Restoration Projects Funded by the Friends at VRG and Upcoming Architectural Lectures
Our mission – to preserve and interpret the first estate of Beverly Hills for the education and enjoyment of current and future generations – is an important compass that guides us as stewards of this historic and beloved property. To this end, the restoration and preservation of the buildings, collections and gardens are a big part of what we do. The Friends are a vital partner in this work. The County provides infrastructure, staffing and services to operate the gardens and relies on the Friends of Robinson Gardens to raise funds for restoration and garden beautification projects.
When embarking on a restoration project, every effort must be made to match the composition, material, color, scale and other visual qualities to reflect the historic, architectural and cultural period of the time. We embark on projects with much planning and forethought and bring in highly skilled experts with experience in preservation.
The Friends recently completed the Dining Room restoration project. Last year I shared with you that the chairs in the Dining Room were restored and reupholstered with fabric matching the original textile of the same color palette. The fabric of the dining room chairs was faded and worn over time, with a significant portion torn. Several of the chairs were damaged with nicks and some breakage in the wood. Ellen Levitt along with Tim Lindsay spearheaded this project. Ellen tirelessly searched across the globe to find a fabricator to recreate the original textile to match the color palette and pattern of the original design. After extensive research, she found Clerici Tessuto – a century old company near Lake Como, Italy – to manufacture the textile. Catherine Fellowes oversaw the design elements, scrutinizing every detail of the project.
Once the chairs were completed, the next step was to replace the drapery with this same fabric. The new upholstery and drapes have transformed the dining room with a new brilliance and sparkle! The Dining Room project was made possible by a generous donation by Friend Ann Petersen as well as from the proceeds from the 2024 Annual Gala, with special thanks to Laura and Harvey Alpert for their very generous donation.
Virginia Robinson changed the textiles in the Library seasonally. In Spring and Summer, she had beautiful floral pattern slipcovers for the curtains, sofa and armchairs, and in Fall and Winter, the slipcovers were removed to reveal a dark sage color. Over time, the sage fabric had faded considerably. The Friends, with help from Ellen Levitt were able to find fabric matching the original to reupholster the Library armchairs and sofa. Funding for the Library Project came from the very generous donation from Laura and Harvey Alpert as well as proceeds from the 2024 Annual Gala.
Additional Friends-funded projects include the marble tables with Ionic columns in the Pool Pavilion and the marble fireplace and surround in the Library. These projects involved painstaking work by a restoration specialist (see photos below).
I hope you will join us for the 2026 Architectural Lecture Series! Here is a preview of what is to come:
The Story the Landscape Tells Back: Crafting Immersive Indoor–Outdoor Living, February 5th: Acclaimed garden designer Christine London will share the story of the design of a magical garden that was featured on the 2024 Garden Tour.
In Search of the Beautiful: Architecture, Painting and Furniture, March 12th: Covering half a career of searching for the beautiful, renowned architect, painter and furniture maker Domiane Forte will discuss the nature of the beautiful in art and nature, the human need to search for it, and how to go about finding it.
Additional speakers (details coming soon) will be architect Richard Manion on April 29th and art historian Dr. Valerie Taylor on October 8th. Richard Manion received his architectural degree from Columbia University in New York, where he studied American and European architectural history. His work has been featured in numerous publications and books. His most recent book is Richard Manion Architecture: Streamlined (New Classicists).
Valerie Taylor holds a Ph.D. in Art History from the University of Sussex, Great Britain. She will share the fascinating story of the Brand family and “Miradero,” their historic home that is now Brand Library. Considered the “father of Glendale,” Leslie Brand was Virginia’s uncle, and her father, Nathaniel Dryden designed “Miradero” in 1904 (he designed Harry and Virginia’s home in 1911) so this talk promises to be illuminating. I hope you can join us!
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