Stop and Smell the Roses at Lynnewood Hall

Stop and Smell the Roses at Lynnewood Hall

Lynnewood Hall opened its doors for the first time in over 80 years to the public this week. We were fortunate enough to be welcomed in to view its restoration-in-progress and a very fragrant art installation. Fleurs de Villes, founded by Tina Barkley and Karen Marshall, brings together community creatives through the beauty of flowers.

The installation they have brought, The Gilded Age (based on the HBO series), is their first such display in the City of Brotherly Love. As said by Marshall during the opening remarks, “We could not be happier to be here.” With Philadelphia’s long-running history of floral appreciation, mainly with the Philadelphia Flower Show dating back almost 200 years now, it is a joy to see a production that brings some of our local floral artists to light.

Wandering the halls of the legendary manor, my guest and I were delighted by all of the local talent’s works. My personal favorite was Gladys Russell by We Do Event Design. A gorgeous piece placed in the ballroom, fierce red, and poised – I was absolutely taken. Another favorite that went on to win an award, Ada Brook by Blossom Bliss, blended a secret garden-like floral arrangement with remarkable sculpting.

Every piece on display had an allure that made you feel as if you could step into them like another world or a forgotten time. There is truly something classically enchanting about flowers and seeing how these artists thought to use their shapes and colors to convey characters was nothing short of awe-inspiring. I have never seen the Gilded Age series, but rest assured, seeing how it inspired these artists tells me that it is worth watching.

I could not share my thoughts without mentioning another category of work featured in this exhibition. Cascading down the grand staircase that greets guests (by Shannon Toal Designs), or on the entryway gates (by Floral Kitchen), among others, were the gorgeous arrangements made by even more local florists.

The ballroom fireplace piece by Flower Curls can be described as a dream. By framing the original carving and further accentuating it, I can say this arrangement was my favorite in the show. I could go on and on about every single piece and arrangement – George Russell by Olivia Lucas Designs and its incredible technique and set pieces, Garden Mannequins by Melissa Marie Floral and their costumes that happily reminded me of the grand costumes often worn by Barbra Streisand in her ‘60s films.

However, I must also speak of the estate that hosted this event. Like many other locals, I have driven by the property many times, wondering (and worrying) about the state of it. Stepping inside put my worries to rest as I have now seen the efforts to restore it.

As mentioned by Edward Thome, the executive director of Lynnewood’s preservation, the Lynnewood Hall Foundation took special care to prepare this preview (so to speak) of the manor’s entrance, dining room, receiving room, and ballroom. Safety is a concern for the rest of the estate as of right now, but seeing how progress is moving for these rooms, I believe it will be worth the wait.

We hope to continue to follow progress and attend more events in this monument of local history. I only hope that the next time I step in, I don’t see portraits of the RMS Titanic for sale. Considering Mr. Peter Widener’s loss to that tragedy, I disagree with selling merchandise of the ship’s likeness right in the home. Otherwise, I am looking forward to reading more into the architect behind Lynnewood (and many other iconic Philadelphia structures), Mr. Horace Trumbauer, in the book I purchased after my flower-viewing.

Jordan Wagner