Several years ago, a major drama unfolded in Great Britan when Dumfries House,
one of the most significant and beautiful historic properties in the
Commonwealth, teetered on the verge of sale and dispersal. The
18th-century Palladian villa in Ayrshire, Scotland, is a seminal work of
renowned architect Robert Adam and his brothers, John and James; it
contains a world-class collection of British Rococo furniture, including
some 50 examples from a fledgling cabinetmaker named Thomas
Chippendale. Ordered straight from the craftsman’s workshop in 1759 by
the fifth Earl of Dumfries, who commissioned the house and took up
residence there the following year, the furnishings now form part of a
magnificent ensemble that embodies, in the words of His Royal Highness
the Prince of Wales, “British craftsmanship at its best.” Pick up a copy of AD’s February issue to see more spectacular photos and to read the complete story. Or click link below for more preview photos: http://www.architecturaldigest.com/homes/homes/2012/02/prince-charles-dumfries-house-scotland-article