Beautiful Table Setting by Bunny Williams

Welcome to the 162nd Tablescape Thursday!

Recently, I received a wonderful e-mail from Mandy. Mandy lives in Hawaii and on a recent trip to the United States, she toured The Mount, the beautiful home of American novelist, Edith Wharton.

Edith Wharton wrote many novels in her lifetime including Ethan Frome, The House of Mirth and well-known, The Age of Innocence, for which she won a Pulitzer Prize. Mrs. Wharton was also a garden designer, as well as an interior designer.

She wrote several garden and design books, including The Decoration of Houses which was co-authored by architect, Ogden Codman.

Mandy was kind enough to share some of the photos she took while visiting The Mount, which is located in the Berkshires (Lenox) in Massachusetts.  The home was neglected for many years after the death of Mrs. Wharton.  Work began in 1997 to restore the severely deteriorated mansion, stable, gatehouse and greenhouse.

In 2002, in honor of The Mount’s centennial (100 years) birthday, eight highly regarded designers were each given a room in The Mount to design/decorate in a way they thought would have appealed to Mrs. Wharton.   Wouldn’t you love to tour The Mount in person?  I know I would!

Mandy told me, “You really feel that you got to know Edith Wharton through her house and her extraordinary gardens. She obviously had a love affair with this house.”

From what I’ve read, Mandy is right. Mrs. Wharton truly loved her home and carefully planned and executed each detail of the design she created for the home and gardens.

Bunny Williams was the designer chosen to create the table decorations in the dining room.

Let’s go inside and take a closer look.

Beautiful dining room!

Gorgeous centerpiece!

Love the china.  Wish we knew the pattern names.  Update: Cherry Kay identified the dinner plate as William Yeoward, Hampton Court Burgundy.  Thanks, Cherry Kay!

Mandy said, “She (Bunny Williams) had name cards at each place setting written in gold.”

Another area of the dining room:

Mandy, thanks so much for sharing this beautiful tablescape created by Bunny Williams for the dining room of Edith Wharton’s beautiful home, The Mount.  Such a treat!  I hope I get to see it in person one day!

 

Looking forward to your beautiful tablescapes!

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Comments

  1. Oh I love Edith Wharton and it is such a treat to see these photos! Thanks for hosting again Susan!!

  2. Thanks for the mini tour. Bunny does nice work, doesn't she? Happy Tablescape Thursday!

  3. What a stunning mansion and gardens! The dining room and tablescape are gorgeous. Yes, I would love to tour that house in person…Christine

  4. Oh Susan…Edith Wharton is my FAVORITE writer!!!!! This is a beautiful table…Victoria magazine did an article on The Mount.

    Thank you for this wonderful post!!!

  5. Cass @ That Old House says

    You know, Susan, I am fewer than 4 hours' drive time from The Mount — I really need to go, don't I?

    Love Edith Wharton, and I think Bunny Williams did a lovely job with the dining room. I especially like the layered oblong white tablecloths in that diaphanous linen. Gorgeous, and very period.

    Lovely share!
    Cass

  6. Susan (My Place to Yours) says

    Thank you Susan and Mandy for sharing this wonderful home! I, too, hope to see it someday.

  7. Oh, I studied her as an English major. What a beautiful home and those dishes!!! thanks for hosting!

  8. Yellow Rose Arbor says

    So elegant and beautiful!

    Thanks for hosting!

    Katherine

  9. housedressingblog.blogspot.com says

    Breathtaking! What a tour, I can just image the dinner parties that have been held there… is that a canister of Milk Bones on the table?
    (third photo from the bottom)
    Thanks for hosting.

  10. The French Hutch says

    Beautiful house and yes I would love to have a tour of the house and grounds. Beautiful interior, love how it was decorated. Thanks for hosting.

    ~Emily
    The French Hutch

  11. Kerry Rossow says

    Wowza! I would be in 7th Heaven in this gorgeous home! The Mount is spectacular!
    Thank you for hosting!
    Kerry from housetalkn.blogspot.com

  12. AshTreeCottage says

    Hi Susan! I would love to tour the Mount. I am a huge Edith Wharton fan and have read every one of her novels as well as "A Backward Glance". Thanks for hosting and thanks for a wonderful post!

    Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

  13. I love Edith Wharton. What a treat to tour this house and gardens. Love the table setting.

  14. Hi Susan…Loved your post today. Because I live in Western Mass., I've toured The Mount many times.

    Did several posts on it, too, including gardens, dining room, etc.

    The most recent one, if you, or any of your readers, are interested, just ran on August 29th
    (.http://writingstraightfromtheheart.blogspot.com/2011/08/mansion-dining-room-of-writer-edith.html)

    Take care and thanks for all your wonderful posts. Susan

  15. Wendy@~Chez~La~De~da~ says

    Loved the tour, but it was great to gather ideas for tablescapes!
    I am in awe of the centerpiece and will TRY to recapture it!

    ~~Wendy

  16. Very lovely! What a lucky lady she was to go visit. How wonderful that Bunny Williams did this tablescape! She's one of my favorites!
    I got to see a video on a program called "Moments of Luxury" from PBS that toured it and showed a special dining room feature.
    I hope you don't mind but I'm popping in the web page address, it's great to watch.
    (Copy and paste if it doesn't work as a direct link)
    http://watch.wliw.org/video/1337154241/

  17. 1)I loved the book Ethan Frome in high school but I can hardly conceive of this mansion being Edith Wharton's home. I just had no idea that she would have such wealth.
    2) It's hard to believe that such an accomplished author could also be an interior designer and master landscaper/gardener. What a multi-talented woman she was!
    3) I am reading right now Bunny William's book Scrapbook for Living and enjoying it very much. She surprises me with her down-to-earthness and understanding of the whole economic spectrum, not just the Edith Whartons of the world.
    4) Thanks for enlightening me!

  18. This is a huge treat, Susan. Thank you for sharing. I'm on the go with little computer time. Will check back in again to visit others later. ~ Sarah

  19. I had always pictured Edith Wharton in a small apartment, scribbling and struggling. What an amazing home! And the china pattern – so elegant. Thank you for sharing with us!

  20. It looks beautiful! It would be a lovely place to visit.

    Thank you for hosting,

    Carolyn

  21. How wonderful to get a peek inside such an incredible home! Thanks for sharing it with us.

    I have those same Arte Italica Vetro Gold sherbet bowls!! They have REAL gold on the rims so I don't use them very often.
    Can be seen here in a romantic dinner for two:

    http://rettspace.blogspot.com/2009/09/romantic-dinner-for-two.html

    Thanks for doing TT again even though I didn't link up.

    Hugs,
    Rett

  22. Chari at Happy To Design says

    Hi Susan…

    Wow!!! What a fabulous home! Ohh yes…I would love to take a tour of the Wharton mansion! That dining room is incredible…of course, how could it not be? Designed by Bunny Williams! A heartfelt thank you for Mandy for sharing her tour and lovely photos with us…this was such a treat!

    Thank you, Susan…for hosting another Tablescape Thursday! Sure appreciate you, my friend!

    Love ya,
    Chari

  23. Hi Susan,
    Having visited this beautiful home with my daughter, I feel the surrounding gardens are equally exquisite. This treasure is NOT to be missed. Loved that you have included this.
    Sandra

  24. Entertaining Women says

    I've always been enchanted by The Mount and Edith Wharton…such an amazing home. Thank you for the tour. The dinner plate is William Yeoward's Hampton Court. I think that it is in production…very expensive. It's so gorgeous. Another of his that I adore is Gosford. Cherry Kay

  25. Marsha Yeager says

    I was very fortunate to tour The Mount and its wonderful gardens this summer. I really loved the dining room, also. On this same trip, I toured Bunny Williams' garden and her converted 'barn' pictured in her book An Affair with a House. You can imagine, I was in heaven.

  26. Thank you for taking us to yet another historic, fascinating home. That this one included a stunning tablescape by an uber-talented designer was wonderfully inspiring.

    Thank you for hosting, Susan. You make us all feel welcome and special.

    Warmest regards,
    Bill

  27. Janette - The2Seasons says

    I have visited The Mount several times (even though I live in Kentucky) and was lucky enough to see the remodeling project as it progressed. Most recently I saw it last December when they opened it for one day for a tour of old homes that was being held in conjunction with Christmas in Stockbridge. The Mount was Edith's summer "cottage", and so seeing it in the winter was a treat.

  28. Stephanie Deveau says

    I have that pattern! It is Arte Italica Vetro Gold
    Here you go: http://www.houzz.com/photos/281702/Arte-Italica-Four-Vetro-Gold-Compotes-traditional-serveware-
    I love mine. I get a fruit compote every year for my birthday with I build my collection.

  29. Susan, you always manage to transport us through the internet to a fabulous table setting in a beautiful
    home or garden filled with elegance, whimy, or just plain fun. What a talent you have! You may never know how muchyour posts are appreciated. The time & effort you take to take us places through words & photographs are places we may never have a chance to visit in person. It is a special treat to read BNOTP. Have a wonderful day!

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