George Washington had a passion for architecture. When the time came to build The White House, he brought in an architect to develop the design. The finest stone masons from around the world emulated the amazing carvings from one of Washington's favorite homes in Ireland. Once the work was completed, Washington realized their talents had been lost on the heavily variegated stone that was visually distracting. The president recognized that the only way to show off this masterful work was to achieve maximum contrast by painting the veneers white... hence the name of our nation's most significant home, "The White House." That is also why many fine homes have woodwork that is painted white and why the exterior of this home is white to showcase the workmanship.

This galley has a magnificent framing effect that is very interesting to the eye. The doorway in the background is framed multiple times by architectural details including columns and the gable end in the foreground. Your eye is drawn from one area to the next, enticing you to continue on. As you move through the archways you can't help but wonder what is behind the door. The large number of shadow lines gives this entrance a great deal of interest. Light flows freely through different areas of the galley, dancing on multiple surfaces and providing an intriguing design. We experience more than architecture here. We experience art, a level of sophistication achieved through a myriad of subtle details that make for a great space.