The Madison Suite Gets Its Crowning Glory

Sep. 24th 2013

Today our seamstresses arrived with the Madison Master Suite’s Canopy for the Full Tester Bed!

Wow what a difference it makes for the bed!

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It really makes the bed look taller than before and really dresses the suite up!

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All we have left to do is add some portraits, pictures and small decor and we will have a finished room!

Thank you to Gates Antiques, most especially Mrs. Jo Gates for putting so much time into getting the details right for this suite! It looks beyond beautiful! Any President would be over joyed in staying here!

Gates Antiques

12700 Old Buckingham Rd  Midlothian, VA 23113

http://gatesantiques.com/

Now I wonder who will be the first to sleep under this canopy!

At this moment, the suite is available for this coming weekend!!

To see more pictures of our Suites or to Book a Suite with us

Please visit our Official Website at

Home Page

https://www.bellegroveplantation.com/

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Belle Grove History, Darnell History | 14 Comments »

More New Arrivals!

Aug. 20th 2013

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http://gatesantiques.com/

Today Gates Antiques arrived with more wonderful furnishing for the Plantation!

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Our “Lincoln Movie” Couches are now in their place in the Junior Suite Sitting Rooms

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They were replaced by our two Rosewood Couches!

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These Couches have also been in lots of Movies!

Jay Gates, one of the owners of Gates Antiques will be email me a list shortly.

But to name just a few:

Lincoln (unconfirmed – he thinks so but is checking)

Iron Angels

GI Jane

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The backs are just beautiful! 

But we need to get more in the room now. It looks so empty!

Joining the Rosewood Couches is a new “Instant Relative”!

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Jay had bought her for her frame and placed her in his warehouse.

I saw her sitting in a corner one day and was drawn to her. I have placed her in the Parlor and you can almost see a smile on her lips.

I guess we might need to pull some names from our large list for the first “Instant Relative” to name her too!

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My new Mahogany Mirror has been hung over our 1776 Chest in the Hipkins-Bernard Room.

But best of all….

We have Rugs!

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I had bought this rug to go in the Parlor, but the reds were just a little to off. So I moved it over to the Library and it really “sings” in there!

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This rug is a little hard to see because of the shadow and light in the room right now. But there is blue in the rug that really matches the walls. The curtains won’t be staying in there, they are on loan. The curtains and bedding curtains will be a darker blue and gold.

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This rug was our “Pink” find for the Turner Room. The curtains will be a little darker this this. But it looks just beautiful in our Bridal Suite!

Facebook Link

Check us out on Facebook and Our Official Website!

Home Page

https://www.bellegroveplantation.com/

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Belle Grove History, Darnell History | 4 Comments »

More Furniture Has Arrived

Jun. 28th 2013

Bright and early yesterday, 7am to be exact, we took delivery of more furniture! 

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This time, it arrived from Farmville, Virginia!

Look what we have added to Belle Grove Plantation!

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We have chairs and a table for the Riverside Balcony!

Now you can have your breakfast with a view from the river!

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A New Mirror!

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Another New Mirror

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We have two of these new mirrors!

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A new sideboard for the Grand Hall 

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I love this inlay detail on the sideboard!

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Two new card tables to go under the mirrors in the Formal Dining Room!

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A Leather Chair for the Library!

Can you see yourself curling up with a good book?

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And a Leather Sofa for the Library!

How about a quick book and nap!

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A Desk and Chair for the Common Area!

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The legs are just beautiful!

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And the inlay is just amazing!

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To see more purchases for Belle Grove Plantation

Facebook Link

Visit our Facebook Fan Page!

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Darnell History | 18 Comments »

New Arrivals!

Jun. 18th 2013

After an exciting day of getting books, we got some more new arrivals! 

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Furniture!

Check out the new additions!

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I am sure you remember this piece! I have been talking about it for weeks.

It is a Victorian Serving Table with Egyptian Black Marble with Gold and White Veining! It is final home!

It will be in the Parlor.

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This is the Corner Cupboard we purchased. We may not be able to use this one because the cold air intake is there. We may have to exchange it for something else.

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This is our 1830 Grandfather Clock. It has now taken its position next to our elevator in the Parlor.

Yes, I said elevator.

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The Face is just beautiful! It has a sailing Tall Ship on the dial.

The Eagle is just fitting for us here at Belle Grove!

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The guys moving our furniture set up our dining room table this time!

All 26 feet of it!

It seats 14!

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These are two lamps we purchased for the Turner Room.

The Turner Room will be Victorian.

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We purchased these two lamps for the Madison Room.

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Don’t you just love the details in the globes?

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Now do these look familiar?

If you have seen the movie “Lincoln” you have seen these sattees!

Lincoln Screen Shot

Note just to the left!!

They will be gracing our parlor until our Rosewood Sattees come to Belle Grove.

Afterwards, they may be added to the seating rooms of our Junior Suites!

To see more purchases at Belle Grove

Facebook Link

Please check out our Facebook Fan Page!

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Darnell History | 21 Comments »

The Furniture Is Arriving!

May. 31st 2013

This morning we received our first load of furniture from Richmond.

We will have many more to come, but there is just something about the first one in the door!

Look and see what we have at the plantation now!

Marble Top End Table

Marble Top End Table

Marble Top End Table - details

Marble Top End Table – details

Marble Top End Table - details

Marble Top End Table – details

Marble Top End Table

Marble Top End Table

Marble Top End Table - detail

Marble Top End Table – detail

Marble Top End Table - detail

Marble Top End Table – detail

Sideboard

Sideboard

Sideboard - detail

Sideboard – detail

Formal Dining Room Chairs

Formal Dining Room Chairs

Formal Dining Room Chairs

Formal Dining Room Chairs

Formal Dining Room - Seats 14 and is 26 ft long and 5 ft wide with seven leaves. Do you think its big enough?

Formal Dining Room – Seats 14 and is 26 ft long and 5 ft wide with seven leaves. Do you think its big enough?

American Slant Top Desk or Plantation Desk. It looks just like the one Thomas Jefferson owned at Poplar Forest! If you want to stay in the same room this is going to be in, you will need to reserve the Conway Room.

American Slant Top Desk or Plantation Desk. It looks just like the one Thomas Jefferson owned at Poplar Forest! If you want to stay in the same room this is going to be in, you will need to reserve the Conway Room.

American Slant Top Desk or Plantation Desk. - detail

American Slant Top Desk or Plantation Desk. – detail

American Slant Top Desk or Plantation Desk. - detail

American Slant Top Desk or Plantation Desk. – detail

American Slant Top Desk or Plantation Desk. - detail

American Slant Top Desk or Plantation Desk. – detail

American Slant Top Desk or Plantation Desk. - detail

American Slant Top Desk or Plantation Desk. – detail

To see more of the items we have purchased for Belle Grove Plantation

Facebook Link

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Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Darnell History | 38 Comments »

Things Are Getting Crazy!

May. 23rd 2013
Possible Lamp for the Madison Room

Possible Lamp for the Madison Room

I have to tell you, things are starting to move along at a faster pace now. We are down to about 30 plus days before we open. We have had to push the date several times due to delays, but I think July 1st is going to be the date!

I almost feel like I am neglecting you because I am not writing as much or being able to read your blogs as much. I hope you will understand my absence for the next month or so! I am trying to get pictures in everything I do so you will have a chance to enjoy the fun with us!

This week, I have had my nose in the computer most of the day working on our Official website text. We hope to have it complete and ready to launch by mid-June. I’m not sure if we will have the photographs ready by that point, but at least we can get the site up. Depending on how firm the July 1st opening date is, we may even be able to start taking reservation by mid-June! So get ready and watch for the launch date!

I did get a break yesterday. I needed to go to Richmond for the day to finalize the fabrics for the rest of the rooms. It was great fun! Of course I didn’t have to look at tons of fabrics since we pretty much picked out the whole house last time. We just needed to get a few rooms done that we didn’t get to before.

Fabric for the Foyer and Bath in the South Wing

Fabric for the Foyer and Bath in the South Wing

Cord for the Fabric for the Foyer and Bath in the South Wing

Cord for the Fabric for the Foyer and Bath in the South Wing

Style Valance for the Foyer and Bath. We will have a Roman Shade in the Bath

Style Valance for the Foyer and Bath. We will have a Roman Shade in the Bath

Fabric for the Library and Business Center in the North Wing

Fabric for the Library and Business Center in the North Wing

Style Valance for the Library in the North Wing - One difference we will have a rod showing

Style Valance for the Library in the North Wing – One difference we will have a rod showing

Rod for the Library

Rod for the Library

Valance Style for the Business Center

Valance Style for the Business Center

Canopy Style for the Madison Bed - without wood detail around top

Canopy Style for the Madison Bed – without wood detail around top

Canopy Style for the Conway Bed - without wood detail around top

Canopy Style for the Conway Bed – without wood detail around top

I also got to see some of the furnishings that we have already purchased. It was so cool to see them standing in the shop with at red “SOLD” tag on them!

Grand Father Clock for the Parlor. Note the red "Sold" tag!

Grand Father Clock for the Parlor. Note the red “Sold” tag!

Two Mirrors for the Parlor with their "Sold" tags!

Two Mirrors for the Parlor with their “Sold” tags!

I got to see some of the items we are having restored. They are doing such a great job with them! One was an Acorn Bed we purchased for the Conway Room. They have been working on the finish and had the first coat on! It was amazing! Just to see it together and with the details just took my breath away. I knew it was beautiful, but never knew it was going to be this beautiful!

Acorn Bed for the Conway Room

Acorn Bed for the Conway Room

Acorn Headboard and Post

Acorn HeadboardAcorn Top

They have been working on our bed for the Madison Room. They showed me the rail from this 1810 bed that they were adding some length to. It is amazing how they do it and make it look like it was always a part of the bed!

Extending rail on Madison Bed

Extending rail on Madison Bed – Check out the Carpenter’s Marks from 1800s!

They had our Federal style Linen Press for the Madison Room in the workroom. They had it broken down and were making adjustments to the shelves so we can house a flat screen television in it. They were also making repairs to the details that were missing. Can you believe the work that they have done to make this look so perfect!

Jay with the Linen Press

Jay with the Linen Press

Linen Press

Linen Press for the Madison Room

Original Detail Line Press

Original Detail Line Press

Replacment Details for the Linen Press

Replacment Details for the Linen Press

The "Miracle Workers" at Gates Antiques!

The “Miracle Workers” at Gates Antiques!

We needed to pick out a chest for the Hipkins-Bernard Room. Jay, one of the owners of Gates Antiques, showed me this beautiful chest from the late 1700s! I love it and can’t wait to see it in the HB Room! It is going to look so perfect! And the best part is that the family this room honors was at Belle Grove between 1790 and 1839!

Late 1700s Chest for the Hipkins-Bernard Room

Late 1700s Chest for the Hipkins-Bernard Room

Jay also showed me a serving table he has found for the parlor. The base is mahogany with an Egyptian Black Marble Top that has Gold Veining running through it! The top was out for repairs, but the base is just beautiful! I can’t wait to see it together!

Serving Table for Parlor

Serving Table for Parlor

Side View of the Serving Table for Parlor

Side View of the Serving Table for Parlor

One last piece that Jay just called me about. We purchased a sideboard from an old, prominent Richmond family. The previous owner was looking for just the right person to purchase it. He didn’t want it to go to just anyone. In fact if he didn’t find a good home for it, he was thinking of donating it to a university! I am so glad we made the cut! But it has just arrived at the shop and they sent me pictures of it. It had a gallery added to it that isn’t original so they are going to remove it for me. I can’t wait to see it at Belle Grove!

Sideboard for the Formal Dining Room

Sideboard for the Formal Dining Room

So now I am off to pack up and head back to the plantation. Our goal this weekend is to get the Madison Room painted. It will be going from green to a beautiful Presidential Blue, Gold and White. Brett will be joining me later today after he gets off work. He will be working on pulling the rest of the bricks from the riverside and pulling the old fountain out. We need to get this done really soon too. The company that will be making the final repairs to the mansion will be starting on June 3rd. They will be putting in our sidewalks and arrival pad at the front door. All the bricks we pull will be used to do the sidewalks and arrival pad.

A Couple of Quick Announcements!

We are excited to announce that we will be at a Bridal Show with the Virginia Wedding Network on June 2nd!

It will be in Fredericksburg at the beautiful Riverside Conference Center from noon to 4pm!

Come out and see us if you can!

We are also planning our own vendor fair soon too!

Watch for details to come!

To see more photos of our shopping adventures

Facebook Link

Please visit our Facebook Fan Page!

 

Posted by Michelle Darnell | in Belle Grove History, Darnell History | 28 Comments »