Four acrcs of oak under rcof

ARDWOOD has always been a symbol of quality and beauty, especially in architectural applications. Biltmore House near Asheville. N.C.. is an outstanding example of hardwood use.

One hundred years ago, George Vanderbilt, riding through the hills of North Carolina, came upon a view so exhilarating he was inspired to build a magnificent home as both a tribute and a complement to the site. Today, over 500,000 visitors a year are witness to his achievement at Biltmore House and Gardens.

George Vanderbilt engaged two masters to assist him in his dream, architect Richard Morris Hunt and landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted. Hundreds of skilled laborers and artisans worked steadily for five years to build the 250-room house. During this time, Hunt and Vanderbilt traveled throushout

Europe choosing art treasures for the home. Rooms were designed to display the collection: additional artwork was commissioned to complement the home.

Story at a Glance

100 year old North Carolina mansion has four acres of oak floors...oak, ebony and walnut paneling emphasizes handcarved hardwood mantels... enough fine hardwood for 140 average houses used in the 250 rooms.

The collection. which includes Flemish tapestries; engravings by'Durer: paintings by Sargent, Whistler. and Renoir: and a chess table once owned by Napoleon Bonaparte, has played a valuable role in the preservation of art. The ceiling painting in the library is the most important work by Fellegrini still in existence. Most of the artist's works were destroyed during the last war in Europe. Quality always took precedence over expense. Oak, ebony, and walnut paneling. Silk. damask, and leather walls. Mantels of marble,jasper ware, and carved hardu,ood. Arched, stenciled, and coffered ceilings. And throughout it all. nearly four acres of oak floors. On the main floors. these are laid in intricate herringbone patterns. Even the simplest servants' quarters in the basement and on the fourth floor enjoy the oak strip flooring usually res€rved for the formal areas offine homes.

All together, Biltmore House holds enough fine hardwood floors for more than 140 average-sized houses.

The grounds. a masterful blend of formality and naturalism. are among Olmsted's best preserved u,orks. 'lMay's visitor can stand in the carefully designd. precisely planted lalian garden and look out over forests and mountains. In the walled garden, staff gardeners use seasonal flonen to form decoratirr tapestries. Traditional gardens florv easily into romantic woodlands.

But George tvhnderbilt was not content for the home to be simply an object of beauty. He intended it to be part of a thriving. productive estate. Eroded farmland was turned into rich fields. His vast holdings in Pisgah Forest were harvested and managed under the first American experiments in practical forestry. and ttre commercial dairy at Biltmore pioneered the imprwenrent of dairying in the South. liJday. Biltrnore House sards in tribute to the beauty ofnature and the progressive vision of one man. The vision is 100 yean old. The view is more breathraking than ever.

ARDWOOD sales can be improved with quality merchandising and promotions as proven by the developing number of specialty hardwood retailers.

Home centers and lumber dealers who want to expand their hardwood sales can profit by adopting some of the methods used by these stores which deal exclusively in domestic and exotic hardwoods. Role models include Paxton Lumber Co.'s Beautiful Woods, found in several states; McFeely's Hardwoods and Lumber, Lynchburg, Va.; Charlotte Hardwood Center. Inc.. Charlotte. N.C.; Greenville Hardwood Center, Greenville, S.C.; Atlanta Hardwood Center, Atlanta, Ga. ; Woodcrafters, Fortland, Or., and the franchised Austin Hardwoods throughout the United States.

Managers and owners of these stores agree on one thing. Customers need and want lots ofhelp and expert advice when they shop for the often unfamiliar and costly hardwoods. "We're not a rack type business," says Steve Penberthy, ownerof Woodcrafters. "Because we're a small specialty type business, we can take the time to ask people what they need the materials for."

Rule No. 1: Provide knowledgeable people to help customers buying hardwood. Have an adequate number of employees so that service can be one on one. Encourage salespeople to spend time with customers.

Rule No. 2: Make it easy for the customer to find and identify the various species.

Beautiful Woods uses large, readable white name tags jutting out from the vertical stacks to identify each species. Charlotte Hardwood Center, Inc. labels each bin. Regardless ofhow it is done, each species must be identified, preferably with an explanation of its uses. Veneers should be stored flat in labeled drawers.

Rule No. 3: Inspire increased purchases of hardwoods by promoting their beauty and what can be done with them.

McFeely Hardwoods and Luryrber, Lynchburg, Va.. maintains a picture board where customers display photographs of furniture and other projects they have completed using hardwood purchased from the store. Iabeled hardwood samples can be hung on the walls like art to show offtheir beauty. Flooring can be presented on the wall as well as on the floor. Sample books ofwood squares can be assembled.