First Floor Period Rooms

Reception Room

The reception room is a striking example of Arts & Crafts design and features oak woodwork, barrel-vaulted ceilings, and an Italian ceramic-tile floor. Mostly unchanged since 1905, all of the primary characteristics of Arts & Crafts design are on display in this room: hand-crafted objects, medieval themes, and representations of nature. Guests were welcomed by the butler then seated in the inglenook next to the hand-crafted iron fireplace, designed by Mrs. Arms, to await the appearance of the lady of the house. The Italian marble statue of Romeo & Juliet (pictured) is from the Victorian period and once belonged to Mrs. Arms’ parents. Although not an Arts & Crafts piece, the statue offers a nice contrast between the more detailed, ornate Victorian style of decorating and the more simplistic, organic elements of Arts & Crafts style.

Library

Library Mrs. Arms remodeled the library in 1927 and chose this lavish Tudor Revival style to increase its elegance and sophistication. The library now features limed-oak woodwork, linen-fold paneling, and gothic arches on the windows and bookshelves. Mrs. Arms displayed numerous family portraits, books, and dishes in her library, some of which were personally selected by her to be on display once her home became a museum after her death. The library also features a table personally designed by Mrs. Arms, along with a beautiful carpet from Beijing, China.

Solarium

Originally an open porch, the solarium allowed Mrs. Arms to blur the distinction between indoors and outdoors by bringing nature to the doorstep of her home. Increased traffic on Wick Avenue, along with dirt and soot from the nearby steel mills, led Mrs. Arms to enclose the solarium in 1927. The solarium offers guests a closer look at the grey limestone used to build her home, which Mrs. Arms affectionately called “Greystone," and features a stone fountain in the shape of a lion’s head.

Sitting Room

Mrs. Arms’ favorite room was the sitting room. She and her husband, Wilford, spent many evenings together in the sitting room discussing news and events of the day. The numerous windows in this room, which overlooked Mrs. Arms’ expansive gardens, reflect her opinion that “windows are our finest landscape paintings.” The colonial-style fireplace features a portrait of the home of her maternal grandfather, Caleb Baldwin Wick, whose house once stood on West Federal Street. A motto carved on the fireplace mantle reads “Around these hearthstones, speak no evil word of anyone.” Symbols of Arts & Crafts decorating style, mottoes were often placed around one's home to remind the inhabitants to live life meaningfully.

Dining Room

Of all the rooms on the first floor, Mrs. Arms believed that the dining room should express the most cheer. Her love of birds is evident throughout, from the parrot in the painting above the buffet table to the stained glass peacock feathers in the windows. The large dining room table is called a “melon” table because of the shape of the legs and often features china, crystal, and linens that belonged to Mrs. Arms, one of her five sisters, or her mother.

Butler’s Pantry

Butler's Pantry Guests of “Greystone” during Mrs. Arms’ lifetime most likely would not have been treated to a glimpse of the copper sink in the butler’s pantry, which was part of the servants' area. Today, visitors enjoy seeing the stunning double sink which was both beautiful and practical. Because copper is a soft metal, dishes accidentally dropped in the sink would not break. The pantry displays beautiful sets of dishes that belonged to Mrs. Arms, her sisters, and her mother. Several drawings by Mrs. Arms hang on the wall above the copper sink as examples of her artistic talent.