Villa Louis Restoration Photo Essay
In the mid-1930s, Villa Louis was transformed from a private residence
into a historic site. At the time, there was little interest in the
Gilded Age of the late 19th century, and the exuberant designs and
rich palettes favored by Victorican designers seemed out of touch and
inappropriate.
By the 1980s, the gloom had lifted and old-house enthusuasts were
keen to learn more about the history of that long-repressed
era. A trunk was discovered containing more than
500 photographs documenting the household furnishings
and rooms as they were more than 100 years ago.
These images (some of which can be seen below) gave the
Villa Louis staff a goal in restoring the home, with
a generous grant from the Jeffris Family Foundation.
The images below help give you a sense of the process
of restoring this home to its former glory.
The summer issue of the Wisconsin Magazine of History has a 10-page spread on this
process. You can pick up an issue at a number of local bookstores,
or order it from the Museum Store.
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Villa Louis Parlor – Northeast Corner – Historic View
This image, taken in 1898, shows the cluttered and eclectic furnishing plans favored in the late Victorian period. The upholstered armchair and the sofa, in the corner of the room, are two of eight pieces of a very fine Renaissance Revival parlor group purchased by the Dousman family in St. Louis. The two folding screens and the small desk in the corner are Louis Seize Revival believed to be furnishings acquired by the Dousmans when they lived in New York City (1889-1893). |
Villa
Louis Parlor – Northeast Corner – Post-Restoration
View
Fragments of the William Morris-designed Venetian patterned wallpaper were found under the picture rail permitting duplication of the original pale-yellow colorway. The original curtain panels survived but in significantly degraded condition. The restoration firm, Scalamandre, reproduced the printed velveteen curtain fabric and trim. The tea table, upholstered furniture and the majority of decorative accessories are original to the room. |
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Villa Louis Parlor – Northwest Corner – Historic View
This view of the Villa Louis parlor, taken in 1898, shows the very prominent
placing of the Dousman family's Steinway Model D piano. The very large collection
of popular sheet and bound music in the family collection suggests that the
piano was well used. The piano also served as a place for displaying a collection
of objects d'art. |
Villa
Louis Parlor – Northwest Corner – Post-Restoration
View
The Dousman family Steinway piano remains in the
parlor along with some of the objects they displayed
on top of it. The two paintings on the left were
part of the Dousmans' art collection. The chandelier
is one of five purchased in Chicago in 1885 and
was originally designed for gas lighting. They
were converted for use with oil lamps at the
time of their original installation. When electricity
was introduced to the house in 1894 the chandeliers
were once again reworked to accommodate the new
technology. |
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Villa
Louis Sitting Room – Southwest Corner – Historic
View
Used for informal entertainment and every day relaxation by the Dousman family,
the sitting room exudes comfort and familiarity. Like the parlor, it is densely
furnished with large bookcases, tables and a desk along with well-stuffed furniture
piled high with pillows. The walls of this room are filled with paintings,
photographs, and sculptured images of numerous members of the extended Dousman-Sturgis
family. |
Villa
Louis Sitting Room – Southwest Corner – Post-Restoration
View
Fragments of the original William Morris Diaper
wallpaper were found in the room permitting exact
duplication of design and color. Many of the
original furnishings remain in the collection
including the bookcases, artwork, chaise and
table. The parian bas relief on the easel is
of Mrs. Dousman's mother, Jerusha Wilcox Sturgis.
The elaborately embroidered table cover is believed
to be a souvenir purchased during an 1896 trip
to the Middle East. |
Villa
Louis Dining Room – Fireplace –
Post-Restoration View
This corner of the dining room shows two wall coverings
along with the faux-mahogany fireplace and woodwork.
The upper paper was produced from historic wood
blocks discovered in Great Britain. The lower
walls are covered in reproduced Lincrusta — a
wall covering made from flax that became popular
in the 1880s. Over the fireplace is a portrait
of Violet and Virginia, the Dousmans' eldest children,
painted by a St. Louis artist known for her paintings
of children. Through the door can be seen a chair
upholstered in a William Morris fabric and a bronze
bust of estate builder, H. Louis Dousman. |
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Villa Louis Dining Room – Detail of Parquet Floor
In 1885 the Dousman family remodeled and redecorated the Villa Louis. For the interior decoration they contracted with Joseph Twyman, who worked for the Chicago firm of John J. McGrath. McGrath was an agent for the William Morris Co. of London and also sold goods manufactured by other British designers. Most of the rooms in the residence were carpeted in wall-to-wall Brussels, Wilton and Axminster rugs but instead of carpeting, the dining room received a new wooden parquet floor in a pattern of small wood pieces with a three-dimensional quality. The floor was then partially covered by an area rug. |
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Villa
Louis Guest Bedroom – Detail of Half
Tester Bed – Post-Restoration View
When the Dousmans remodeled the old estate residence in 1885, they converted one room of a double parlor into an elegant guest bedroom. Fragments of the multi-colored frieze paper were found under a ceiling molding, providing enough information to identify and reproduce the pattern. Dominating the room is a large rosewood half-tester bed, recently draped in India-silk bed hangings. This bed, along with other room furnishings, was used in the room in the 1890s. |
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Villa
Louis – Master Bedroom – Northwest
Corner – Post-Restoration View
This bedroom and the adjoining dressing room make up a small suite that was the domain Mrs. Nina Dousman. Here she rested, read, maintained an active personal correspondence, conversed with her children, and practiced her Catholic faith. |
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Villa
Louis Master Bedroom – Southeast Corner – Post-Restoration
View
This room and the adjoining dressing room were
decorated ensuite. The window curtains and portieres
are made from William Morris-designed Marigold
pattern printed cotton chintz. Information regarding
the original wallpaper is lost; based on color
fragments the choice was made to use William Morris'
Mallow — a one-block two color hand-printed
wallpaper. An ingrain paper was used for the frieze
and ceiling — a handmade paper that it is
colored "in the pulp" during its manufacture. |
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