Filoli Gardens

Are you tired of Filoli yet? I don't think I could ever be, but maybe I've devoted a little too much time to this magnificent estate. I'll wrap up the gardens in this post and we'll start fresh next week! Beyond the formal gardens lie an oasis of more informal plantings; Acres of amazing little outdoor rooms, each one more amazing than the last. If the structure for the grounds was laid by the Bourns, the Roths added the finishing touches (Mrs. Roth was an avid gardener) .The Summer house is incorporated into the side of the walled garden which contains the most sheltered area. Remember nothing is safe out here from all of the hungry animals!

The wedding place within the walled garden was where the only wedding at Filoli was held. It was built for Berenice Roth and I think it's such a shame they don't open it up to others. Don't you want to get married here?

The following pictures barely begin to explain how breathtaking the rose garden is. After stepping through the last arch of the walled garden, every person on the tour gasped.

A profusion of color and textures...

Where are you even supposed to look or smell! Roses, lavender and other herbs overwhelm the senses.

I really think this is what heaven looks like. Not shown in the pictures are the gorgeous mountain views beyond.I love these wild jumbled rose bushes the best.Does anyone know what these striped roses are; Sandra? They had a heavenly scent.

The gardens get progressively informal the further you are from the house. These wild flowers were the last part of the gardens before entering the nature preserve. Notice all of the fencing. I hope you enjoyed these glimpses of Filoli through my eyes (and camera)!

Thanks to ChipSF for the drawings of the gardens from the time of the Roths.

Filoli Summer House

The most magical spot at Filoli is probably the Summe House, also known as the tea house or more commonly known as a garden pavilion. Little accessory structures like this area always the jewel of any estate; Just think of the follies of English Country Homes.

Sitting between the walled garden and the formal garden adjoining the house which I showed the other day HERE, the small structure has views from its one room of all areas of the estate: the house, the formal gardens, the pool area, the walled garden and last but not least the gorgeous mountain view.The room is floored with 3 types of marble in a graphic grid pattern and paneled with ornate boiseries. Designed by Arthur Brown Jr., this is the same formality seen at his well known SF City Hall (which I'll post about next week) but on a MUCH smaller scale. He made elegant grandeur cozy; Just who wouldn't want to have tea here?These lovely sconces were originally intended for the stair well in the house, but fit in nicely here too adding to the formality of the space.This column above is a copy of the Satyr plant stand found in Pompeii and was originally in the Bourn's SF house, as was the marble table in the center of the room.

The comfortable wicker chairs and profusion of plants bring life to the space. I can imagine it being a lovely cool spot on a hot day because of all the marble. Had it been seen empty, it might appear to be a very sunny mausoleum!
Some closeups of the very elegant woodwork. Someone worked very hard getting everything to meet JUST SO.
You can't miss the summer house in the gardens and before our guide took us in, I think every person in the group managed to ask if we would see inside! Tomorrow -more of the gardens.

Early gardens at Filoli

The gardens at Filoli, while they have evolved over the years, have aged so wonderfully primarily because of the thought that went into their planning at the first construction of the house.The setting is amazing and was why the house was sited here; to take it all in. The gardens adjacent to the house are Georgian in design to fit in with the design of the house and bring the focus to the Santa Cruz Mountains.The planning of the gardens was actually done as a partnership between the Bourns and the artist, Bruce Porter and not with a landscape architect. Above you see a diagram showing the house (the grey U shape in the lower right hand corner) and the gardens. Thanks to ChipSF for the drawing which I took the liberty of coloring in to read clearly.
The house was sited so that the rear would have views of the mountains to the East while the entry was put on the west side which lacked a strong view. An olive grove was planted across from the house's entry court to hide a visible water tower in the distance, seen above.

The rear facade was filled with large french doors which open up onto a flat lawn. This rear garden was kept simple to keep the focus on the mountain views.You can see why: wow! I especially love the fog which you can see creeping through the valley.

Simple as it may be, small touches reside throughout this lawn which bring the vast space down to human scale.The elegant balastrade hides a ha-ha which protects the garden from a lot of the wild-life which prey on all of the greenery. Deer are a big problem. Even on our drive up to the estate in the early afternoon we passed many just waiting to sneak into the gardens!
This dining room door which connects to an enfilade through the hallways of the house lands on a patio where the family could have breakfast. The wall to the right hides the motor court and is the perfect backdrop for a collection of bonsai.

Creeping vines grow over the rear of the house shading the rooms and breaking up the vast expanse of brick.The garage has a clock tower modeled on one by the famous English architect, Christopher Wren. Much of the garden is considered a complete and rare English Renaissance garden.My favorite spot lies just south of the house. A formal garden is centered upon a reflecting pond and rose garden. A summer house, which I'll share with you later this week, is the perfect place to take tea and enjoy the garden.The focus of this more elaborate garden still remains the view of the mountains.

I loved this splayed row of trees which line the walled garden which also creates a shaded path from the summer house to the pool's changing rooms. The best of the gardens is yet to come: stay tuned!

Remember Fonthill?

Lest you think I've forgotten my love of Fonthill in the face of new house museums, visit Kathy's blog post HERE, answering questions in my comments section about the naming of the estate. Happy Monday!

A hot weekend

More of the same hot weather here in DC, so you'll find me in my favorite corner with a stack of books and magazines. I'm trying out the british notion that hot tea in hot weather will cool you down: I'll let you know how that goes! What cools you down?

Filoli Floorplan

I just realized a floor plan of Filoli would make all of the pictures easier to locate. Many thanks to ChipSF for sending it to me! Click on the image to enlarge.
Next week I'll bring you the gardens!

The study at Filoli

The study at Filoli is one of the smallest rooms on the ground floor and was the favorite of the 2nd family who owned the house, the Roths. Originally, this was the home office of Mr. Bourn but the Roths quickly convereted it into the family sitting room; complete with radio and later the requisite tv.

Hidden in the oak paneling on either side of the Carrara marble fireplace were a closet and a safe which the Roths converted to a more practical bar and wine cellar. Those were some SAFE wines!

The furnishings all belonged to the Roths but the built-ins were original as well as the unusual distressed finish on the floors. I love these bookcases and the neat-nick in me loves the glass to keep dust off all of the collections held within!

This was yet another room with flowers - these took the place of where the tv once stood: not very pretty for house tours and therefore removed.

As the last of the interior pictures, I wanted to share these gorgeous Goyard trunks & suitcases that belonged to the Roths. They reside in the breakfast room, now called the 'ship room' which holds the Roth's maritime collections. Now thats traveling in style if you HAD to leave beautiful Filoli.

Filoli Drawing Room

The drawing (or WITHdrawing) room at Filoli is, after the reception room, the most grand room in the house. Meant for entertaining guests (ladies) after dinner, this is a formal space. The overdoors of broken pediments, seen above, hark this formality.

The drawing room lies between the reception room and the dining room with the library, seen above in the distance) at the end of an enfilade created by this suite of rooms. Formal architecture like this makes my heart sing! I love the matching overdoors through the rooms.

The carrara marble fireplace is unusually underscaled for the large room. It creates a feeling of intimacy in this seating group but the room lacks a strong focus. This may have been purposeful as it forces one to look at the view of the gardens through french doors. I love the texture of the linen covered walls. To one side of the seating group is a card table while the other side holds a piano. Mrs. Bourn originally used this space as her music room. The stunning Parquet de Versailles floor is of quarter sawn white oak. Each room has a different floor which generally would feel discordant but because of the scale and varied nature of each space, works at Filoli. One last room with some hidden surprises to share tomorrow before we explore the gardens. I can't wait to share them with you!

Filoli Library

The walnut paneled library at Filoli was the favorite of everyone on the tour, including our guide! The room is a copy of the library at Denham Place, England and was purchased before the house was even built by Mr Bourn. The intricate carvings depict roses, tulips, and daisies intertwined with leaves.I think the reason it remains so popular is it feels the most like a home; it's personal. The room is littered with family portraits including this sketch by Sargent on the wall, above. Also, there is just something about a room filled with books, don't you think? I believe the saying "never trust anyone who doesn't have books in their house". The Isfahan patterned carpet in the room has a vivid history. It formerly lived at Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, after having been woven in Agra, India especially for Queen Victoria. It is one of the items original to the house, having been purchased by the Bourns.

I imagine many happy hours were spent on this sofa in front of the fireplace, curled up with a teatray and a stack of books. Thats where I'd be!

Choragic Monument of Lysicrates

What do Athens, Pittsburgh and Sydney all have in common? No, this is not a trick question! Each has a Choragic Monument of Lysicrates.The original monument was built near the Acropolis around 334 BC to commemorate the benefactor Lysicrate's sponsorship of dance. It was one of the first recorded uses of the correct Corinthian order for a monument; a style which would be copied for centuries to follow. Above is the original.I first became aware of the monument while back in college at drawing classes which were occasionally held at the Carnegie Museum of Art. The 'Hall of Architecture' , pictured above, was recently featured in a spread in the World of Interiors magazine (March 2010) with beautiful photographs by Simon Upton. The charcoal sketch at the top of the posting is one of the many I drew of the monument, my favorite in the room. I wish I had photographed all of my drawings better!

The design has been copied and modified over the years after being restored following the Greek war of Independence when it was badly damaged. Often it appears as a folly in a garden, at other times atop a dome and has even been stretched into a lighthouse in Portland, Maine.

Next time you see this classic design, you hopefully will remember its long history. Also make sure to check out the March 2010 issue of WOI for the charming article on the hall of architecture at the Carnegie Museum in Pittsburgh!