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Saturday, August 16, 2014

The Mother of All House Tours: Blairsden Mansion (Part 1)

This is Part 1 of a multi-part series.
 
52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Don't you just love seeing other people's homes?

Back in May, I went on the mother of all house tours.
You know, like Downton Abbey.
That kind of house tour. 

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

I must give a huge thank you to Lori, one of my readers, 
for letting me know about it. 

Mansion in May, a tour of Blairsden Mansion 
  in Peapack-Gladstone, NJ,
was a Designer Showhouse fundraiser 
benefiting two important causes,
52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

The mansion was built back in 1897 
by C. Ledyard Blair, a New York financier.
He wanted a little country escape from the city.

After the Blair family sold the home in 1949,
it was used for many years as a retreat center.
In 2002, Blairsden was purchased once again, 
by a private owner.
It is one of the top 20 largest homes in the US:

52 Rooms
62,000 Square Feet
25 Fireplaces
19 Bathrooms
 500 Acres 

Excuse me, but what the heck do you do 
with all those rooms? 

I mean, you could have a room 
just for writing your food shopping list.
And, when company comes, you can say,
"This is the room where I polish my toenails."
Yeah, that would be awesome.
But, tell me, how do you scream  
"Has anyone seen my phone?" and have anyone hear you? 
 And you'd need GPS in the house just to find your kids. 

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

If you want to see the floor plan, click here
The rooms are numbered, 
and I will reference them as we go along.

The tour was very crowded,
so it wasn't always easy to get the optimal shot.
And...I hope you will forgive me for having to use photos 
with people in the rooms,
since I couldn't very well ask them to get out of the way.

My friend, and tour companion, Nadine,
was a saint for putting up with me 
taking hundreds of photos that day. 

OK --- are you ready to go inside?
 
The Entrance Hall
Andrew Tedesco Studios, Inc.
Map Location: A

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

They say the entrance hall is key in making a first impression.


52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Well, I'm impressed. How about you?


52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes  

I was expecting a butler with a tray of champagne, though.

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes
Let's move on.
The Lady of the house is waiting for us in the drawing room.

The Drawing Room
Barbara Ostrom Associates 
Map Location 3 

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Is this not gorgeous?
This is the room where I would meet with magazine editors
who want to feature my blog, heh-heh.


And when the First Lady (or Madame President) comes for tea, 
she can sit here.

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

 I can write checks for all of my philanthropic endeavors 
at this pretty desk.

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Yes, this will do quite nicely, thank you. 

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes


52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

But, I'd need a change of scenery after awhile..
and a room that was all mine.

A Room Of Her Own
Timothy and Associates Interior Design
Map Location: 1

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Wouldn't this be a great room to steal away
and work on my blog? 
 
52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

I could work at the desk,
and gaze out the window...
or plop myself on the couch... 

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

and stare up at the clouds, even on a rainy day.

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

After exhausting all of my creative energy,
I'd meet Mr. Goo Shoes down the hall for a game of pool.
I'd win, of course.

The Billiard Room
Bjorn Bjornsson Interior Design
Map Location: 6


52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Holy Moly, is that not the most grand pool table ever?
You've got to see a close-up of the walls.
 Gorgeous!
 
52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

And check out the ceiling,
with this magnificent Baccarat chandelier.

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

We could invite all of our elegant friends over
for pool and cocktails.
"Yo, ya' got any beer?"

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

The cook would make us fancy hors d'oeuvres, 
delivered by the butler, of course.

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Mr. Goo Shoes would insist on Pigs in the Blanket. 
You can take the boy out of Brooklyn,
as they say... 
 
52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

I'm going to leave you in the Billiard Room for now,
and we'll meet in the Main Hall for the next installment of
The Mother of all House Tours.

I hope you enjoyed Part 1.
Did anything catch your eye?

Here's a sneak peak at Part 2:

52-Room Mansion Tour: (Part 1 of a Series) --- You have got to see this house to believe it! --- Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Till next time...
Linking with:
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32 comments:

  1. Goodness me! Now that is a house to die for. Everything so neat, tidy and gorgeous!! Can't wait for the next instalment xx

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    Replies
    1. Isn't that something? It's amazing how some people live! I wouldn't know what to do with all of that space!

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  2. Absolutely gorgeous! Too ornate for every day living for me though! Where is the chippy paint and rusty things?!

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    Replies
    1. That made me laugh, AnnMarie! Yes, it really is over the top, isn't it? That's what made it so much fun to visit!

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  3. Wow Amy, what a place! I love touring homes too. Can't wait to see the kitchens and bath!

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    Replies
    1. I had a blast on this tour! There actually were a couple of kitchens (because everyone needs one upstairs, too), and MANY bathrooms!

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  4. That must have been quite a treat. I've read about those designer show houses in the glossy magazines, but this isn't something we ever see here (dang it!). I'd like a room of my own - a dainty desk, a beautiful window - I'm sure I could find it in this mansion!

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    1. I have gone to several showhouses, but this one was the ultimate. And, it was the first one that allowed photos to be taken! The vistas out of the windows were stunning!

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  5. It's great that you could take pictures! I see a lot of posts where people are permitted to take outside photos of historic sites but none indoors so this was fun : )

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    Replies
    1. I was so surprised, Deb, that they allowed photos! This is the first time I've been to one that has. This was the most amazing one I've ever been on.

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  6. Wow! That really is a huge house! I've never understood how you get that cozy factor in one that large though. That's what I would want. I'm most amazed at all the architectural moldings in houses that size. They are always so magnificent. Then of course you have to have elaborate furnishings to match those. So it's all so over the top! I liked your fun narration of what you would be doing in each room. Looking forward to the rest of the tour.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The architecture was phenomenal, but I agree, it's hard for a house that big to feel "cozy." Most of the individual rooms were stunning, though, but I kept thinking, how do you decide which room to sit in? You could sit in a different room for over a month!

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  7. Oh my gosh, that is some house!!! So grand! I love the architecture and exterior - especially that long, reflecting pool. Thanks for sharing the photos. Fabulous tour!

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    Replies
    1. It was amazing, and there is so much more that I'm going to show you! Thanks for stopping by!

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  8. Oh what fun to imagine oneself in that mansion like you did. You crack me up - love that you would win the pool game. Can't wait to see the rest of this incredible house.

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    Replies
    1. Of course I'd win, Rosella, haha! There's a lot more to show you!

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  9. hi there Amy, recipe as follows: 3 cups white flour, 1 cup wholemeal, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp olive oil, half a can sweet corn, half an avocado pulp, salt, pepper, whatever herbs you want to put in, half a cup of milk, 1/4 cup warm water, 1 tbsp yeast or one packet of yeast, half a cup grated cheese, think thats it :-)

    I put it all in my breadmaker and let it do it's work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It sounds fabulous! Would you believe I have never made a bread with yeast?

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  10. You're right Amy! It does remind me of Downton Abbey. That pool table is unbelievable, and it probably costs more than most cars, maybe even some houses!

    From the pictures I think I'm going to enjoy part deux even more ;).

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    Replies
    1. The rooms get better and better! Some of them are just wild, and some are so incredibly beautiful! One of my favorites was the Drawing Room that I showed in this post, but wait till you see the master bedroom -- Fabulous!

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  11. I think they were painted, and there were other monkeys painted in various spots around the room. Yes, it's got to be weird when more people work in the house than live there! Yes, the kitchen is coming!

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  12. And if you'd live here, we could all come visit you at some time... 52 rooms! I'm not sure how much time it takes to clean...

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    Replies
    1. Now, THAT would be fun, Magali! I'm using that in my next post for sure! Can you IMAGINE cleaning this place? They've got to have more people cleaning it than live in it!

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  13. Absolutely breathtaking is the word. I couldn't help but wonder while viewing the pictures just how many hidden rooms are in this house?

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    Replies
    1. We got to see 52 -- I'm not sure how many more there were. Probably a bunch in the basement for the staff.

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  14. What a beautiful home! I can't even imagine living in an estate like that...wow! Thanks for sharing!

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    Replies
    1. I can't imagine it, either, Jodie! But I sure would like to be a guest!

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  15. wow, yep that is quite the home for sure........I am with you.....couldn't even imagine what you would do
    with all that unless you were the Duggar family........loved how they tucked all those gorgeous floral
    arrangements into the fireplace...........gorgeous, and loved the cloud painted ceilings..........quite an
    amazing place, have to say it would be fun to just spend the night in one of those rooms.
    Thanks for sharing this fun tour, hope I catch all of the series. Very interesting!
    Blessings, Nellie

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    Replies
    1. I agree, how fun to be a guest here! The second part is coming later this week!

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  16. Thanks for coming and linking up at #The Weekend Social. Please be sure to come back next week starting Thursdays at 9PM EST on KitchenDreaming.com ! I hope to see you there!

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  17. Absolutely stunning, Amy - what an amazing home! I do appreciate you sharing with Home and Garden Thursday,
    Kathy

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