Lougheed House recreated in ornate, 1925-esque fashion

It's like stepping intoa scene from Downton Abbey, except it's here in Calgary.

TheLougheedHouse drawing room has been entirely recreatedin its 1925 fashion, with much of its ornate original furniture,copper wine decanters, a "chock-full" china cabinet,porcelain figurines, and restored paintings.

From now until Sept. 11,Calgarians can explore what would have been the city's mostinfluentialand thoughtfully decorated room in the post-First World War era.

"It gives a sense of how people lived of course, of a certain class of people," said SandraMorton Weizman.

Here, royalty, prime ministers and other distinguished individuals would dine while visiting Calgary.

Notable guests included thePrince of Wales,King Edward VIII, and theDuke of Connaught, who was the firstmember of the Royal Family to become Governor General of Canada.

A homecoming for the furniture

The room's decorationis based on the only remaining photograph of the furnished room, which is believed to have been taken for insurance purposes in 1925.

Most of the artifacts on display originallybelonged to the Lougheedfamily, though they've changed hands more than a few times.

By 1938, the family had hadfallen on hard times in the midst of the Great Depression. Amajor auction was held, andmany oftheir possessions were sold.

When the house was restored in 2005,various people, usually descendents of those who bought at that auction,donated the itemsback to the house.

"So to speak, these pieces of furniture have come back home."

Many of the larger items had to be re-upholstered and conserved, while several of the original paintings had to be restored. The smaller items were collected for the room's recreation over a period of two months.

Other pieces are on loan from various public and privatecollections.

"It's very exciting to see it completed. It far exceeds my expectations," Morton Weizman said.

"Even the gold in the frames. It really picks up the highlights in the panels in the walls. I think it really does it justice."

The LougheedHouse celebrates its 125th anniversary this year.