Joe and I toured Vizcaya last week. It is the former winter home of James Deering, the industrialist whose family owned International Harvester Company which produced agricultural equipment worldwide. Today, the Coral Gables, Florida estate is a public museum with 34 rooms which are decorated with 15th through 19th century furnishings and artwork.

Here are a few of the things about the home that astonished me most:

1. That James Deering was able to amass all of the estate’s treasures traveling throughout Europe during the Great War: World War 1. Can you imagine traipsing all over a battle zone during one of the deadliest conflicts in history? Deering and his decorator, a young New York painter named Paul Chalfin who worked for Elsie de Wolfe’s firm, apparently could and did. (Deering never married and he and Chalfin created Vizcaya together.)

2. That it took 1,000 workers from 1914 – 1916 (10% of Miami’s population at that time) to build the house, and one additional year to create the incredible landscaped gardens.

3. An astoundingly beautiful rug that was crafted before Columbus discovered America. Imagine: the style and weaving looks as though it was crafted in recent years.

4. Vizcaya has almost all of its original furnishings and tours are directed throughout the rooms so that each piece is easy to appreciate. Almost all are classical, albeit of different styles, and are therefore timeless. The furniture and accessories look as though they could be found in a very fine home today.

5. That creating an outdoor “room” is not an early 21st century idea: Deering had this concept in place 100 years ago with his French and Italian Renaissance gardens, pools and fountains. Plus, he had a lovely small Neoclassical structure at one end of his gardens that served as a casino. He was also ahead of his time because he preferred to use native plants, local coral and other stones.

6. After touring the house, I felt as though I’d known James Deering.

If you would like to see Vizcaya go to: http://www.vizcayamuseum.org/

(Watercolor of James Deering by his friend, John Singer Sargent)

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