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Vizcaya has a few quirks, one of them being the kitchen and breakfast room are located on the 2nd floor. Now, I think this is a great idea as you don't have to go far in your pajamas in the morning for that first cup of tea (or coffee) although I do prefer my breakfast in bed. But enough with that, on with the room!
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The breakfast room was used more often than the
Dining Room and it's easy to see why; it's gorgeous! I may have said this before, but I think THIS is my favorite room in Vizcaya, if not the
Tea Room.
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The Breakfast Room lies directly over the
Tea room which has an especially tall ceiling allowing for its entry gate, which explains the 2 steps up into the space. This gives the room a lower ceiling which lends an added intimacy which I love.
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The windows fill an entire wall and telescope back into the wall, opening the wall completely to the f
ormal gardens, much like the loggias below.
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The most striking feature, other than the chinoiserie overtones and fireplace, is the 18th century French wall painting/mural depicting harbor scenes.
A great feature in the room, seen in other areas in the house, are 4 corner chandeliers rather than 1 central fixture, which leaves the ceiling open for other decorative uses.
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A collection of Ming dynasty porcelains from the 16th century decorate the space and I LOVE the gilded orange chinoiserie chairs!
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Here you can see the wall of windows which slide back into the walls, turning the room into yet another loggia. The doorway leads into the modest kitchen.
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Modest, that is, compared to the size of the house. Remember there were
other service areas on the 1st floor to accomodate Deering and his guests.
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The kitchen features an enviable collection of copper pots; think they'd miss a few if I took them home? The enormous stove is both coal and gas operated and even has a charcoal broiler.
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Deering, like any self respecting millionaire of the day, had a French chef on staff along with his myriad kitchen assistants.
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Food was supplied from the estate's farm across South Miami Avenue, which now houses administrative offices. Above you see the dumb waiter which supplies access to the butler's pantry below.
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While the house had many of the most modern features of the day, it also had a few 'older' technologies, such as these speaking tubes; so popular in Victorian households. I'm sorry to say I wasn't able to test it out!
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Friday, April 15, 2011
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