Touchstones

My last post sparked some interesting e-mails about reader's personal style touchstones.  Including one from Jennings.  He tells me that one of his is Mount Vernon.

George Washington by Gilbert Stuart

Mount Vernon is located in Virginia overlooking the Potomac river, on a tract of land deeded in 1674 to George Washington's great, great grandfather, John Washington. 

The original grant was 5,000 acres, divided with John Spencer.  George Washington expanded the estate from 2,126 acres to more than 8,000.

The house is a fine example of Colonial architecture.  George Washington described it thus:  "A 20-room wooden structure of Georgian design, two and one-half stories high, with a columned portico in the back."

George Washington loved ice cream, dogs, horses, good manners and fine furniture.  

Jennings and George would have been best friends.

This Adam design medallion mirror is adapted from a 19th century looking glass in the Mount Vernon collection.  It is for sale from the Mount Vernon Estate and Garden Gift Shop here. 

This is a Georgian champagne flute from the Mount Vernon collection.

Waterford offers a similar look and feel in their Grafton Street stemware collection.

The bright, bold colors used at Mount Vernon are available from Fine Paints of Europe.  They provide the paint for Mount Vernon, and their fan deck, here, duplicates the colors directly from the mansion interior.  

The estate also contains wide lawns, and fine gardens.

If you would like to visit Mount Vernon, click here for more information.

Great Reading:

                  


Images: 1 Mount Vernon.2 National Gallery .3-18 Mount Vernon.org