Designing Domesticity: Welcome Home: Biltmore style

My husband and I have had a love affair with older homes for a long time. So it was without question that our North Carolina tour would include a stop at the Biltmore Estate.

The Biltmore House, home of George W. Vanderbilt and his family, was completed in 1895 and is the largest privately owned home in the US.

A grand home like the Biltmore House needs to make a big statement when welcoming their guests. And I think they have succeeded, just take a look at their front entryway.

That's a serious planter!

And if that doesn't beg you to come in and take a look, their gardens will certainly entertain you for a couple of hours. Check out the greenhouse; very impressive.

You know how I love orchids!

One could literally wonder these gardens for hours!

The Biltmore really shows how to create a welcoming home on a grand scale! After all the place was built for entertaining. Of course, the average household won't be able to duplicate these ideas on such a scale, but the basic principles are the same.

I love the idea of offering destinations within a single garden. I definitely want to duplicate that; to me, it says, come in and have a look around. The same thing that I hope my home says.

Fortunately, I will have all winter to formulate the garden plans.