Parlor Restoration Nearing Completion

We’ve been working on restoring our parlor to its 18th century appearance for almost 3 years now (and talking about and planning for the restoration for many years before that) and we’re finally in the home stretch! Here’s a sneak peak of the 18th century flocked wallpaper we had reproduced by Adelphi Paperhangings of Sharon Springs, NY, in partnership with the Wentworth-Coolidge Mansion. This pattern appears in the billiards room of the mansion and while it’s not what the Moffatts had originally, it closely matches the pattern and colors of the fragment we found almost 2 years ago–which is what we believe Samuel and Sarah Catherine chose for this room in the 1760s.

Kate Shattuck of Kate Shattuck Wallcoverings & Fine Painting has done all of the restoration of the woodwork and the installation of the wallpaper.  She also restored the floor back to its original finish–bare wood.  We’ve been lucky to have the guidance and knowledge of Richard and Jane Nylander for the wallpaper and textiles, along with the expertise of decorative arts from our director/curator Barbara Ward and her husband, Gerald Ward, formerly of the MFA Boston.  Our committee members have painstakingly researched what should be in this room, comparing our four 18th century inventories from the Moffatts and Whipples with what is known to be historically accurate.  Later this week our new curtain reproductions will be installed along with cushions for our Chinese Chippendale suite of furniture.  The fabric was woven by Kate Smith of Eaton Hill Textiles, and constructed and installed by Natalie Larson of Historic Textiles.

Stay tuned for more images of the room as it comes together in the coming weeks; we can’t wait to share it with you!