Tour the Pink Bedroom

This room was also used as a guest room when the Brooks’ were in residence here. It features a full bathroom as well as a large walk-in closet, making it an ideal space for last-minute bridal preparations when weddings are held at Allandale.

The four-poster tester bed is a walnut reproduction, and is in fact the one that the Brooks started their house-keeping with. It has an optional canopy, or “tester,” which is the wooden frame that shapes and supports the fabric over the bed. This, as well as longer spindles, were added to the bed after it was brought to Allandale.

The chest-of-drawers is walnut with an inlaid design. The “highboy” [tall chest] is mahogany. Both pieces were built here in our region prior to 1820 and feature yellow pine secondary work.

The antique mounting steps were used for climbing into bed when beds had thick feather mattresses. They also contained storage space, which was used for “night-time convenience” [you may lift the second step to reveal a bedpan].

The small table is made in a clover-leaf design, and it matches the one in the Green Bedroom. The top folds down so that it fits, if need be, into a corner. The room is also complimented by a comfortable wing chair and an antique cricket stool, which you will find is covered by intricate needlepoint.

To the side of the fireplace is another period piece, a hand-carved walnut “fainting couch” [also known as a chaise lounge]. This name is derived from ante-bellum days when ladies were laced up very tightly into corsets for the purpose of making their waists appear smaller. When said corsets were loosened, the sudden rush of oxygen to their heads would sometimes make these ladies feel faint, and they would recline on these fainting couches until they were able to regain their composure.