After more than 16 months of careful study and hands-on work by experts, Mrs. Rosen's bedroom is ready for visitors again! Following a second-floor leak in September of 2022, the room has undergone a significant restoration, which has turned back the clock on many of the important features.
Dawn D'Aluisio and John Lippert of Foreground Conservation analyzed the paint colors on the plaster ceiling, walls, and niches, and returned all to their original shades. Together with their team, they stripped off the floors of discolored wax and brought the surface back to the lime-washed state that matched the other woodwork in the room. John and Dawn's skillful hands returned architectural elements, like the painted marble medallion in the chimney hood and the carved beam over the bed to their former glory.
Caramoor staff and docents were on hand last week to welcome the team from Thistle Hill Weavers to the Rosen House. Rabbit Goody and her colleagues arrived to install a project long in the making, an exacting reproduction bedcover for Mrs. Rosen's bed. This reproduction, along with the gilding restoration of the bedframe by Janine Lambers, makes the bed into the glowing focal point of the room again. The team who worked on the bedcover was able to share stories of the process which included sourcing materials, weaving trims, making baubles, and many hours of hand-stitching.
With this project complete, the restoration of Mrs. Rosen's bedroom is finally finished and all the first-floor rooms will once more open for docent-lead tours this spring. "It's been a long time in the making, but it looks great and we're grateful to everyone who lent their skills to this project," said Jessa Krick, Director of Interpretation, Collection and Archives for the Rosen House. "We can't wait to share it with visitors starting in March!"