An English Gothic Family Room by Goldthorpe & Edwards Ltd

The ‘after’ this time is extraordinary. You really do need to see the full picture after ‘continues’.  And our sincere thanks to Anne Edwards of Goldthorpe & Edwards, for submitting this.

Anne tells us that the inspiration for this room was supplied to them by the client via a photograph of a past Kips Bay Show House room.  So the hunt was on for antique Gothic tracery panels.

With the help of Mark Curry from Architectural Antiques Exchange, Goldthorpe and Edwards were able to get a substantial amount of antique Gothic tracery wall paneling, embellished with arcading foiled arches, quatrefoils and linen fold motifs, from an English abbey.   After carefully drawing all the acquired panels on paper of a room sized jigsaw puzzle, missing architectural elements were hand-cast in plaster and finished in faux bois (a painting technique imitating wood graining) to fill in the missing pieces.  Bookcases were custom fabricated with all antique leaded glass doors, locks, keys and tiny key tassels to authenticate the look.

The coffered ceiling was constructed from 1700 linear feet of 18^th century quarter sawn oak, adorned with corbels, inverted finials and hand painted ceiling panels and medallions. The walls are painted in a faux leather finish and over painted in a Gothic tracery arch pattern custom designed to echo the boiserie tracery. Corbels by Frank Furness are incorporated into the fireplace mantel.  Gold leaf was applied behind the more ornate moldings to allow them to glow with the fireplace.

An 18^th century bronze Gothic chandelier was acquired at Bijon Royal Antiques on a shopping trip in NYC. Vintage family photographs were restored, tinted and resized by a local artisan, placed in a collection of new and antique frames and then hung by tasseled cording.

The room, as shown, is dressed for summer.  All furniture including the drapes are slip-covered in a cotton/linen botanical print from Stroheim & Romann.  Upon first frost, Anne tells us, the room’s alter ego is revealed when oriental carpets replace the Aubussons and undressed furnishings in lush woven wools, leathers and cut silk velvets lend a warm, more masculine, ambiance to this family room.

An extraordinary example of attention to detail, craftsmanship resourcefulness and dogged determination to make a client’s dreams come true.