There is no doubt that this is a fast-changing industry. From its roots in hi-fi sound to its current incarnation that includes entertainment options that couldn’t even be conceived of a few years ago, as well as automation, shading, and lighting.
Fortunately, there is one thing that has not changed — and that is the wealthy’s need to have the very best.
This notion occurred to me a few weeks ago when my wife and I spent a long weekend in lovely Newport, R.I., which is home to many mansions — which were used as “summer cottages” — from the Gilded Age. While we were there, we took the opportunity to take a tour of “The Breakers,” one of these magnificent homes that was once owned by Cornelius Vanderbilt II and his wife, Alice.
The structure that stands today was built to replace a much smaller home that burned down in a fire. To make sure that would not happen again, the grander version is made mostly of steel, brick, and limestone. The boilers were placed underground and away from the house to further prevent the chance of it catching fire, but it was also one of the first homes in the area to feature electricity that co-existed with natural gas for the lights. So…
The place is huge — the mansion covers nearly an acre of the 13-acre property and has 70 rooms, including 48 bedrooms. There are 27 fireplaces. Good thing they buried the boiler.
Incredibly, the pre-building-codes home took only two years to build, and that included importing the best materials and art from Europe. Check out this description from The Preservation Society of Newport County:
“In keeping with the Italian Renaissance style, classical Roman influences are seen in the exterior columns and arches. The breathtaking central Great Hall, with its 50-foot-high ceiling, was inspired by the open-air courtyards of Italy but exudes the grandeur of the Gilded Age. The exquisite tile mosaics in the Billiard Room and double loggia were hand-set by European artisans. The Music Room was constructed by Allard & Sons in France then disassembled and shipped to the United States for reassembly inside the house. The Breakers décor includes the finest materials in the world, including Baccarat crystal for the chandeliers in the Dining Room and platinum leaf in the Morning Room.”
Only the best would do. Can you imagine if they had home theaters then? Automated shades and lighting across all those rooms? Whole-home audio? These people knew how to party — today’s tech would have made those gatherings even more legendary.
But it is easy to make the connection between these Gilded Age leaders and the wealthy of today. The desire to have one’s home, er, homes, reflect the success that has been achieved is by no means a modern convention. We just have a better toolbox to choose from.
This is fantastic because as long as they make demands upon us, we will keep innovating to please them, expanding our worlds and our businesses as we do so.
