WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

Architect Addison Mizner designed El Mirasol in the Mediterranean style, and the interior decoration tended to correspond. Mizner acquired some furnishings on the buying trips he made to Europe. He made many others at his factory in West Palm Beach, where great care was taken to simulate the look of authentic pieces from past centuries. Mr. Stotesbury's bedroom at El Mirasol featured a very old, handcarved wooden bed with headboard painted in vivid colors. The pair of tall stands of drawers flanking the bed, as well as two matching bureaus (which are seen in the first photo below), were originally manufactured in about 1916 for the Stotesburys' townhouse at 1925 Walnut Street and painted black with gold accents to match the bed frames in the third floor attic bedroom where they were located. The two matching bureaus featured a sunflower carved in each door.

After the Stotesburys built El Mirasol, they eventually removed the matching bureaus and tall stands from the Walnut Street house and had them painted to harmonize with the bed in Mr. Stotesbury's bedroom on the top floor of El Mirasol. The walls of the bedroom were decorated with paintings of bullfight scenes.

E.T. Stotesbury's bedroom at El Mirasol, showing the repainted custom furniture and the antique headboard

Photo Source: Mattie Edwards Hewitt collection, Pennsylvania State Archives

E.T. Stotesbury's bed at El Mirasol

Photo Source: Mattie Edwards Hewitt collection, Pennsylvania State Archives

The bed and some of the furniture survive today in remarkably good condition, as shown below.

E.T. Stotesbury's bed from El Mirasol as it looks today

The headboard of the Stotesbury bed today

The furniture from E.T. Stotesbury's bedroom at El Mirasol as it looks today

One of the two bureaus from the bedroom of E.T. Stotesbury at El Mirasol

A sunflower carved on the bureau from E.T. Stotesbury's bedroom at El Mirasol

Return to Home Page