prev / next

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34

· · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Le Petite Chatecaille

Lookout Mountain, Georgia

Le Petite Chatecaille was built in 1961 by Master builder Winston Bland, according to the plans and specifications of architect James Means. It is a replica of the Chateau Chatecaille in Touraine, France. The home sits on approximately 11 acres on the West Brow of Lookout Mountain and has a spectacular view of Lookout Valley. The house contains 10 bedrooms, 8 full baths, and 2 half baths, and approximately 16,000 sq. ft.

The brick and cobblestones in the courtyard were taken from a razed antebellum mansion from outside of Chattanooga. The roof tiles are made by Ludobichi and Means had thin wooden lathes placed under the tiles to give them the wavy effect that comes with age.

There are 4 types of antique marble in the entry foyer: Sienna, Cipolin, Verde Antique, and Rouge Royal. The tiles were hand cut in Italy, shipped to Lookout Mountain, and were assembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

At either end of the foyer are demi-lune alcoves, which are lined with rare 1820 Dufour hand blocked watercolor panels. We are told that there were only 16 of these panels ever printed, and two are in the home; two in the Hermitage, the home of President Andrew Jackson; two are in the White House; two in the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. The other eight panels are unaccounted for.

Just above the alcoves are plaster shells, the plasterer being an Italian artisan known as Juliano, who had also done work in the Vatican.

The small stair foyer to the right of the entry foyer features a large sterling silver chandelier. The left wing large stair foyer features a pair of eighteenth century ancestral over door portraits custom framed by H. Millard. The staircases of both the small and large foyers are custom made Versailles patterned iron and brass railings and balustrades . The paneling in the drawing room is period Louis 16th boiserie paneling and was taken from a mid-1700’s Parisian townhouse. The paneling still has the original celadon color paint. The paneling has been restored, but never repainted- the same with the turquoise and cerulean blue moldings. Mr. Juliano also executed the over doors and niches.

The fireplace mantle is made from rare blue and white Saint Anne marble, of which none has been found since the days shortly after Louis 16th’s death. The exquisite trumeau mirror above the mantle is original to the Parisian town house.

The chandelier in the dining room is Waterford crystal.. The fireplace features a carved stone facing and a carved wood Louis XVI mantle and over mantle, with a 1740 oil painting insert by French artist Monnoyer. The faux marble medallions under the bay window, the faux marble baseboards, and the decorative over door panels are all the work of Mr. Juliano..