1322 - Interior Craftwork
January 27-February 2, 2003 | July 28-August 3, 2003
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HI. I'M BOB VILA.
WELCOME HOME AGAIN
TO OUR CENTER-ENTRY
COLONIAL PROJECT.
TODAY, WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING
SOME TIME INSIDE THE HOUSE
SHOWING YOU SOME BEAUTIFUL
ANTIQUE STENCILING TECHNIQUES.
ALSO, A TRIP
DOWN TO WINTERTHUR,
AN AMERICAN COUNTRY ESTATE
IN THE BRANDYWINE VALLEY,
WHERE WE'LL BE LOOKING
AT ANTIQUE INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
AND BEAUTIFUL ANTIQUES.
STICK AROUND. IT'S GOOD
TO HAVE YOU HOME AGAIN.
CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY
SEARS
WELL, WE'RE WITH
LESLIE CURTIS AGAIN,
WHO'S HELPED US WITH ALL
OUR INTERIOR TREATMENTS,
AND, LESLIE,
THIS IS A TRADITIONAL
STENCILING JOB, RIGHT?
THIS STENCIL IS FROM
THE KINGSBURY HOUSE
IN BROOKFIELD,
VERMONT.
SO IT'S A HISTORIC
DOCUMENTED PATTERN?
IT'S AN ACCURATE,
HISTORICALLY
DOCUMENTED PATTERN
FROM THE EARLY
19th CENTURY.
NOW THE COLONIALS
ARE--
THE COLONISTS,
AS WE CALL THEM.
THEY COULDN'T
ALL AFFORD TO HAVE
CHINESE WALLPAPERS
IN THEIR PARLORS,
RIGHT?
ABSOLUTELY NOT,
AND THIS WAS
A WONDERFUL WAY
FOR PEOPLE
OF MODEST MEANS
TO HAVE
A DECORATIVE TOUCH
TO THEIR ROOMS.
AND, BOY, THEY DID
A BEAUTIFUL JOB.
AND THEY DID
A WONDERFUL JOB,
AND IT LOOKS
WONDERFUL TODAY
200 YEARS--
150 YEARS LATER.
RIGHT.
AND, OF COURSE,
YOU GET STENCILS
NOWADAYS
THAT REPRODUCE THESE
HISTORIC PATTERNS,
BUT YOU ALSO CAN MAKE
YOUR OWN CHOICE OF COLORS,
AND HERE, WE'VE USED
A FRENCH BLUE
AND COMBINED IT
WITH AN OCHER.
AND A LITTLE
CARDAMON RED.
A LITTLE BIT
OF RED IN THERE
TO MAKE IT
A LITTLE BIT LIVELIER.
AND THEN OVER HERE
IN THIS CORNER,
WE'LL INTERRUPT
OUR ARTISAN KEN FORCIER,
AND, KEN,
BEFORE WE ASK YOU
ABOUT TECHNIQUE,
LET ME ASK YOU ABOUT
THE STENCILS THEMSELVES.
I MEAN, THESE ARE NOT
OILED PAPER.
THESE ARE LIKE A MODERN
PLASTIC, RIGHT?
YES, THEY ARE.
THEY'RE LASER-CUT IN MYLAR.
NOW, WHERE DO YOU
GET THESE?
THESE STENCILS THAT
WE'RE WORKING WITH HERE
CAN BE ORDERED THROUGH
MB HISTORIC DECOR.
THEY'RE A MAIL-ORDER COMPANY
OUT OF VERMONT.
IF YOU LOOK BEHIND YOU
ON THE TABLE,
YOU'LL SEE THE PATTERN
WE'RE WORKING WITH TODAY.
FROM THE DAVID
KINGSBURY HOUSE.
OK. SO THAT
THE UPPER PORTION
ABOVE THE CHAIR RAIL
IS MEANT TO BE
THESE VERTICAL SECTIONS,
AND BELOW
THE CHAIR RAIL,
THEY HAD INDIVIDUAL TREES,
ACTUALLY, RIGHT?
THAT'S CORRECT.
BUT WHAT YOU'RE WORKING
ON RIGHT NOW ARE...
THE OVERMANTEL, WHICH YOU
SEE ON THE OTHER PAGE.
AND THE OVERMANTEL
IS A BEAUTIFUL
DISPLAY OF FLOWERS.
AND WE HAVE ALSO
THIS FRUIT BASKET AS WELL,
WHICH WILL BE PLACED
A LITTLE LATER.
SO IT'S NOT
AS HAPHAZARD
AS ONE MIGHT THINK,
THOUGH.
YOU HAVE TO BE
VERY CAREFUL
ABOUT LINING UP
PLUMBING
AND LAYING OUT EXACTLY
WHERE YOU PLACE
THESE STENCILS.
THAT'S CORRECT.
WE DO A FEW MEASUREMENTS
IN ADVANCE.
I'VE LAID OUT A PIECE
OF TAPE ACROSS THE TOP
OF THE MANTEL
BOTH FOR PROTECTION
AND FOR MARKING,
AND I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE
MY VERTICALS ARE GONNA LIE,
AND I DROP A PLUMB LINE
AND RUN THAT DOWN
THE SIDE OF MY STENCIL
FOR THE PERFECT
VERTICAL EFFECT.
OK. AND THEN
ONCE YOU'VE CREATED
YOUR DEMARCATIONS,
AS IT WERE,
YOU'RE READY TO GO
TO THE NEXT STEP,
WHICH IS TO INSERT
THIS FLOWER BASKET.
THAT'S CORRECT.
I'D LIKE TO TRY
MY HAND AT IT.
I THINK
YOU SHOULD.
WELL, BEFORE WE LOCATE
THIS BASKET,
I'LL NEED TO SPRITZ THE BACK
WITH SOME SPRAY GLUE
TO MAKE IT ADHESIVE.
AND YOU PUT THAT
ONTO THE BACK
OF THE MYLAR,
NOT ONTO THE WALL.
I DO. I'LL JUST GET DOWN
NEAR THE FLOOR HERE
SO THAT I DON'T GET GLUE
ALL OVER EVERYTHING.
A LITTLE BIT LIKE THAT.
WAVE IT AROUND.
LET IT GET DRY.
AND IT TURNS IT INTO
A PIECE OF TAPE EFFECTIVELY.
YEAH.
I HAVE A CENTER MARK,
AND I'M GONNA USE THE TOP
OF MY LOWER STENCIL
AS AN ALIGNMENT TOOL
AND JUST CLEAR IT.
I HAVE A CENTER MARK.
THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH
FOR THIS KIND OF TECHNIQUE.
CLOSE ENOUGH FOR THE EYE.
NOW, THIS IS A DRY-BRUSH
TECHNIQUE.
YOU PULL A LITTLE BIT
OF PAINT OUT OF THE PILE,
SWIRL AROUND IN IT,
DAB OFF ANYTHING THAT
MIGHT BE ON THE EDGES,
AND THERE YOU ARE.
GO TO TOWN.
SWIRLING MOTION.
SWIRLING MOTION,
AND ANYWHERE
IN PARTICULAR?
ANYWHERE YOU LIKE,
EXCEPT OFF THE EDGE.
EXCEPT
OFF THE EDGE.
ALL RIGHT. LET'S SEE
WHAT HAPPENS HERE.
AND TO THE DELIGHT
OF THE FAMILY,
LOOK AT WHAT
WE HAVE.
LESLIE, THIS IS
A GREAT IDEA.
ISN'T IT WONDERFUL?
NOW YOU GOT TO DO
THE YELLOW, RIGHT?
THAT'S CORRECT.
Vila: WHEN WE COME BACK,
WE'LL BE ON
AN ARCHITECTURAL TOUR
OF WINTERTHUR
IN DELAWARE'S BRANDYWINE VALLEY.
WE'RE VISITING
AT WINTERTHUR,
AN AMERICAN COUNTRY ESTATE
IN THE HEART
OF THE BRANDYWINE VALLEY.
THIS WAS THE HOME
OF HENRY FRANCIS DU PONT,
AND BEFORE HIM,
SOME OF HIS ANCESTORS.
THE DU PONTS HAVE BEEN
AROUND HERE SINCE
THE EARLY 1800s,
BUT HENRY FRANCIS DU PONT
WAS PRIMARILY
A HORTICULTURIST.
HE WENT TO HARVARD
TO STUDY HORTICULTURE.
HE LOVED FLOWERS,
AND HE CREATED AN ESTATE HERE
OF MARVELOUS GARDENS
OF ALMOST 2,000 ACRES.
TODAY, ABOUT 1,000 ACRES REMAIN.
WHAT HE ALSO CREATED
WAS AN INCREDIBLE COLLECTION
OF AMERICAN DECORATIVE ARTS.
HE COLLECTED ANTIQUES
AND PORCELAINS AND PAINTINGS
LIKE THERE WAS NO TOMORROW,
AND TODAY, WE'RE GONNA
BE LOOKING AT 4 OR 5
OF THESE ROOM SETTINGS
WITH OUR GUIDE
PAULINE EVERSMANN.
SO, PAULINE, WE'RE
JUST GONNA VISIT
4 OR 5 VIEWING AREAS
OUT OF 175 HERE
AT WINTERTHUR,
AND WHAT'S
THIS ROOM CALLED?
THIS IS CALLED
THE TAPPAHANNOCK ROOM
BECAUSE THE PANELING
COMES FROM TAPPAHANNOCK,
VIRGINIA.
WHAT'S THE DATE
OF THE, UH--
WE THINK
IT'S ABOUT 1740
BASED ON
THE ARCHITECTURAL
EVIDENCE.
AND WHAT
MR. DU PONT DID,
HE BOUGHT
THE ARCHITECTURE.
HE BOUGHT
WHOLE ROOMS,
DISMANTLED THEM,
AND PUT THEM
BACK TOGETHER.
THAT'S RIGHT.
YEAH.
THE PAINT COLOR'S
PRETTY SPECIAL.
WELL, THE FIREPLACE
IS ACTUALLY THE ORIGINAL
COLOR GREEN,
AND THEN THE REST
OF THE PANELING
WAS PAINTED TO MATCH
THAT COLOR.
H.F. DU PONT
LOVED GREEN.
HE GAVE IT
HIS ULTIMATE ACCOLADE.
HE SAID IT WAS
"A PERFECTLY SWELL COLOR."
NOW, WHAT I'VE
NEVER SEEN IS THIS--
WHAT YOU CALLED
A TRIPARTITE PANELING--
RAISED PANELS THAT
START OFF AT THE TOP
WITH LITTLE ONES,
AND, IN FACT, IF YOU GO
TO THE CORNER BACK HERE,
YOU SEE THAT THEY'RE
LITTLE VERTICAL
RECTANGLES,
AND THEN THEY TURN
INTO LITTLE SQUARES,
AND THEN THEY GET
INTO BIGGER RECTANGLES.
IS THAT
JUST AN ACCIDENT?
IS THAT WHIMSICAL?
NO. ACTUALLY,
THIS WAS BASED ON
AN ENGLISH DESIGN,
BUT IT WAS MADE
BY A LOCAL CRAFTSMAN,
AND I THINK THAT'S
WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL--
IS THAT HE PUT
HIS OWN MARK ONTO IT,
AND THE INTERESTING
GEOMETRIC CONFIGURATION
AND CHANGE
IN THE FRIEZE
IS WHAT MAKES IT
VERY UNIQUE.
WE ONLY KNOW
OF ONE OTHER HOUSE
WITH PANELING LIKE THIS.
NEAT. WHAT ABOUT
THE FURNITURE IN HERE?
I MEAN, THAT LOOKS
LIKE A VERY EARLY CHEST,
AND IT SAYS, WHAT, 17--
1737, AND INDEED,
IT IS AN EARLY CHEST,
BUT WHAT MAKES IT
REALLY SPECIAL
TO WINTERTHUR
IS THAT WE CONSIDER THIS
THE FIRST PIECE
OF AMERICAN FURNITURE
THAT DU PONT BOUGHT
AFTER HE MADE
A DELIBERATE DECISION
TO BEGIN COLLECTING
AMERICANA.
"S.I."?
PROBABLY THE INITIALS
OF THE MAN
WHO COMMISSIONED
THE PIECE.
AND THEN IT LOOKS LIKE
SOME LITTLE VANDAL--
ABSOLUTELY. IT'S A "T"
THAT'S BEEN SCRATCHED
INTO THE WOOD HERE,
AND WE DON'T KNOW,
OF COURSE, WHEN THAT
WAS PUT ON,
BUT YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE
SOME LITTLE BOY
WITH HIS PEN KNIFE,
YOU KNOW, SCRATCHING
THAT IN THERE.
ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE ROOM,
WE HAVE SOME
VERY ELEGANT--
IS THAT A CASE ON CASE?
CASE ON CASE,
OR YOU'D HEAR IT CALLED
A HIGH CHEST TODAY.
IT'S IN THE SO-CALLED
WILLIAM & MARY STYLE,
AND YOU CAN TELL THAT
BY THE TRUMPET
TURNING ON THE LEGS
AND THE DISTINCTIVE
VENEER PANELING.
THIS IS REALLY, ACTUALLY,
A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE
BECAUSE IT WAS MADE
BY SAMUEL CLEMENS,
AND WE KNOW THAT BECAUSE
HE INSCRIBED HIS NAME
ON THE BOTTOM
OF THE CHEST,
AND THAT'S REALLY RARE
TO HAVE PROVENANCE
LIKE THAT.
IT PROBABLY DATES
TO ABOUT 1737.
FABULOUS.
NOW LET'S GO
CHECK OUT THE FLOCK?
THE FLOCK ROOM.
FLOCK ROOM.
WOW. NOW, THE VICTORIANS
LIKED FLOCKED WALLPAPER,
BUT THIS IS
EARLY 1700s, RIGHT?
YES, IT IS.
MM-HMM.
AND IS IT WALLPAPER,
IN FACT?
WELL, ACTUALLY,
IT'S CANVAS,
AND THE WAY THEY
ACHIEVED THE DESIGN
WAS TO PUT THE DESIGN
ON WITH GLUE
AND THEN BLOW WOOL SHEARINGS
ACROSS THE SURFACE,
AND THAT--THEY WOULD ADHERE
TO WHERE THE GLUE WAS,
AND THAT'S HOW
YOU GOT YOUR DESIGN.
AND THE WILD COLORS
WERE...
PERFECTLY NORMAL
IN THE PERIOD.
THIS IS THE TIME
IN OUR HISTORY
WE REFER TO
AS THE EARLY BAROQUE,
SO YOU HAVE
THESE VERY ELABORATE
SYMMETRICAL DESIGNS.
YOU CAN SEE THE DESIGN
UP THERE ON THE MIRROR
IS VERY CLOSELY ECHOED
IN THE DESIGN
IN THE WALLPAPER.
SURE.
THAT'S MR. DU PONT'S
EYE AT WORK.
ABSOLUTELY.
TELL ME ABOUT
THE ARCHITECTURE
OF THE ROOM.
WELL, THE ARCHITECTURE'S
VERY SIGNIFICANT.
IT COMES FROM
AN EARLY VIRGINIA HOME--
PROBABLY ABOUT 1725--
CALLED MORRATICO HALL.
OK.
AND, UM...
LET ME JUST POINT OUT
THE DOOR TO YOU,
FOR EXAMPLE.
THIS IS THE ONLY EXTANT--
OR THE EARLIEST EXTANT--
VIRGINIA PANELED DOOR
THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S PARTICULARLY
IMPORTANT FOR THAT REASON,
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK--
WELL, IT'S 3 PANELS
ACROSS.
THAT'S RIGHT.
MM-HMM.
IF YOU LOOK
AT THE DOOR SURROUND,
THE COLOR THAT IS ON
THE REST OF THE PANELING
IN THE ROOM
WAS TAKEN FROM
THAT DOOR SURROUND
BECAUSE THAT
IS THE ORIGINAL--
THAT IS
THE ORIGINAL PAINT.
KIND OF
A GRAY-BLUE WASH.
OK. AND THEN THE DATA
WHICH WE'RE LOOKING AT
RIGHT HERE
IN THE NATURAL WOOD.
I'M NOT USED TO SEEING
A DATA OR A CHAIR RAIL,
IF YOU WOULD,
THIS HIGH UP.
IT'S UNUSUAL,
BUT I CAN'T REALLY
TELL YOU WHY.
MM-HMM, AND THEN
THE PANELING
THAT REPEATS AROUND
THE ROOM ALL CAME FROM--
HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE IT?
MORRATICO.
MORRATICO.
RIGHT. MORRATICO.
WHAT ABOUT
THIS FIREPLACE WALL
WITH THE OVERMANTEL
PAINTINGS?
THERE IS NO IDENTIFICATION
FOR THE PAINTING.
IT'S PROBABLY
AN ENGLISH HOUSE.
WHAT MAKES IT INTERESTING
AT WINTERTHUR
IS THAT DU PONT PURCHASED
THESE 3 PANELS
BEFORE HE PURCHASED
THE ARCHITECTURE
FOR THE ROOM,
AND IT WAS ONLY
AFTERWARDS
WHEN THEY GOT
THE ARCHITECTURE HERE
THAT THEY REALIZED
THAT THEY ACTUALLY
BELONGED TOGETHER.
I SEE. IT'S
A BEAUTIFUL ROOM.
IT REALLY IS.
AND NEXT?
NEXT WE'RE GOING
TO THE FRAKTUR ROOM.
PAULINE,
WHAT IS A FRAKTUR?
WELL, A FRAKTUR
IS A PENNSYLVANIA
GERMAN DOCUMENT
THAT COMMEMORATES
A BIRTH, A BAPTISM,
CONFIRMATION, DEATH.
THE WORD "FRAKTUR"
ACTUALLY MEANS
"BROKEN WRITING."
IT REFERS
TO THE GOTHIC SCRIPT
THEY USED
IN THE ORIGINAL
DOCUMENTS IN GERMAN.
LATER ON, OF COURSE,
THEY DID SWITCH
TO ENGLISH.
ARE THEY ALWAYS
SO COLORFUL AND CHEERY?
YEAH, THEY ARE.
THAT'S VERY TYPICAL
OF THE PENNSYLVANIA
GERMAN DECORATIVE
TECHNIQUES.
NOW, THE ARCHITECTURE
IS VERY IMPRESSIVE,
AS ARE THE COLORS.
IT'S VERY ELABORATE.
IF YOU LOOK UP
AND START--
LOOK AT THAT
DENTAL MOLDING THERE
ACROSS THE TOP,
AND THEN YOUR EYE
COMES DOWN,
AND YOU SEE IT REPEATED
AGAIN ON THE MANTELSHELF.
HERE YOU HAVE LOTS
OF DIFFERENT KINDS
OF FAUX PAINTING
TECHNIQUES.
YOU HAVE MARBLEIZING,
YOU HAVE STRIPLING,
AND THEN DOWN HERE,
YOU HAVE
KIND OF THIS ALMOST
AGATE-LIKE EFFECT,
AND IF YOU LOOK HERE--
THIS IS NOT NEW.
THIS IS THE ACTUAL--
YES. ACTUALLY,
THIS HAS BEEN--
WHAT THEY DID IS THEY
SCRAPED OFF LAYERS
OF LATER-ADDED PAINT
TO GET BACK
TO THE ORIGINAL DESIGNS,
AND IF YOU LET YOUR EYE
LOOK AT THAT
AND THEN COME ON
OVER HERE AND LOOK
AT THIS CHEST,
YOU SEE THAT SAME KIND
OF ALMOST
AGATE DESIGN HERE
IN THIS DOWER CHEST.
REALLY BRIGHT
AND COLORFUL.
YOU SEE THE UNICORNS,
WHICH ARE VERY TYPICAL
OF THE PENNSYLVANIA
GERMANS.
UM, THE TRIPARTITE
DIVISION,
AND AGAIN,
THE USE OF FLOWERS.
WAS THIS
A MARRIAGE CHEST?
THEY OFTEN SAY
THAT THEY ARE.
THEY'RE SOMETIMES
CALLED DOWER CHESTS,
BUT REALLY, THEY WERE
ALL-PURPOSE STORAGE
USED TO STORE LINENS
AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS.
MM-HMM.
THE ARCHITECTURE--
I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH
ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ROOM
BECAUSE THE WOODWORK
IS SO IMPRESSIVE.
WELL, YOU CAN SEE
THE DETAILING
OVER THE DOOR,
BUT REALLY INTERESTING
HERE ALSO
IS THIS CORNER
CUPBOARD.
WHEN YOU THINK
THAT THIS HOUSE
WAS CONSTRUCTED
IN 1783 IN PENNSYLVANIA,
I THINK IT SPEAKS
VERY WELL
FOR THE SOPHISTICATION
OF THE AREA
AS WELL AS THE CRAFTSMEN
IN THE AREA.
THIS IS PRETTY
INTERESTING STUFF.
IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
NOW, IN WANDERING
FROM ONE ROOM
TO THE NEXT,
I'VE NOTICED A LOT
OF CORNER CUPBOARDS.
CORNER CUPBOARDS
ARE VERY MUCH A PART
OF THE ARCHITECTURAL
FEATURES IN THE 18th CENTURY.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE
ANOTHER ONE NEXT DOOR
IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO
TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
SURE.
Vila: WE'LL BE BACK
IN A MOMENT
WITH A LOOK AT SOME MORE
FABULOUS ROOMS AT WINTERTHUR.
DON'T GO AWAY.
Vila: NEXT TIME
ON BOB VILA'S HOME AGAIN,
WE'LL CONTINUE WORKING
ON THE INTERIORS
AT OUR CENTER-ENTRY
COLONIAL PROJECT.
WE'LL BE STENCILING
THE WALLS IN THE DEN
USING HISTORIC
COLONIAL PATTERNS.
I'LL EVEN TRY MY HAND AT IT.
THEN WE'RE GOING BACK
TO WINTERTHUR IN DELAWARE
FOR A LOOK AT SOME FABULOUS
ANTIQUE INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE.
THIS MUSEUM
AND FORMER COUNTRY ESTATE
OF HENRY FRANCIS DU PONT
HOUSES AN EXTENSIVE COLLECTION
OF AMERICAN DECORATIVE ARTS,
SO DON'T MISS IT.
THAT'S NEXT TIME ON HOME AGAIN.
Vila: NEXT TIME
ON BOB VILA'S HOME AGAIN,
WE'LL BE LOOKING AT ANTIQUE
AMERICAN INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE
AT WINTERTHUR IN DELAWARE.
DON'T MISS IT.
Vila: NOW, IS THIS ALSO
A PENNSYLVANIA ROOM?
NO. THIS ROOM,
ACTUALLY, IS FROM
NEW HAMPSHIRE
AS IS THE CORNER
CUPBOARD,
AND, YOU KNOW,
WE WERE JUST LOOKING
AT THE ONE
IN THE HOTTENSTEIN
HOUSE,
AND THIS IS
EQUALLY INTERESTING,
BUT A CONTRAST.
NOW, WHO MADE
ALL OF THIS?
WELL,
THE ARCHITECTURE
AND THEN MOST
OF THE FURNITURE
IN THE ROOM
IS ATTRIBUTED
TO THE DUNLAP FAMILY
OF NEW HAMPSHIRE--
A VERY PROMINENT
GROUP
OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
CABINETMAKERS
FROM THE LATE
18th CENTURY.
JUST AGAIN,
LOOK AT THE DETAIL--
THE DENTALING
ACROSS THE TOP
AND THEN THIS
REALLY UNUSUAL
SCALLOP WORK HERE.
MM-HMM.
I THINK
IT'S BEAUTIFUL.
THE COLORS
ARE VERMILION AND--
WHAT DO YOU CALL
THIS BLUE?
THIS IS ACTUALLY
PRUSSIAN BLUE.
YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD
THAT WORD USED BEFORE,
AND THE PRUSSIAN BLUE
AND THE VERMILION
ARE ORIGINAL,
SO THIS IS
ORIGINAL PAINT,
WHICH, AGAIN, MAKES IT
AN EXTRAORDINARY
CUPBOARD.
THE CERAMICS
ARE, I THINK,
VERY INTERESTING.
THEY'RE FROM
THE STAFFORDSHIRE REGION
IN ENGLAND,
AND THEY'RE REFERRED TO
AS TORTOISESHELL WARE.
AMAZING COMBINATION.
MM-HMM.
NOW, WHAT'S THE AGE
OF THE CORNER CUPBOARD?
PROBABLY 1780s,
SO THE LAST QUARTER
OF THE 18th CENTURY.
BUT THE THING THAT
THE HOTTENSTEIN CUPBOARD
AND THIS CUPBOARD
HAVE IN COMMON
IS THAT THEY'RE BOTH
FROM RELATIVELY
RURAL AREAS,
AND YET,
IN THEIR OWN WAY,
PRETTY SOPHISTICATED
DESIGN.
MM-HMM. NOW, CAN YOU
SHOW US ANOTHER PARLOR,
AS IT WERE,
THAT'S REALLY
SOPHISTICATED?
OH, YES.
BE HAPPY TO DO SO.
OH, MY.
BOB, YOU WANTED TO SEE
HIGH-STYLE ARCHITECTURE.
THIS IS ABOUT
AS HIGH-STYLE AS WE GET
AT WINTERTHUR.
LET'S JUST START
LOOKING RIGHT HERE.
LOOK AT THE PEDIMENT
OVER THE DOOR,
MM-HMM.
THE OVERMANTEL.
NOW LET'S
MOVE OVER HERE
TO THE FIREPLACE.
THIS IS
ALL CARVED WOOD.
IT'S NOT PLASTERWORK.
IT'S HAND-CARVED WOOD.
IT IS NOT PLASTERWORK.
JUST LOOK AT ALL
THE DECORATION
AS YOU COME DOWN
THIS MANTELPIECE.
FROM THE CORNICE,
WHICH MUST BE 5 PARTS,
TO THE OVERMANTEL
SURROUNDING IT.
NOW, THERE'S SOME
ROCOCO GOING ON HERE
WITH THE SHELL CARVINGS.
ABSOLUTELY. THIS IS--
THIS IS WHAT WE REFER TO
AS PHILADELPHIA ROCOCO.
IT WAS THE HIGHEST STYLE
IN THE COLONIES
AT THIS
PARTICULAR TIME--
THE CLOSEST WE GET
TO IMITATING ENGLISH
AND FRENCH CARVING.
IT'S BECAUSE,
IN POINT OF FACT,
THESE WERE PROBABLY
CARVED BY ENGLISH
CRAFTSMEN
WHO HAD IMMIGRATED
TO THE COLONIES.
LATELY FROM LONDON.
LATELY FROM LONDON.
ABSOLUTELY.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT
IN THIS FRIEZE HERE?
REALLY, WHAT YOU'RE
LOOKING AT ARE FABLES,
AND THE INTERESTING
THING IS THAT ALL 3
OF THE FABLES
HAVE TO DO WITH GREED.
PROBABLY THE ONE
MOST EASILY RECOGNIZABLE
IS THE DOG IN THE MANGER
HERE IN THE CENTER.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN
FASCINATED BY THE FACT
THAT AN EXTREMELY
WEALTHY PHILADELPHIAN
CHOSE TO ENSHRINE
HIS GREED, AS IT WERE,
WITH, UM--WITH FABLES
ON HIS MANTELPIECE
THAT PAY TRIBUTE,
IF YOU WILL, TO GREED.
SURE.
NOW, WHEN YOU'RE
LOOKING AGAIN
AT THIS DEEP CARVING,
I WANT YOU TO JUST
COME ON OVER HERE
AND LOOK
AT THE FURNITURE.
SO THIS IS ALSO
PHILADELPHIA--
ABSOLUTELY,
AND ACTUALLY, WE THINK
THAT THE SAME PERSON
WHO CARVED
THE MANTELPIECE
MAY WELL HAVE BEEN
INVOLVED IN THE CARVING
OF MUCH
OF THIS FURNITURE.
THIS IS A VERY
PARTICULAR KIND
OF FOOT FORM
WE CALL A HAIRY PAW
AND THEN VERY DEEP
CARVING
THAT YOU SEE HERE
ON THE LEG.
NOW, THE FURNISHINGS
IN THE ROOM--
AREN'T THEY ASSOCIATED
WITH A FAMOUS
PHILADELPHIAN?
ABSOLUTELY. WHEN YOU
SEE HAIRY PAWS,
YOU USUALLY THINK OF
GENERAL JOHN CADWALADER,
WHO WAS A HUGELY
WEALTHY PHILADELPHIAN
FROM THE 1760s,
AND, AS A MATTER
OF FACT,
WE PROBABLY HAVE
SOME MORE OF HIS
FURNITURE OVER HERE.
NOW TELL US ABOUT
THE DETAILS HERE.
WELL, AGAIN, YOU SEE
THAT VERY DEEP CARVING,
AND THEN YOU
COME ON DOWN HERE,
AND YOU SEE
THE HAIRY PAW.
IT WAS HARD TO DO THAT.
IT STILL IS.
I WOULD THINK SO,
BUT IF YOU THINK
IT'S HARD TO DO THAT,
LOOK AT--LET YOUR EYE
LOOK AROUND HERE
AND THEN COME ON OVER
TO THIS ACANTHUS
LEAF CARVING
AND THEN THE GADROONING
THAT YOU SEE
ALONG THE FRONT
OF THE CHAIR.
THAT WOULD BE
EXTREMELY DIFFICULT
TO DO,
AND YOU SEE THAT SAME
KIND OF GADROONING
OVER HERE
ON THE TEA TABLE.
NOW, THIS TEA TABLE
HAS WHAT WE CALL
A CLAW-AND-BALL FOOT.
THAT'S ALSO VERY
DIFFICULT TO CARVE,
BUT IT WOULDN'T
HAVE BEEN AS HIGH-STYLE
AS THE HAIRY PAW.
THAT WAS REALLY
THE EPITOME OF FASHION.
YOU WEREN'T GOING INTO
A CABINETMAKER'S SHOP
AND BUYING THIS STUFF
OFF THE SHELF.
YOU WERE ORDERING IT.
THIS IS WHAT WE CALL
THE SPOKEWORK--
THAT IS, YOU WENT IN,
AND YOU CUSTOMIZED
THE PIECE OF FURNITURE.
AND SO THE MORE MONEY
YOU HAD, THE MORE--
THE MORE ELABORATE
YOU COULD BE
IN YOUR DECORATION
AND IN YOUR REQUESTS.
RIGHT.
WELL, THIS IS REALLY
A SPECTACULAR ROOM
HERE AT WINTERTHUR.
IT IS, INDEED.
WHAT A COLLECTION.
TOO BAD WE CAN'T
SEE ALL OF IT.
BOB, IT WAS VERY NICE
TO HAVE YOU HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
Vila: NEXT, WE'LL CHECK IN
ON THE PROGRESS
OF OUR STENCILING PROJECT
BACK AT THE BUILDING SITE.
SO WE'VE MADE SOME PROGRESS,
AND WE HAVE SOME
OF THE OCHER IN PLACE,
AND HERE'S A TIP.
IF YOU'RE WORKING
IN LINING THINGS UP
AND YOU WANT TO INVENT
A PLUMB BOB,
ALL YOU NEED IS
SOME THREAD, A LITTLE TAPE,
AND A WEIGHT ON THE BOTTOM
OF THE THREAD,
AND THAT'S GONNA GIVE YOU
A VERTICAL LINE
AS A REFERENCE POINT.
RIGHT NOW, I'M GONNA TRY
TO START FITTING IN
THE YELLOW OCHER LEAVES
AROUND THE BLUE PETALS
THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE.
BUT TO COMPLETE THIS ROOM
WILL TAKE PROBABLY
ONE MORE WHOLE DAY
OF WORKING AT IT.
NICE.
ALL RIGHT. NOW KEN'S GONNA
APPLY THE YELLOW COMPONENT
TO THE VERTICAL BORDER,
AND THESE PAINTS
THAT WE'RE USING--
DO YOU WANT A LITTLE
SPRITZ OF WATER IN HERE?
THANK YOU.
AND SO YOU
JUST THIN IT OUT
A LITTLE BIT LIKE THAT
WITH A LITTLE BIT
OF WATER, RIGHT?
YEP, IT DRIES UP
OVER TIME,
AND YOU CAN JUST
BRING IT BACK TO LIFE
WITH A LITTLE SPRITZ
OF WATER.
THERE YOU GO.
NOW, THE INTERESTING
THING HERE--
OBVIOUSLY, WE USED
THE REGULAR WALL PAINT
AS THE SIGNATURE
COLLECTION,
BUT HERE, WE'RE USING
WHAT THEY CALL A WASH,
AND THESE
ARE ARTISTS' WASHES,
AND IN THIS
PARTICULAR CASE,
WE'RE HOLDING
A FRENCH BLUE TUBE,
WHICH IS THE BLUE
WE GOT HERE.
BUT THIS
IS THE YELLOW OXIDE,
WHICH IS REALLY
AN OCHER COLOR.
IT'S A VERY RICH YELLOW.
OH, THERE IS A TRICK.
IF YOU FOLD THE CORNER
KIND OF DOG-EARED,
YOU CAN GET THE STENCIL
BACK OFF THE WALL EASILY.
THAT'S TRUE.
THAT'S TRUE.
IT DOES HELP.
WELL, AS I SAID
A MINUTE AGO,
THIS WILL TAKE ANOTHER
FULL DAY TO COMPLETE,
BUT WE'RE OUT OF TIME.
COME HOME AGAIN NEXT TIME.
WE'RE GONNA BE HANGING
SOME CURTAINS
AND MAKING SOME ELEGANT
BUT ECONOMICAL PICTURE FRAMES.
ALSO, WE'LL TOUR
THE McCLELLAN HOUSE
IN PORTLAND, MAINE.
TILL THEN, I'M BOB VILA.
IT'S GOOD
TO HAVE YOU HOME AGAIN.
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