Frederic Bartlett’s professional association with some of America’s greatest architects nurtured a personal interest in the craft that was made manifest in his design of Bonnet House. From the beginning, Bartlett had a very clear notion of what Bonnet House should be—a seaside retreat, conducive to creativity but lacking the opulence and formality that characterized the mansions of Palm Beach. Bartlett rejected Addison Mizner’s popular Spanish-style architecture and instead designed Bonnet House as his interpretation of a Caribbean plantation. He very much believed that Bonnet House should be inclusive and complimentary to its subtropical environment and created a design that included numerous indoor and outdoor living spaces.
The whimsical ambience of Bonnet House is a product of the creative synergy that existed between Frederic and his wife Evelyn and the happiness and comfort they experienced in one another. Though the strictest preservation standards are practiced, the house still feels as if the owners had just stepped out. All the furnishings and ephemera on exhibit are original to the estate. Items of particular importance include a rare set of Davenport dessert plates made in Staffordshire, England, an impressive and large collection of Spode china in the highly sought-after Indian Sporting pattern, and an exceptional veiled bust by the Italian sculptor, G.B. Lombardi.
