The Living Room was used for informal family activities. Having a place for the family and summer guests to gather was important, and was the essence of their summer lifestyle. Here they could read, listen to music, and play quiet games. By contrast, the family’s winter residence in Boston had a formal reception room that was used to entertain the elite.

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The eclectic furniture here ranges from an antique 17th century Dutch cabinet to the ‘modern’ 1910 Chickering piano, to the delightful Swiss music box. To the left of the piano is a Biedermeier secretary for writing letters, on the right is a Renaissance oak cabinet from the 1600s. The simple treatment of the curtains and the light, airy effect of the decor also make this room different from the cluttered Victorian parlor popular a few decades earlier.