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FLAGLER MUSEUM
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ABOVE: Designed in the French Renaissance
style, the dining room features an embellished wood and gilded plaster-cast
coffered ceiling, and an elaborately carved fireplace. |
To enhance the authenticity of the
renovation, the museum made a concerted effort to recover the original art and
furnishings. "Many of the pieces given to the heirs have come back to
Whitehall," Blades says. "Over time, we are confident that the pieces will make
their way back."
ABOVE: The
master bedroom is filled with many of Henry Morrison and Mary Lily Flagler's
original furnishings, while bed fabrics and wall coverings were faithfully
reproduced.
BELOW: The Colonial Room's original wall
coverings and area rug were re-created from photos taken in the early 1900s.
Celadon-colored fabrics give the room an inviting feel. 
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The public spaces on the first
floor and the private rooms on the second floor proved the most challenging due
to the distinct design direction of each space. "The first-floor public rooms
convey statements about the importance of America as a culmination of European
and ancient civilizations," Bar- ghini says. "From the Grand Hall to the Grand
Ballroom, each room was decorated in a different style according to its
function and inhabitants.
"The second-floor private rooms
for the Flaglers and their guests were decorated in the Victorian fashions of
the day," she continues. "Each room carried a unique design, some with matching
wall coverings, window treatments and carpets, which was a new trend in that
day."
To restore these rooms, Barghini
conducted extensive research of the documents and photographs, and oversaw the
reproduction of key furnishings, fabrics and other materials. "From the
black-and-white photographs and written descriptions, we were able to re-create
the pattems of the wall coverings and fabrics and make educated guesses about
the colors. We knew that the taste of the Gilded Age veered toward intense
colors," she says.
As part of the museum's yearlong
Centennial celebration, Whitehall's exquisite tum-of-the-century decor and
stately grounds have been restored to their former glory. "Whitehall is truly
Flagler's gift to the American way of life," Blades says.
For additional information, call
561/655-2833, or visit www.flagler.org.
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