The Decorative Arts Trust

06/18/2026

06/18/2026

Our second run through Scotland is underway with a pre-tour visit to Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Margaret Macdonald’s The Hill House in Helensburgh west of Glasgow. Although encased by a steel superstructure and shrouded by chain mail during a long-term restoration project, the interiors are still magical. Emma Inglis, curator for the National Trust for Scotland, gave a splendid introduction to their design aesthetics and the relationship with their patrons, the Blackie family. This is the first of five sites tied to Macintosh in our itinerary, three of which illustrate his partnership with Macdonald. National Trust for Scotland

06/17/2026

The stunning new volume 𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘍𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘢𝘶𝘧𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 unveils the extraordinary scope and depth of the celebrated collection that George M. and Linda H. Kaufman assembled over decades. The richly illustrated publication reveals Linda and George’s broader passion for collecting rare American, European, and Chinese export porcelains; remarkable silver-form brass; exceptional Dutch paintings; and delicate French and American watercolors.

Read more about the new publication in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘉𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯: https://decorativeartstrust.org/kaufman-book-post.

Pictured: High chest of drawers, c. 1735, Boston, MA. Maple and pine; brass; gesso, red, and black pigments in resin, gold leaf and gold and metallic powders and resinous varnishes. Collection of George M. and Linda H. Kaufman. Photo by Gavin Ashworth; Basket, c. 1740, probably London, England. Silvered brass, rattan. Collection of George M. and Linda H. Kaufman. Photo by Gavin Ashworth; Partial dinner service with floral urn (1794–95) and partial dinner service with shield and initials “NAB” (1791–98), made in Jingdezhen, China, decorated in Guangzhou, China. Hard-paste porcelain. Collection of George M. and Linda H. Kaufman. Photo by Gavin Ashworth; American China Manufactory, Pickle stands, 1770–72, Philadelphia, PA. Soft-paste porcelain. Collection of George M. and Linda H. Kaufman, promised gift to National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Photo © National Gallery of Art; Book cover.

06/16/2026

Register now for Barcelona and Valencia: Treasures of the Spanish Seaside: https://decorativeartstrust.org/spain-2027! Join us on May 8–16 or May 21–29, 2027, and extend your travels with Mallorca: Material Culture of the Balearic Islands on May 16–21.

Revel in the charm of Spain’s Mediterranean coast with a journey that traces its history from Barcelona to Valencia. Explore Spanish and Catalan decorative traditions, Gothic and Modernista architecture, vibrant seaside cities, and enchanting Medieval towns, all shaped by an enduring maritime history and centuries of cultural exchange.

Barcelona boasts the Gaudí masterpieces of the soaring Sagrada Família, the color-filled Park Güell, and the whimsical Casa Batlló, which are balanced by the Gothic Quarter’s countless museums and galleries. Valencia offers a different rhythm, with its Old Town full of charming, flower-filled streets and impressive landmarks like the Cathedral and the Torres de Serranos.

Extend your journey to the island of Mallorca, where dramatic coastal cliffs plunge into azure waters, elegant towns overlook golden beaches, and historic estates nestled in olive groves and citrus orchards offer a serene counterpoint to the lively mainland. Travel to these stellar locales, and sites in between, during this grand Spanish adventure!

See https://decorativeartstrust.org/spain-2027 for details about the itinerary, pricing, and policies. We hope to see you in Spain!

Pictured: Casa Batlló, Park Güell, Palau de la Musica, Gerona, Casa Milà, Mercat Central, Valencia Cathedral, Palma de Mallorca, Son Marroig.

06/15/2026

Register today for pay-what-you-wish access to a carefully selected collection of virtual programs and content from the Decorative Arts Trust: https://decorativeartstrust.org/250th-package! In celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary, we present a brand new tour of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s much-anticipated exhibition, 𝘈 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴: 250 𝘠𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘺, as well as a retrospective of Revolution-focused virtual tours, lectures, object shares, and articles from 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵.

At the PMA, join Alexandra Kirtley, Trust Governor and the Montgomery-Garvan Curator of American Decorative Arts, as she sweeps us away on a whistle-stop tour of American art and creativity from the Colonial era through the 1960s. The museum’s world-class collection sparkles alongside selections from the Middleton Family Collection, many of which are on public display for the very first time.

Drawing from our catalog, a treasure trove of semiquincentennial stories awaits, including the debut of Concord Museum’s April 19, 1775 exhibition, a stunning private collection of Old Paris porcelain made for the new American market, an exercise in close looking with curatorial staff at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and much more.

See https://decorativeartstrust.org/250th-package to learn more and to register for this pay-what-you-wish virtual package!

06/12/2026

Mellerstain House (images 1–7) was originally purchased in 1642 by George Baillie of Jerviswood. Around 1724, his grandchildren, George Baillie and Lady Grisell Baillie, engaged William Adam to design a new house. George Baillie, Lady Grisell’s son, inherited the estate in 1759 and proceeded to build the present central block around 1770, hiring architest Robert Adam. The younger Adam took the opportunity to develop his Castellated style for the exterior, and the interior features an unusual sequence of rooms of different shapes. The large library showcases a lovely green and pink ceiling. The collection at Mellerstain includes family portraits as well as works by Gainsborough, Constable, and Ruysdael.

Paxton House (images 8–17) was built in 1758 to a design attributed to John and James Adam for Patrick Home, Laird of Wedderburn. Curator Fiona Salvesen Murrell and David Jones introduced us to the largest collection of documented furniture by Thomas Chippendale, both father and son, in Scotland. The Drawing Room is replete with c. 1789 arabesque papers by the French maker Reveillon and a stunning plasterwork ceiling in the Adamesque style. Paxton also contains a robust collection of Regency furnishings by William Trotter of Edinburgh.

Carolside (images 18–20), a serene 18th-century estate, boasts one of Scotland’s finest private gardens known for its collection of historic roses.

Thank you for following along with our first tour of Scotland! Tour 2 begins next week, so be sure to come back for more scenes from our Scottish experiences!

06/11/2026

The Director of Dovecot Studios, Celia Joicey, shared behind-the-scenes access to the working tapestry studio in the heart of Edinburgh (images 1–3). Established in 1912 as the Edinburgh Tapestry Company by John Crichton-Stuart, the 4th Marquess of Bute, the firm was created to produce large-scale tapestries for his family seat, Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute, by drawing on the expertise of weavers trained in the workshops of William Morris. Since 2008, Dovecot has been housed in the former Infirmary Street Baths, a building designed in 1885 by Robert Morham.

The Drum (images 4–5) was acquired by the Somerville family in the 14th century, and the oldest part of the extant house dates to 1584. In 1725, the 13th Lord Somerville and his wife tapped William Adam to create a Palladian mansion, his first solo commission.

William Adam designed Arniston House (image 6) in 1726 on behalf of Robert Dundas, 3rd Lord Arniston and President of the Court of Session (Scotland’s Supreme Court), who was following in the footsteps of his neighbor and political ally the Earl of Hopetoun. The project was not completed until after the architect’s death under the guidance of his sons Robert and James.

Visit our website to see our calendar of upcoming programs!

06/10/2026

A special out-of-tours tour of Hopetoun House (images 1–11) with David Jones gave us unique access to the stunning home. The Hopetoun estate was purchased for Sir Charles Hope, later the 1st Earl of Hopetoun, in 1699. Sir William Bruce began the first iteration of Hopetoun House soon after that purchase, completing it before 1703, but only the main block of this original building survives today. In 1721, the 1st Earl engaged William Adam to provide for an addition. After the 2nd Earl inherited the house in 1742, he had an inventory drawn up of these rooms in their furnished state, and most of his furnishings survive. Upon William Adam’s death in 1748, his sons Robert and John continued and completed the work. The Great Apartment (also called the North Apartment) is arranged in a standard enfilade running from the entrance hall, consisting of a Dining Room, Drawing Room, Bedchamber, and Dressing Room.

The seat of the Lindsay family for 20 generations, the earliest phase of Balcarres (images 12–14) dates to 1511. The house was enlarged and refortified after it was purchased by John Lindsay, Lord Menmuir, in 1586. The most significant transformation came in the late-19th century under architects William Burn and David Bryce, who reworked the earlier structure into a coherent country house, introducing elements of the Scottish Baronial style alongside Neoclassical planning and proportioning.

The Palace of Holyroodhouse (images 15–19) is the British crown’s official residence in Scotland. A after-hours tour with David Jones and Emma Stead, Curator, gave us rare insights into this storied estate. The palace itself began as a Gothic residence built by King James IV of Scotland in the early 16th century, later transformed on behalf of Charles II between 1671 and 1678 by Sir William Bruce into the elegant structure seen today.

Follow us for more scenes from Scotland, and visit https://decorativeartstrust.org/calendar-of-events for our calendar of upcoming programs.

06/09/2026

Our Scotland adventures continued at Gosford House (images 1–5), constructed primarily between 1791 and 1800 to the designs of Robert Adam on behalf of Francis Charteris, the 7th Earl of Wemyss. David Jones shared insights into this Neoclassical house with exquisite plasterwork, columned screens, and vaulted spaces. Unfortunately Robert Adam died in 1792, before the building was complete, and Lord Wemyss never occupied his new house. After decades of unuse, the 10th Earl of Wemyss hired architect William Young to carry out modifications in the 1890s. Gosford House displays fine and decorative arts assembled by the Wemyss family over generations.

Curator-led tours of the National Museum of Scotland (images 6–14) gave us unique access to impressive objects! Stephen Jackson, Senior Curator of Furniture and Woodwork, and Claire Blakey, Senior Curator of Modern Decorative Arts, shared treasures from the collection. The museum was founded in 1854, with the archaeological collection of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, established in 1780, as its foundation. The spectacular 1866 Victorian building by engineer Francis Fowke and architect Robert Matheson was influenced by London’s Crystal Palace. Highlights include a cast of the tomb of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a renowned collection of historic embroidery, lace, and tapestries.

We also enjoyed a convivial meal at Greywalls (images 15–17), a lovely country house designed in 1901 by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

Visit the calendar of upcoming programs at https://decorativeartstrust.org/calendar-of-events to travel with us.

06/08/2026

Scotland's Drumlanrig Castle (images 1–9), affectionately called the Pink Palace due to its bright red sandstone exterior, is a gem of late 17th-century Renaissance architecture. Constructed between 1679 and 1689 for the First Duke of Queensbury, William Douglas, the castle’s exquisite rooms are home to stunning paintings, tapestries, and decorative arts from the acclaimed Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust’s art collection.

Heading for Edinburgh (images 10–12), we spent the evening on a walking tour of the New Town with historian and tour lecturer Alastair Learmont. The New Town was built in stages between 1767–1850 and was designed primarily by architect James Craig.

Check out our calendar of upcoming programs at https://decorativeartstrust.org/calendar-of-events.