high on a hill

Hillwood Estate, Museum, and Gardens

I shared a lovely workday afternoon (thanks, boss) one day before Christmas with my mom, sister, aunt, cousin, and cousin-in-law/friend taking tea and a tour of Marjorie Merriweather Post's divine Hillwood Estate. I'd always thought it was buried in Georgetown somewhere but in fact it's set on a hill (go figure) just northeast of the Uptown, surrounded by some pretty large, expensive homes--all of which pale in comparison to Hillwood.

The house more than satiated my thirst for vicarious, grandiose living. Filled with priceless Russian artifacts collected during one of Marjorie's husband's diplomatic tour (a great loss for Russia), the house is over-the-top luxury in every sense of the word. Not an inch is left unadorned.

The single deepest impression left in my memory is of the pale, pale lavender velvet that covers several little setees (and upholsters the walls, no less) in the "Pavilion" room. The color is almost overwhelmed by the busy wood inlay and decoration throughout the rest of the room but it remains a steady, dignified force. I'd love to use that fabric for a duvet cover, or a pillbox hat, or a little pair of gloves, or an opera cloke. The room served as a theater of sorts, where Lady Marjorie would host film screenings and dances. As soon as I walked in, I was reminded of the scene in The Sound of Music in which the children and Maria stage an operetta with marionettes. I didn't realize theaters in the homes of the wealthy pre-existed La-Z-Boy (I'm making a direct reference to MTV Cribs episodes, here).

Pavilion at Hillwood

I'll have to return to see the gardens in bloom as they were covered under a blanket of residue snow from the blizzard the day we had our tea. This is why I love private homes-cum-museums, though, because the experience is enjoying the whole space, as opposed to limiting your vision to items hung on the wall. The temporary immersion into another's life is not limited to finishing the walk-through of the house. I imagine Marjorie sitting down mid-morning to her writing desk situated in front of the pretty bay window just outside her collection of pink closets, taking a pen to her gold-trimmed stationery complete with seal (note to self: get a seal), inviting guests for a theatrical performance in the Pavilion or a garden party on the Lunar Lawn. Ah, to be rich and leisurely.

The Dacha at Hillwood - A replica of a small Russian summer house