The Coral Gables Times

16 CORAL GABLES TIMES Thursday, October 25, 1962

THIS EARLY Coral Gables home, constructed in 1929 or '30, stands where part of the old Merrick avocado groves were located. Mrs. Grossman's parents purchased it in 1948.

MRS. GROSSMAN has a complete collection of Danish Christmas plates. The first one dates 1908 and one has been made every year since. JUL is the Danish word for Christmas. This single plate is valued at $500.

MR. GROSSMAN, who is an engineer and civically the president of the Water Resource Council of the Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce, relaxes on the patio of the nine-room home while he waits for dinner to be served.

STUFFED ANIMALS and dolls in 16-year-old Helen's room leave very little space for her. The ivory furniture belonged originally to Mrs. Grossman. Her mother bought it when Mrs. Grossman was eight.

HOUSE OF Antiques

Times Photos By Raymond Lang By JUNE GRAY Woman's Editor A French decor prevails in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Grossman, furnished with antique heirlooms given them by both their families. Located at 716 Alhambra Cir., the two-story house stands on a spacious lawn surrounded by palm and fruit trees. The Grossmans, who have lived in the house only a year, are still getting settled. Mrs. Grossman's parents had purchased the house in 1948. "We almost surprised our neighbors to death when we moved because we had lived for over 20 years in another house only a block away. "But the lawn at our present house is much larger and the ventelation is much better." The pale, lime green, formal living room is furnished in gold and fruitwood Louis XV and XVI furniture. A gold mirror reflects the jade green cameo vases sitting on the mantle. Opposite the sofa, is a grand piano which came from the Cleveland home of Mr. Grossman's parents. The top of the piano was painted for the family about 1900 by the Italian artist, Bentura Veneto. A modern Chinese bar invades the privacy of the secluded dining room, which is paper in panels of light; peach Chinese design. One piece of furniture of which Mrs. Grossman is especially proud is a Spanish chest of Honduras mahogany which she carved in 1928. The chest, which is in the library, is made of individual panels and put together with pegs. In the upstairs hallway is a silver-shell cupboard filled with holloware and Irish service plates, which Mr. Grossman gave to Mrs. Grossman for their 25th wedding anniversary. They have been married 34 years and have two daughters. Sixteen-year-old Helen is a senior at Coral Gables High School and Mary Jane, who is married and lives in Cincinnati, has three boys.

MRS. GROSSMAN poses before the mirror she carved years ago and which hangs now in Helen's bedroom.

WHEN THIS FRENCH clock, which sat on the mantel of Mrs. Grossman's girlhood Texas home, sounded the Cinderella hour, she knew it was time to bid her beau bon soir and come inside the house. Her mother would accept no excuses for lingering outside the door, she recalls.

MRS. GROSSMAN and daughter Helen discuss silverware patterns in the living room, which is furnished with Louis XV and XVI furniture. The couch is satin damask brocade and the chairs, Aubusson tapestry.

CIRCULAR ARCHES provide an old world background for this front view of the antique piano and needlepoint sofa. The crest of the picture frame over the piano which dates back to 18th century France, indicates it once belonged to royalty.