American estates and gardens . ve square porte-cochere applied directly to the main wall;the third with a hemicycle, again in two stories, enclosed with a flat roofed porch below, withloggias on either side—^but each obviously belongs to the same building, each is so admirablein itself as to seem but a finer expression of the gracious style which has been so wellemployed in this fine design. The stately and somewhat sober exterior of The Breakers hardly prepares one forthe magnificent interior, which is truly gorgeous and most sumptuous in its dimensions andadornment. The great hall, which ris
American estates and gardens . ve square porte-cochere applied directly to the main wall;the third with a hemicycle, again in two stories, enclosed with a flat roofed porch below, withloggias on either side—^but each obviously belongs to the same building, each is so admirablein itself as to seem but a finer expression of the gracious style which has been so wellemployed in this fine design. The stately and somewhat sober exterior of The Breakers hardly prepares one forthe magnificent interior, which is truly gorgeous and most sumptuous in its dimensions andadornment. The great hall, which rises to the full height of two stories, sets the keynoteof the whole dwelling. It is finished throughout in white marble and onyx. It is .square inplan, with large pilasters dividing each wall into three great bays, which contain rounded archesand doorways below, with rectangular openings, divided by central columns and piers, above,and with handsome bronze railings which take an important place in the color scheme of the [67]. [68] AMERICAN ESTATES AND GARDENS whole. The stau-way rises immediately under the central archway, projecting somewhat intothe main hall, with s]ilendid light standards on either side. The arch supporting the stairsrises in graceful curves to the second story in the stair hall, with overhanging decorated vaultsfor the gallery above it, while the upper walls are marked off with columns and pilasters orcovered with tapestries. The architectural features of the main hall are extraordinarily rich,the channeling of the pilasters being filled in with ornament below; there are cartouches andfestoons and panels of onyx above the arches, and a festooned frieze at the base of the elabo-rately molded cornice which encloses a painting in the center of the ceiling. Splendid as the hall is, it is far surpassed by the dining-room in gorgeousness. Againthere are white marble and onyx, but the prevailing tone of the room is gold. The coved ceil-ing, which is richly paint
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectgardens, bookyear1904
