The Egyptian Bed Room
148-160 Spring Street
Newport Rhode Island
Photos on these pages are of one of the bed rooms in the Newport Rhode Island Home of John and Rico
This is my bed room (Rico's). I like the Egyptian look; I always have and think I always will. I really don't want to go to Egypt. I have met one of two Egyptians: they seemed very nice. It is easy to theme a room and I think that one's bed room is the most important room in one's life. Make it the room of your dreams for you will spend most of your life in that room. I go to sleep with lights on in my room, not because I am afraid of the dark, but because it is the last thing I want to see before I close my eyes and the first thing I want to see when I wake. The lights are not bright but very mystical: colored leaded glass, massed crystals lit from within: images of ancient times. This bed room is on the third floor of our home in the Mansard section so the outer wall is canted out. The size of the room is approximately. 12' x 23' and my bed faces East. Two windows, two exit doors and two built in closets. The ceiling is about 8'4" tall. There is a 20' long pool in our garden I view from my windows with fountains which I hear from my bed. The sound of the fountains put me to sleep at night. I want to die in my bed room, in my bed, looking, dreaming and letting go of everything.
There is so much good Egyptian decorative art reproductions out there today! Putting it together: that is the trick. The Sphinx is fiberglass and the trunk came from Pier 1 a number of years ago; it was mahogany and I painted it with silver color. The leaded glass globe in front of the Sphinx is from the 1930's.
This ensemble is to the left of my bed. It consists of a 1930's Egyptian (origin) wall tapestry. The pair of pedestals are from Toscano; the pyramid lamps came from a local downtown Newport shop and the figure I bought on Ebay; the carpet was also from Toscano. The cabinet in the center came from Pier 1 and I had it painted to look like stone by a local tradesman, Brian Tuck who does all of our antique furniture restoration for our antiques shop.
This globe has a small 7 watt bulb and is just used for a night time light. The Sphinx appears to be gazing at the ball of light, and it is. . .
Brian Trapp, a local cabinet maker made this cabinet to my design and Brian Tuck decorated it, copying a collection of 1920's papyrus paintings that would have been purchased by tourist on their visit to Egypt. The cabinet has 4 drawers and it has a pyramid shape. It is one of my favorite pieces of furniture; I use it every day, it hold underwear. Below are detailed images of the front drawers. The cabinet is decorated with pictoral view on all three sides.
I made the lamp on the cabinet during the blizzard of 1978; it is composed of dozens of crystals. The wall tapestry is from Egypt; had stitched from small pieces of fabric and is from the 1920's. It was meant to hang in front of a doorway. The cabinet came from Pier 1.
Another view of the Egyptian cabinet with reflections from the crystal lamp. The palm trees add to the environment. The wall paper in this room appears to be stone. I used turquoise colors on all wooden doors and molding.
A night view of one corner of the bed room. The floor is wall to wall grass carpet: a natural fiber carpet purchased and installed locally by Rene Carpet of Newport. We have purchased all the carpeting from Rene for the restoration of our home.
A night view of the Pyramid lamps; on an adjustable dimmer to create the night atmosphere I want.
The pyramid trunk was from Pier 1; painted silver.
This corner has a very heavy 'plastic' Egyptian throne. I think that it is a copy of one of the thrones from a tomb. The glass crystal creature on the black box is a new sculpture I have finished. A sea-urchin with a light show changing 15 different colors.
The bed is queen size and is low to the floor. The cabinets on either side hold clothes.
A longer view of the room.
The jeweled brooch in the form of a breast star (upper middle of the photo) was my grandmothers (Nancy Lane King); it was her favorite piece of jewelry. Every time I see it I think of her. The jeweled crystals are part of a table lamp.
I made this lamp during the blizzard of '78. Composed of hundreds of cut glass prisms wired onto a copper electric heater frame. I love this lamp and want to take it with me when I die. The switch is touch activated with three settings of illumination. Touch the lamp anywhere and it will go on. I leave it on the low setting when I go to bed.
A view over the bed to the 'altar'.
This is a night view showing the various lamps
The Throne. I have covered the walls (over the stone wallpaper) with various Egyptian tapestries, textiles and wall hangings.
An over view with the bed in the center of the room.
The bowl in the bottom left of the images has a light and vaporizer, suspended is a chrome plane model from the 1950's. The 'sea-urchin' lamp has cycled to green in the back right.
The Throne area (everyone need a throne for visiting dignitaries ! )
Across from the bed is a console; it is about 8' long. Below are detailed images of the winged decoration in the center.
Below are images of various textiles and papers used in decorating this Egyptian style bedroom.
This is the view outside one of my bed room windows; we bought the obelisk about 20 years ago; it is made of Fall River granite and weighs about 2000 lbs. The carving on the side facing my room says: "Federico Santi / We are the stuff of stars" ( on the opposite side it says: "John Gacher / Reality is what you can get away with"
Self Portrait
All images within this gallery are © by Federico Santi
Federico Santi is a partner in The Drawing Room of Newport and The Zsolnay Store located in Newport, Rhode Island. He studied photography with Evon Streetman in the School of Art at Florida State University.
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HOME PAGE FOR THE DRAWING ROOM OF NEWPORT
The Drawing Room is located at 152-154 Spring Street, Newport, Rhode Island 02840.We are open daily from 11 am to 5 pm and by appointment. Our phone number in Newport is 1-401-841-5060 Our email address is: drawrm@hotmail.com All images copyright by F. Santi,