National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Blue Bedroom
Resource History and Description of Existing Conditions
The Blue Room is located on the northwest corner of the mansion. It is the largest guest
room and the only one with a private bath. The size, Hudson River views, and private bath
define this as the most desirable guest room.
The design of the woodwork and trim is attributed to McKim, Mead & White. The grayveined
marble mantel with columns, centering a swag in the middle has a similar feeling to the
mantels in the Living Room, and might have been supplied by R.C. Fisher & Co.
The original paper for this room was hand-colored and embossed with a ground of blue
striations. Like the Red Rooms and Mauve Room it was repapered in 1932 with an exact
reproduction of the original paper. This paper was cleaned in 1998. The draperies and
upholstery were originally a silk brocade with floral and vine motifs on a cream ground. These
were replaced in 1982 to 1983 with a printed version of the same pattern on union cloth and the
transfer of the original inserts to this ground.
The furniture in this bedroom is all marked "Chambre #5," 797 and the bureau is labeled
"Poirer and Remon, Paris for Geo. A. Glaenzer & Cie, New York." 798 There are a double bed,
seven matching side chairs, an armoire, a dressing table and bench, easy chairs, 799 a pair of night
stands, two side tables, a caned chaise longue, and another bureau with mirror. There are four
sconces and several table lamps.
Daisy Van Alen, the Vanderbilts' favorite niece, used this room. On a visit to the
mansion in 1948 "She pointed to the little table along side the chaise longue and told her
husband that it was on that table that she always had breakfast." 800 She was also quite
concerned that "the green birds and the clock that were always on the mantel were gone. I
inquired later from Mrs. Farley where they were and Mrs. Farley told me that Mrs. Bruguiere
must have forgotten that she gave them to Mr. Shears." 801 The Blue room had a coordinating
breakfast set. 802 The fireplace shows evidence of use. Occasionally orchid plants were placed in
the fireplace. 803
The Blue Bedroom survives with a good level of integrity. During her tenure, Daisy Van
Alen replaced two small chairs and removed most of the small decorative accessories including
candlesticks, figurines, the mantel garniture, and vases. 804 The textiles were reproduced well.
Mauve Bedroom
The Mauve Bedroom is located in the northeast corner of the mansion, and is connected
to the Green (Little Mauve) Room with a bathroom.
797
Menz and McTernan, 45.
798
The label is on the top two drawers.
799
Shears took some chairs from this room.
800
Bruguiere, 1948.
801
Bruguiere, 1948
802
Snell, "Preliminary Report," 35
803
Interview with Alex Knauss, August 6, 1971.
804
See Appendix 3 for the complete list of articles missing after 1938.
145