Ballinlough Castle, County Westmeath

See more here. Via here

Pantheon-esque

Perfection in the Sir John Soane Museum...

Via here (Photograph by Derry Moore)

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The overwhelmingly quiet and beautiful courtyard at the Cortile di Via Savona at Zona Tortona - (Part of the Luce Tempo Luogo exhibition in Milan) by Dorell, Ghotmeh and Tane Architects, in collaboration with Izumi Okayasu and Toshiba. The idea is that the courtyard and reflective pool are illuminated by the sun during the day and by LED’s at night. A great example of appreciating the historic and century-old walls, while employing light and a contemporary pool to enhance each component...

Via Yatzer

Golden Lining

Appartement de Madame Victoire, Versailles...

Via here

Kedleston Hall

A huge thank you to readers who solved the mystery for me just as I was about to don my Nancy Drew Google hat. The magnificent house in my previous post is Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire. Incidentally, many scenes of The Duchess (starring Keira Knightley) were filmed at Kedleston...

 See more here and here

Ham House

John Evelyn, diarist, 27 August 1678:

After dinner I walked to Ham, which is inferior to few of the best villas in Italy itselfe.

The house is furnishd like a great Prince's.

Just one in a series of grand houses and palaces alongside the River Thames - the utterly magnificent Ham House is a seventeenth century treasure trove. Here is just a minute sampling...

The Green Closet miniatures and cabinet pictures

Queen Elizabeth I (Nicholas Hilliard)

Looking into 'The Green Closet'

Read more here and here

Alex Raskin

I am lucky enough to have been to the wondrous Alex Raskin Antiques in Savannah, Georgia. It is housed in the Noble Hardee Mansion, and is every bit as breathtaking as it looks...

Photographs by Michael Graydon