Rooms in the Faber-Castell Castle

The Main Staircase

While the facade of the castle incorporates elements of Romanesque and Gothic architecture which give the building its deeply symbolic appearance of a feudal medieval castle (castell), visitors are greeted by a light-filled staircase of outstanding elegance. Colourful mosaics, superior marble and a lively composition of capitals and round arches make visitors raise their eyes to the ornate ceiling design. Contemporary technical achievements were harmoniously integrated into this exclusive ambience: electric lighting and a central steam heating system.

The interior of this extraordinary residence is characterised by a varied combination of Wilhelminian historicism and modern Art Nouveau, which reflects the spirit of life of that particular time and age.

The Music Room

Located between the Ladies‘ and the Gentlemen’s library, the Music Room in its light maple wood finish radiates an appearance of serene elegance. Unpretentious and noble – this is the impression conveyed by the artistic inlays of mother-of-pearl, metal, mahogany and burl wood in pearl drop shape. Like the integrated corner sofas, the music cabinets and console tables match the panels and are fully in line with the spirit of the time.

Through multi-faceted window panes, terrace doors and windows allow a splendid view of the park and the villa that was built for Wilhelm von Faber and his family by a Berlin architect back in 1886.

The Gentlemen`s Library 

Count Alexander’s library is identical to the Ladies‘ Library and connects the Music Room to the so-called Cherry Room. Decorated in light stained oak wood, it largely corresponds to the Library of the Bavarian Trade Museum in Nuremberg that had been built a few years earlier.

Only fragments of the ancient original book stock have been preserved, but nonetheless, the interests of the master of the house become apparent: sports, automobiles, hunting, the military, law and technology. The German term “Jugendstil” ( i.e. Art Nouveau) is named after the magazine Jugend (Youth), which promoted this style.

The Cherry Room

The so-called Cherry Room was used as a smoking and games room. The brass lamps decorated with playing-card motifs provide an indication of the social gatherings which were held here. Apart from a large tiled stove, the room contains delicate furniture characterised by straight lines, with the chairs still being covered in their original reseda green fabric. A secret compartment and a safe are concealed behind the panels on the south wall.

Study

Devised by Bruno Paul, the young designer who won the prestigious Grand Prix at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, the study is still in its original state. Both the maple and the oak panelling with beautiful inlays and the fitted furniture give the room a very special look that captures the fashion of the time. Quite deliberately, the designer opted against placing the frequently copied suite and the decorative fireplace symmetrically into the room, but decided in favour of integrating them into one of the corners of the room. Straight lines and geometric shapes contrast with the exuberant interior design which had been highly popular until then. However, they also clearly differ from the floral style of Art Deco. 

Originally this room was devised for the government building in Bayreuth where it is still preserved as it was then. As the count and countess were very taken with it, they commissioned a room in a nearly identical design. This is from where Count Alexander conducted his business, while his son Roland relocated his office and moved back into the administrative building. 

The Reception Room

This room ranks among the castle’s treasures. Just like the adjacent study and the Lemon Room (lady’s salon) on the first floor, it was devised by the famous designer Bruno Paul. Guests of the house were welcomed in the reception room which displays a simple elegance. A floor-to-ceiling mirror wall flanked by small display cabinets reflects the adjoining dining room and considerably increases the appearance of the size of the room. Mother-of-Pearl and mahogany inlays stand out against the dark oak panelling. Both the chimney and the radiator covers combine excellent workmanship and design and were incorporated into the overall design of the room. Curved diamond patterns composed of a harmonious match of coloured tesserae combine to form one of the most beautiful ceiling decorations in the castle. 

The Romanesque Hall

A stately hall, panelled in dark stained oak, links the various private rooms of the count´s family. The gilt ornaments and imposing furniture, such as armchairs, settles decorated with lions and studded cupboards, are based on the early mediaeval, Romanesque style. A coffered ceiling, picked out in red with five brass chandeliers for effective lighting, forms a canopy which covers this impressive overall ensemble.  

The Children`s Rooms

Evidently, Count and Countess von Faber-Castell dearly loved their children and this fondness is reflected in the layout and design of their rooms on the first floor. Propagated in architectural guidebooks, the latest recommendations on a child-friendly environment were taken up and put into practice inside the castle.  Both the white painted nursery furniture which was especially designed with rounded corners and the window grilles were to protect children against injury. Cheerful paintings displaying the four seasons decorate the upper walls of the playroom. Moreover, the little girls’ pride and joy was a walk-in playhouse in Bavarian country house style. 

The 'Months of the Year' Room

Countess Ottilie’s reception room excels through its original coffered ceiling featuring the twelve signs of the zodiac depicted in a magnificently gilded stencil design. Its original furnishings included elegant seating furniture and a floor-to-ceiling mirror wall. This is where Countess Ottilie welcomed her guests, leading them either into her big official drawing room or her private “lady’s salon“.

The Louis Seize Drawing Room

Countess Ottilie’s impressive drawing room is decorated in the French classical style and stands in contrast to the modern interior design of the two other ladies‘ salons. Both the walls and the ceiling are adorned with gilded stucco ornaments. Reliefs above the doors and on the walls show allegorical themes such as the “theatre“, “beauty” and “war and peace“, while wall medallions display playing putti. The medallions on the ceiling show personifications of the four seasons - e.g. winter is embodied by a young female skater.  

The Lemon Room

This is the private realm of Countess Ottilie and represents the third room in the castle which was designed by Bruno Paul. The Countess used this room for relaxing, reading and dealing with her correspondence.

As opposed to the rather dark colours dominating the study, the architect opted for warm East Indian satinwood finely decorated with inlays when he designed a room for the lady of the house.

Illuminated mirrors fill the corners of the room, while daylight streams in through the windows and small bay windows which offer a view over the lush greenery of the garden. Delicate desks and seating furniture give this room its extremely fine and feminine touch.  

The Ladies' Bathroom

Undoubtedly, the two bathrooms rank amongst the architectural highlights of the castle and are fortunately still preserved in their original state.

While the gentlemen’s bathroom predominantly features silver-grey colours, the ladies‘ room displays warm turquoise and auburn shades. The comfortable marble tub takes centre stage at the south wall, while there is no shower, as showers were not commonly used by women in those days.  The elegant marble washstand is equipped with a swivel shower head especially designed for hair washing.

Originally, the washing and bathing zones of the bathroom were separated by a velvet curtain. As shown on old postcards, the bathrooms had been decorated in Wilhelminian style furnishings with easy chairs, carpets and small pieces of furniture which took away the modern character people admire so much today. 

The Gentlemen’s Bathroom

The gentlemen’s bathroom is equipped with cutting-edge technology, combining distinguished elegance and contemporary functionality: the extraordinary shower device with side spray nozzles, the floor recess marble bathtub and the heated towel rails are both eye-catchers and represent state-of-the art sanitary engineering. Ornamental stucco decorations and mosaics with motifs from Greek mythology complete this luxurious ambience of aristocratic bathing culture at the turn of the century.

The Ballroom

The jewel in the crown of the ballroom is the stucco ceiling whose dynamically intertwined elements take up the rhythm and motion of music and dance. Ornamental leaves and blossoms, bead and reel motifs, fish-scale patterns and abstract forms coated with gold, silver and platinum dust emphasise energetic dance moves. Five chandeliers made of polished crystal with cup-shaped flowers and garlands of pearl also embellish the room. The corner alcoves, also known as lovers’ niches, and the wall panels of the ballroom are made of walnut with large-scale inlays of burl wood, bog oak, stained oak and mother-of-pearl.

The Tapestry Room

The colourful ceiling arches over the large reception room where guests used to meet and engage in pleasant conversations. The walls are decorated with valuable tapestries which give this room its particular charm. Ornaments and rich colours embellishing the ceiling vault stand out against the white wall panelling adorned with elaborate gilded carvings. A copy of Titian’s famous painting “Sacred and Profane Love“ above the door in the north wall rounds off the picture. 

The Dining Hall

The dining room has a completely different character. It seats up to sixty people in an extraordinary ambience. Wall paintings by the German-American artist Carl von Marr (1858-1936) surround the room panelled with dark oak wood, giving it its very special character.  The delicate paintings in intense colour create a beautiful contrast to the wall panelling. The north wall displays a cycle of paintings symbolically depicting the path of life: childhood, youth and age. Hovering above the archway separating the dining hall from the serving room is the family coat of arms.

A dumb waiter was installed right next to the serving room ensuring that the elevator transported the food prepared in the basement kitchen to the second floor without any unnecessary delay so that the waitresses were able serve the meals at the right temperature. Nothing was left to chance.