What follows is a description of The Art Gallery when Lilian Ramsey owned it. It currently sits empty and unoccupied, though it has been sold.

The Art Gallery is situated at the outskirts of town. To be more precise it is in the rich area and one of few houses lying on the cliffs. The exact address is Seaside Boulevard 13. Driving along the Seaside Boulevard will reveal quite some interesting and very expensive looking (I mean big) mansions. The last one visible from the road is number 11, some residents might recall this as the mansion once rented by a Spanish Ventrue, Cyric Calleri. Passing number 11 you come across a large and dense pine wood it seems. But then a large entrance gate appears that looks like it is leading to nowhere.

It is a black iron gate decorated with the typical capriciously curves of the Jugendstil period. (Think of the entrance gate of your average haunted house) In big but delicate golden letters ‘Ramsey Art Gallery’ is written on it. The gate is closed, but there is an intercom. You will not be let in unless you have an appointment or Miss Ramsey gives permission to enter. For ‘other ways’ to enter the premises, see the chapter on security.

When you enter through the gate the first thing you see is a small house on your left. The old coach house. It’s where the security personnel are located. Driving along the seemingly long driveway takes a sharp turn to the right and there you already are in front of her house. A very clever usage of space. The house is actually not that far from the road at all. The drive way is parallel to the main road. On your right there is nothing but a dense pinewood, hiding the main road out of sight. The wood continues at the border of the garden at the left side from the entrance. After that there is nothing more than wood. The gallery is the last house on this road.

Across the house there is a small pond. The driveway makes a turn around the pond. On the right of the house in the woods there lies a garage, capable of holding three cars.

EXTERIOR:

The house is a perfect example of Jugendstil architecture. Gaudi could have built it. The centre is completely round and three stores high. The third store is actually not a true store but a huge round glass dome. More about that in the description of the hallway or gallery. Around the centre lies half a circle that is two stories high. The walls of the second store curve inwards towards the dome. The walls are in a very soft turquoise, almost a light grey. Around the round windows there are some simple decorations. The windows on the second store are very small and seem more like the little round windows you have on ships. At the back of the house there is a huge oval shaped conservatory.

Wide stairs containing five steps lead to the impressive front door of the house. A large oak door in a parabolic shape (think of Gaudi’s architecture). Heavy brass hinges, but richly decorated with curves hold it in place. There is a real doorbell, that can be chimed.

GARDEN:

As mentioned before on the opposite of the front door there is a round pond surrounded by a concrete edge. In the middle there is a fountain in the shape of a young girl. The main garden however is situated at the back of the house, containing a huge lawn, including an empty pool and a breathtaking view of the ocean. Here and there a large tree. The garden does abruptly stop however ending in a very high cliff.

To the side there is a rose garden containing only crimson and white roses, resembling the two struggling sides. Acting as a border between the driveway and the lawn, a section full of blossoming shrubs like the butleia, syringe, hydrangea and her all time favourite a soft yellow azalea. While the shrubs are in full blossom, they give off a sweet delicate odour in the garden.

The section of the garden lying next to the forest behind the fence is a true forest garden containing large bushes of Lily-of-the-valleys, primulae, forest anemones, periwinkle and forget-me-nots. All these bright blossoming little flowers make it seem like a magic place.

GENERAL LAY-OUT:

A short summary to understand where in the house which room is.

First floor: coming through the front door you enter the completely round large hallway. There are five doors. Two on each side and one opposite. First door on the left contains the kitchen. Second door on the left contains the dining room. First door on the right contains the wardrobe and restrooms. Second door on the right contains the PA’s office. The door opposite to the main entrance has double doors and contains Lilian’s study. When walking through Lilian’s study you can enter the conservatory. In the PA’s office there is also a door leading to the conservatory, since this used to be a living room.

Second floor: accessible by double stairway from the ground floor. The second floor contains a balcony that surrounds the entire hallway. All seven doors lead to this balcony. Three on each side and one in the middle. The one in the middle is the largest and contains the master bedroom. To a guest or visitor it might appear that this is Lilian’s bedroom. Counted from the master bedroom the first door on the left contains a bathroom. The second door on the left contains Shawn’s room. The last door on the left contains a special part of the art collection suitable only for special collectors. This room is locked at all times. The rest of the rooms on this floor contain a small private sign. The first door on the right contains the blue guestroom. The second door on the right contains the green guestroom and the third door on the right was Samantha’s old room and will be changed into Quentin’s room.

First Floor

FIRST FLOOR

Hallway / Gallery including art:

The first room you enter through the main entrance is the hallway. The hallway also contains the actual gallery. It looks absolutely marvellous. As soon as you step through the huge doorway, you’re amazed by the wideness of the room. It’s completely round with a diameter of thirty meters. It is dominated by a huge, floating stairway going around the room to the balcony on the second floor. The stairs are covered with a rich dark turquoise carpet. The sides of the stairs are made of iron, shaped in the curly, intricate Jugendstil patterns of around the turn of the last century. The balcony surrounds the entire room. If you look up you see a beautiful glass dome. If you look down from the balcony you could see that the floor is laid in with mosaic, showing devils and angels entangled, like Escher’s optimist and pessimist.

In the middle of the room there is a large sculpture of a naked woman that seems to be reaching to the sky. It seems Michelangelo’s style, but that is impossible, since this statue isn’t known to be from his hand. (or not?) Around the statue there are nine glass display-cabinets, showing various items. There is one with a very nice collection of daggers and knives. Some set with emeralds and rubies, or with elaborate patterns in the handle, others are more simplistic. Another cabinet displays a very nice set of Egyptian Jewellery: a typical broad necklace with as a star piece a lapis lazuli scarab, some golden bracelets and earrings. It seems there are various styles present and various prize-ranges.

Paintings can be found alongside the wall and following the stairs. The balcony on the first floor is also full with paintings. There are a lot of Alice Channing paintings, some by Kasymm, a few you would swear are Rembrandt’s, but far to modern and various other famous and infamous artist.

There are various doors, all with a typical Art nouveau curly shapes around them. The light comes mainly from a beautiful Jugendstil chandelier, hanging high in the dome and some matching lights between the paintings on the wall. The walls themselves are painted in a soft tone of turquoise: also typical Jugendstil.

Study:

Upon opening the double doors under the double staircase you find yourself in Lilian’s study. The room has a quite unusual shape: it’s octangular. Just two sides, the one where you enter the room by from the hallway and the one straight ahead of her are without bookcases. In the middle a large, massive, kidney-shaped mahogany desk stands with a comfortable green leather chair behind it. The bookcases range to the ceiling of the room that is about 2 m 50 high. The first two shelves are covered by wooden doors. Most of these doors hide away manuscripts and books on Kindred. Behind one of the doors there is a safe. It contains some money and jewellery. A railing with an attached staircase makes you able to reach even the top shelf. All the bookcases are filled with books. There are books and manuscripts on art, (Kindred) history, philosophy, occultism and Kindred society. The languages vary from English, French, German, Latin, Greek, Sumerian, Aramaic and even hieroglyphs. At eyesight you find the common books on art and ‘normal’ history.

Conservatory

Upon opening the other set of double doors in the study you walk into the conservatory. This room is a jewel entirely on its own. It’s oval shaped and entirely made out of glass, but for the wall that is adjacent to the house. (Think of the large 19th century greenhouses)

The room is covered with blooming plants and shrubs, but in the middle underneath a huge crystal chandelier, there is an open space with a couch and two chairs situated around a little table. This is also the room that holds Lilian’s easel and paint equipment in the corner. The combination of the light coming from the chandelier being reflected around in the glass walls with the magnificent view of the garden and ocean make the room breathe magic.

PA’s office:

Once Samantha Harris’ domain, now Quentin Lynley will have to call it his workplace. This is the only room in the entire house that is very modern. It’s also the only room (apart from the conservatory) that has huge windows. It looks like your average office containing a computer and other necessary hardware, file cabinets and lots of paperwork on a big desk.

Kitchen:

It’s a very common and modern kitchen with all the utilities present. Yes the fridge does contain food. There are still living people in the house.

Dining room:

A large room containing a large rectangle shaped table that is usually set aside to the wall to hold a banquet on. This room has a very nice polished wooden floor and could be used as a ballroom as well. The walls are decorated in a neogothic style.