Love & Passion

In May, my husband and I went on a vacation to the Pacific northwest. We started in Seattle and drove the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) all the way south to San Francisco! It was absolutely the best vacation we've ever taken, and mostly because of the beautiful Bed and Breakfasts we stayed in each night.

One, in particular, Abigail's Elegant Victoria Mansion in Eureka, California, stands out most in my mind. It wasn't just about the hospitality of the Innkeepers, it was the home they had created! It was like a "Night at the Museum". The furnishings and the decor was so perfectly done, you'd swear you'd gone back in time.

picture moldings/medallions

They have lived in the home for over twenty years and have spent all of that time restoring and recreating the High Victorian style; true to the period the house was built. They've put so much time, effort and finances into designing this house back to it's roots! Not a single detail has been left to chance nor ignored. The pictures all hang from beautiful cords and medallions from the picture moldings.

Upholstered Walls

 They have original lighting throughout the house  and the effect is stunning. They've even used beautiful imported tapestry fabrics to upholster the bedroom walls!

Original lighting

Tapestry fabric walls

Probably the most impressive thing, if there is just one, would be the use of wallpaper. They have had the most amazing and intricate wallpaper designs done on the walls and ceilings of the main floor. This would be so typical of the period and they are gorgeous.

Just to note, this wallpaper doesn't come in sheets, it is painstakingly cut from rolls, each little design, and applied in layers to create these beautiful patterns.

Peacock in the window

The draperies are also very detailed and layered. They not only dress the windows beautifully, they are used graciously between the rooms. In the Victorian era that would have been to keep smaller spaces warm, and in modern times with central heating, wouldn't be necessary. That's what I like about their design, they did it for the design's sake, not function.

You can see better (professional) photos on their website, but these I took in the wee hours of the morning as we were checking out of the B&B.

'chick'-a-dee in birdcage

One of the other things you might have noticed is that, even though they have taken their design seriously, they haven't taken the decor too seriously... check out the chicken in the bird cage! It's a stuffed chicken, a sort of "tongue-in-cheek" response to the beautiful taxidermy peacock in the front room window. I love it!

 

Drapery in doorway

Now, not everyone could live like this, I'd hate all of the dusting, but I can certainly appreciate the style for what it is and definitely enjoyed looking at the beautiful furnishings (most of which are antiques!) The lessons here, I think, are to design your interior according to the architecture or period of the home, and to be passionate about the things you bring into your space.

Doug and Lily love their home and consider themselves curators, not just innkeepers or homeowners. Their passions for the home and the Victorian period have made their home something so special, not only to them, but to all who are lucky enough to visit.