Brintons, widely recognized for its range of Axminster carpets, recently participated in a $20 million restoration of the historic Leland Stanford Mansion in San Francisco. Built in 1856, the 19,000 sq. ft. Victorian mansion originally served as the office of three governors and is today used for the state’s diplomatic and business receptions.  Brintons, which was founded in 1783, provided carpet patterns designed to match the original flooring from photographs taken during the 1870s.

The interior design team was led by Paul L’Esperance Design Associates, who carefully reproduced the draperies, wallcovering and carpet designs for the entire mansion. “We didn’t just do nice designs that favored that era. We actually used authentic design elements from that period and painstakingly researched the mansion itself to re-create its original style,” said Paul L’Esperance. ”It’s a spectacular, beautiful house.”

For the carpet, L’Esperance and California State park historian worked closely with Brintons designers to reconstruct the original patterns. After the patterns were matched, a historical color specialist colored the carpet, paint and fabrics in the renovated mansion. The process took more than two years to complete, according to Brintons.

The mansion is open daily for public tours.