Residential design | Kathryn R Jones

The holiday season is my favorite time of the year! Not only do we get to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but we also get time to spend with the ones we love the most. I am SO thankful that I am able to spend the majority of my Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks with my family in the Carolinas.

My mother and father-in-law live in Brevard, North Carolina- which is about 30 minutes away from Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville is known for its cultural arts, food, and break taking views of the Great Smoky Mountains. One of the most famous American Estates is located in Asheville: The Biltmore House.

I have been so fortunate to tour this home three times over the past few years. The Biltmore is stunning. I can’t even put into words just how beautiful it is- you will have to go visit The Biltmore for yourself!

Some history of The Biltmore House:

In 1888, George Vanderbilt visited Asheville with his mother for the first time. Mr. Vanderbilt was originally from Staten Island, New York. George had found the perfect location for his “country home”. (Now, when I think of a country home, I picture a small cottage! Mr. Vanderbilt had quite the imagination!)

The next year (1889), the construction of The Biltmore House began. As of 1889, The Biltmore was the largest undertaking in Residential Architecture and Interior Design. It took 6 years to complete the home. Craftsmen from all around the area came together to build The Biltmore. It opened on Christmas Eve of 1895, and Vanderbilt hosted an incredible Christmas celebration with his friends and family.

Construction photos:

Mr. Vanderbilt had a railroad built up to his home in order to bring materials in for construction!

250 rooms TOTAL

35 bedrooms

43 bathrooms

65 fireplaces

French Renaissance Chateau style

4 acres of indoor floor space (That’s 174,240 square feet!!!)

3 floors and the basement level

In 1900, the construction began for the Main Dairy and Horse Barn.

In 1914, George Vanderbilt passed away (he was 51). He left an enormous philanthropic legacy. He wife Edith sold approximately 87,000 acres of the estate to the United States Forest Service for less than $5 an acre.

In 1930, Cornelia (George Vanderbilt’s daughter) and John Cecil (son-in-law) opened The Biltmore House to the public.

In 1942, The Biltmore House stored priceless works of art from the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC during World War II.

When you go on a tour of the home you will see vintage clothing, accessories, art, furniture, and more that tell stories and illustrate the lives of the Vanderbilt family, their guests, and employees.

-Original Art by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and John Singer Sargent

-16th century tapestries

-Library with 10,000 volumes

-Banquet Hall with a 70-foot ceiling

-Indoor pool

-Bowling alley

Almost all of the priceless objects that you see throughout the house are from George and Edith Vanderbilt’s original collection.

What’s even more spectacular about the home is visiting it during the Holidays. The Biltmore is decked out during the Christmas season, just as it was when Mr. George Vanderbilt lived in the home. Here are some photos:

So what does it take to decorate The Biltmore Estate for Christmas?

-68 Christmas Trees

-30,000 lights

-12,000 ornaments

-5,000 feet of fresh Fraser fir garlands

-1,200 feet of silk/dried garlands

-125 candles

Around the estate:

-125,000 lights

-12,000 ornaments

-1,500 feet of garland

-500 wreaths.

-55 additional decorated Christmas trees (Winery, Inn on Biltmore Estate, Antler Hill Village, and restaurants)

The largest is the 35-foot-tall Fraser fir in the 72-foot-high Banquet Hall. It features a North Carolina Fraser Fir. The Banquet Hall tree is brought in to Biltmore House by hand, carried by 30 to 40 Biltmore staff members. Oh my goodness! To decorate the Banquet Hall tree:

-500 giftboxes

-500 ornaments

-500 lights

The Biltmore Staff uses a combination of fresh-cut Fraser firs and artificial trees for fire safety and protection of the collection in Biltmore House.