Edith Wharton & The Mount: Refining the Classic American House

Design experts Thomas Jayne and Mitchell Owens discuss The Mount, the ambitious and inspiring Massachusetts residence that the noted author Edith Wharton built for herself in 1902, five years after the publication of The Decoration of Houses, a manual of interior design written by Wharton with architect Ogden Codman. A highly educated client with firm opinions about how she wanted to live — and just as many detours from her own stated rules — Wharton ended up creating a domestic model for aspirational Americans that was also an intriguing personal experiment. The Mount and its grounds were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1971 and continue to inspire visitors to its majestic setting in the Berkshires.

Dialogue with
Thomas Jayne
Founder and Principal
Jayne Design Studio

Mitchell Owens
American Editor
The World of Interiors

Introduced by
Paul L. Whalen
Chairman
Sir John Soane's Museum Foundation

The Scenic Vision In Architecture Lecture Series: https://soanefoundation.org/lectures/...