In an effort to create a common vision of the "sets" for the new season, The RUNBC presents an overview of the various sections of the Sheffield Estate. Come on a tour of the house with me!
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Remember what we saw of the Sheffield House in "California Here We Come"? Here are some shots to remind us of the few clues the show gave us about what the house Fran and Max leased was like. | |
I invite you to take a tour with me around the house, there are lots of details there that don't necessarily show up on the plans.
Let's start by entering the front door. First, let's pretend the steps are really a curved staircase, one of the limitations of the architectural program was that it couldn't do curves. But we gotta have a nice fancy curved staircase in the main entryway.If we make a right just inside the door, we find ourselves in a book lined library. Picture Grace curled up in one of the comfy big arm chairs over there, or perhaps Niles would position himself in good listening position with a glass to a wall.
Maxwell's office, the next door over, is much like the office in New York, complete with an oversized desk..... for whatever purpose he should require it for.
Across the hall is a guest/servants bedroom. Should there be servants that require housing, this would be their room. Or, if it should not be needed for that purpose, this would be a nice spot for Maggie and Michael when they visit.
Walking down the hall, notice that the entire right hand side is open to the living room in a very nice archway, perhaps with a decorative pillar on each end. If we enter the living room and look up, we see those famous skylights, but also notice that the upstairs hallway is open on that side too with a railing. If Fran shouted from the living room towards the upstairs, everyone would surely hear her.
Exit the living room via the double doors (the ones that Donna Douglas and Fran entered via in "California") Just to the left, you see a staircase going up to the second floor. Ahead of you is the family room, with a second fireplace and the TV. The door to the attached garage is here along with a breakfast nook and the entrance to the large kitchen. You can't see it, but there is a "pass through" next to the sink that allows easy access to the breakfast nook. It's no problem for someone working in the kitchen to talk to those at the table through that window. This whole section of the house is really where most of the "living" would happen, it's a much more relaxed atmosphere than the formal living room is. Towards the front of the house is the laundry area, and a small workroom that houses the "kitchen office" and an area for working with the floral arrangements and perhaps storage of some of the larger dining items. This is definitely the butlers domain.
Exiting the kitchen, notice stairs down to a basement area. I have no idea what's down there... perhaps a wine cellar? Maybe more, who knows?
Lastly on this floor, we see the formal dining room. This is the spot for any entertaining, but I don't suppose the family would really eat there very often anymore.... they seem to prefer the kitchen.
Now let's go up that nice curved staircase to the second floor. See ya there!
We come to the top of the stairs and the first thing that hits us is that this is a very open area---great for eavesdropping on either side. You can listen to stuff happening at the front door via the open railings to the entryway, and directly in front of you is a great overview of the entire living room. Take a right down the hall, and you'll find three bedrooms. One a spare, for whoever might be visiting and require it, then Grace's, and then one set aside for Brighton, should he return to the fold after his side trip to Europe.
Come back down the hall, and see the steps down to the family room on the right, and the twins' room on the left. Those two funny shaped things in their room are rocking chairs, a necessary item as anybody with an infant will tell you. The twins have a very large attached bath and walk in closet---plenty of room for two.
Across the hall through the double doors you'll find the master suite. The front part is a sitting room area, complete with bookcases, a fireplace and a cozy love seat. In the alcove to the right, you can see treadmill and stationary bike to keep him in shape, I assume with the treadmill set to "schlepp". There is a locked door right there that leads to the attic. Maybe the owners of the house have stored some stuff up there or something, though nobody knows quite what, or why. I'd sure like to know...
Moving over into the bedroom section of the room, we notice a set of French doors leading out to a balcony. There are some circular stairs leading down for easy access to the pool and spa..... yummy. Turning around and moving across the room, we can see the master bathroom spread out in front of us. We find a dressing area first, then the sink area with a Jacuzzi, of course. A small separate room houses the bidet and toilet, and there is a shower stall over to the right. Of course, Fran and Max each have their own separate, large walk-in closets. Somehow, I imagine Fran has commandeered half of Maxwell's as well as her own, whaddya think?
Time to run back outside to get an idea how this house sits in relation to the rest of the estate. Run out the front door and meet me on the front stoop.
Whew, I beat ya here! But that's okay, catch your breath, we don't need to race anymore. From right here on the porch we can see the lovely curved driveway that arches around in front of the house and the drive that leads around back to the garage.
I suppose we should walk around the house following the driveway taking careful note of the beautiful work the gardener has done making everything lush and green. The bay window in the breakfast nook has a nice view, despite overlooking the driveway. Notice the small walkway leading to the side door into the kitchen from the driveway.
There is space for three cars in the garage, though there is an extra space or two available for parking outside as well. And a walkway towards the guest house, nestled in the back, behind the pool and spa area.
The renovations of that guest house have been completed, and it's ready for it's new inhabitants, so let's walk on back there.
The guest house is really fairly large; we come in through an entryway into a formal living room. Beyond that, is a family room, with a fireplace and a private deck off the back. The kitchen boast a panty with built in wine rack, and an island divides the kitchen from the dining room.
The upstairs has three bedrooms, the master bedroom has a generous walk in closet and it's own bath.
I hope you have come away with a better idea of what the estate in California is like and that you enjoyed the tour!!
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