doing / styling photo shoots sometimes too, being a stylist, it would be a dream location to create a dream wedding story...I was lucky to get married in a small chateau in a 20's dress ((: so it brings memories...but seriously, how cool was the front door! Right now we are getting ours custom made...it will be a 14th century double door and I can't wait...
have a great week, hugs Z

Terri~terrileeauthor said...

OMG!!! You are the luckiest girl on the planet. I would have been in heaven, too. I cannot imagine having hours to wander about the large home and to have all the time in the world to let the walls speak to you.
Stupendous.....is probably as good a word as any. The ceilings are to die for. I will be spending much time pouring over these photos over and over again, because I want to drink in every gorgeous detail. Alison, you're a doll for sharing this.
xo
Terri

Ricki Treleaven said...

Heck, yeah! I enjoyed the tour very much! What a lovely home. I appreciate your putting the post together for us!

xo,
RJ

Kim @ French Country Antiques said...

This is a magnificent home and I love architecture. Yes, you are right, they don't make them like this any more.

The Tablescaper said...

Wow! Hard to say anything else. Just amazing.

- The Tablescaper