Between 1902 and 1905, Louis Comfort Tiffany commissioned the construction of an eighty-four-room, eight-level estate called Laurelton Hall. It was nestled on nearly 600 sprawling acres overlooking Cold Spring Harbor in Oyster Bay, New York and dotted with grand fountains and pools. Tiffany envisioned a home that was a work of art — a showplace of beautiful things he collected over the years and throughout his travels. Awestruck visitors admired vases, pottery and enamelware as well as objects from his personal collections of Islamic, Asian and indigenous American art. The home even featured pieces designed by his hand or by other artists he employed and they were marked “A-Coll.” for “Artist’s Collection.” This included furniture, intricate lighting and leaded-glass windows — including the Wisteria transoms that topped the windows in the dining room. These stunning works incorporated Tiffany’s beloved nature motifs that have become synonymous with his style.

Many of the treasures at Laurelton Hall might be considered the greatest manifestation of Tiffany’s artistic reach. In fact, the living room’s Four Seasons window was cut into four panels and exhibited at the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900. So dazzled were they by the color and meticulous craftsmanship of the window, the French government awarded Tiffany the Chevalier of the Legion of Honor — along with the gold medal.

The home was in every sense Tiffany’s magnum opus, a temple to creativity and beauty. Though Laurelton Hall no longer stands, glimpses of its treasures can be seen in museum collections around the world — including the American Wing at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.