Biltmore Estate opens new rooms

Photo from www.biltmore.com


Biltmore Estate will finish a three-year restoration and open a suite of four new bedrooms to the public on April 4, coinciding with the start of this year's Festival of Flowers (more on that tomorrow).

This suite includes the Louis XV Room which, according to the Biltmore Web site, is the heart of Biltmore. This is the room in which much of the Vanderbuilt family's daily lives were carried out, and where Cornelia Vanderbuilt Cecil's two sons were born.

The restoration was extensive, and according to a press release involved:

Piecing remnants of original wallpaper found underneath door moldings and drapery brackets to determine wallpaper patterns for the reproduction process;
Traveling to France to collaborate with fabric and wallpaper company designers to ensure the original fabrics were reproduced exactly;
Hours of cleaning and repairing the objects form George Vanderbilt’s collection;
Hand mixing of paints to match the original colors.

Some of the intent behind this restoration is to begin shifting the focus of guests' experience at Biltmore Estate towards family, guests, and daily life in the home.

Learn more about the restoration, watch videos, and see photos.