Christmas at Biltmore is sure to put you in a festive mood. I recently had the pleasure of attending the Biltmore candlelight tour and visiting the estate. If you’re not familiar with Biltmore, it is a large private estate with a grand mansion and beautiful property located in Asheville, North Carolina. Biltmore bills itself as “America’s Largest Home” and with over 4 acres of floor space and a total of 250 rooms I have to believe that must be the record. The below photo, which I took on a previous visit in the late summer, shows the impressive Châteauesque-style mansion.
Biltmore House was built by George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895. Today, it is privately owned by George Vanderbilt’s descendants. It operates as a historic house museum and welcomes over 1.4 million visitors each year. Biltmore is astonishing from many perspectives. Its mammoth size is mind boggling. Its location in the Blue Ridge Mountains is magnificent. This is the South Terrace Tea House which overlooks Mount Pisgah.
Biltmore’s architecture and craftsmanship are beautiful… ostentatious and over-the-top… but beautiful. The below photo showcases the outstanding carving on the limestone facade.
This statue and ornate staircase are on the South Terrace.
Here’s a closeup of one of the carved gargoyles.
Biltmore leaves me awestruck! But all that wonder is fleeting because, honestly, there’s not a lot that applies to my own home and surroundings. After all, who has (or would even want) a Banquet Hall with 70-foot ceilings and seating for 64?
The Banquet Hall has special significance in Biltmore’s Christmas traditions. George Vanderbilt formally opened Biltmore House on Christmas Eve in 1895 with a grand holiday housewarming party. According to the Galveston Tribune. “Mr. Vanderbilt is to entertain in his chateau 300 guests from New York, who will arrive by special train. The scene of mirth and happiness which the yule-tide season will witness in this modern Aladdin’s palace will be the realization of even that lucky man’s wildest dreams…” It became George Vanderbilt’s tradition to greet his guests in the Banquet Hall on Christmas afternoon. He and members of his family distributed gifts to 300-500 guests including estate workers and their families. Ahhhh…yes… an intimate Christmas gathering of 300 guests!
Regardless of the vast differences in lifestyle, I did manage to find a few ideas I could apply to my own home. I found inspiration in a series of natural wreaths in the Conservatory. The Biltmore Floral team installs nearly 500 wreaths and sprays around the estate. The vast majority of these are made of fresh white pine and Fraser fir and ornamented with natural materials. The vast majority of these are, also, much too grand for me. But the Conservatory wreaths are more modest and in scale with a typical house. Their natural embellishments caught my eye. I love how the color, texture and form of the natural materials are woven into the evergreen base.
This first wreath is decorated with Osage oranges (the strange bright green balls), dried lotus pods, red holly berries, variegated holly and some silver balls. The burlap bow is backed by dried flowering stems from some type of ornamental grass along with what-appears-to-be red Viburnum berries and red twig dogwood.
This next wreath features dried orange-colored fruit slices. At first, I thought the slices were oranges but after looking more carefully I discovered they are dried quince slices. The red berries appear to be the same Viburnum berries as on the previous wreath. The purple berries are from a shrub commonly called Beauty Berry (ie Callicarpa dichotoma). Also, there appear to be some holly leaves and purple muhly grass seed heads tucked in.
This next wreath is my favorite because of the cluster of dried Globe Amaranth blooms. Not only do these flowers contribute an unexpected vibrant magenta color but they also act as a bow. They are backed by dried flowering stems from some type of ornamental grass and some lovely taupe-colored feathers. The red berries appear to be Winterberry and the purple berries are the same Beauty Berry we saw in the previous wreath.
We typically buy a fresh evergreen wreath along with our Christmas tree at a local Christmas tree farm. But they’re usually only decorated with a simple red bow and rather lackluster. I think I’ll try some of these ideas and bring some Biltmore glamour to our home this year!
More Info
You can learn all about Biltmore on their website. Be sure to check out Open House the Official Blog of Biltmore for lots of interesting articles like this one about “Christmas at Biltmore 2018: By the Numbers“.
Details about the Biltmore Candlelight Christmas Tours are on the website. Plan in advance since several tour dates for 2018 are already sold out.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Consider visiting Biltmore if you have the opportunity.
2. House and garden tours can be a great source of ideas. Look for details to recreate/ re-imagine in your own home.
3. Incorporate natural elements into your home decor to add interest and personality.
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