Situated on the Severn River in a critical area, the landscape for the Nantucket on the Severn Showhouse needed to comply with strict environmental regulations. Photo by Anne Gummerson
Admit it. Each one of us is at least a bit nosy. Nosiness is one of the top reasons we read home and garden magazines—we like to see how other people live. A designer showhouse is a bit like a magazine article come to life. Rather than nose through the pages of beautiful photography and read about the design, we get to experience each room in person, touching fabrics, witnessing views, appreciating scale.
“People visit showhouses for many reasons,” says Alex Clymer, ASID, CID, of Alex Clymer Interiors, Ltd. “They gain an understanding of what components really make a room and can gather ideas for their own homes. Often, people are interested in but aren’t sure about working with a designer—a showhouse lets them feel designers out.”
If you are looking to hire an interior designer, a showhouse is a great way to get to know several designers and their abilities. Centered on a particular charity, organization, or cause (the Nantucket on the Severn, for example, raised funds for cancer research and treatment) showhouses draw in professionals that can include designers, architects, landscapers, and retailers, assigning each an area of the home.
According to Gina Fitzsimmons, ASID, owner of Fitzsimmons Design Assoc., designers participate not only to show their work to clients but also to learn about competition in their region. During the Nantucket on the Severn Showhouse, however, the professionals involved did more than just get to know each other’s work—they became friends. “The Showhouse Committee decided to create a ‘Living Showhouse’ to give visitors a sense of the way people really live,” says Design Chairman Arlene Critzos. “This took some massaging and was tougher in the beginning than most showhouses, but everybody kicked in and designed a house that flowed.” Working closely together to create a cohesive home, “the team developed a lot of camaraderie,” says Fitzsimmons.
Another benefit of showhouses (and one of my favorite pastimes), is the shopping. As designers piece together their respective rooms, they develop a list of items to be sold during the showhouse. Often designers will have multiples of a particular item in stock, although not necessarily in the house. Many shoppers regard showhouses as a venue for locating items that aren’t readily available in local retail stores.
Gina Fitzsimmons, ASID, owner of Fitzsimmons Design Assoc., paired weathered shutters rescured from Cape Cod with antique bookplates to form this beautiful vignette. Photo by Anne Gummerson
Showhouse homeowners get first crack at the accessories and furniture for sale, selecting what, if anything, they would like to keep once the showhouse ends. Whatever is left is then available for sale to the public, and purchased items can be picked up at the close of the showhouse. Sometimes, a boutique offers shoppers even more selections from additional vendors that can be taken home the same day as their purchase. A percentage of each sale is donated to the charity or group for which the showhouse is being held.
Typically, the owners will purchase a small item here and there, but in the case of the Nantucket on the Severn, homeowner and House Coordinator Betsie Russell kept many of the large pieces as well as accessories. In addition, several of her own pieces were incorporated into the design including her grandfather’s carved cabinet with etched glass doors used in the dining room. Since Russell worked directly with the team of designers and, in turn, the designers worked together, this showhouse boasted a more cohesive flow than is typical of other showhouses. Ordinarily, a showhouse committee assigns each designer a room and allows them the freedom to design however they see fit, which results in what can be, at times, a disjointed home. “In most showhouses,” says Susan Knight Anderson of il Collezione, “there is usually a dramatic difference from one room to another.”
The continuity of color, style, and design in the Nantucket on the Severn Showhouse allowed visitors to identify with the spaces, a method which proved valuable to the success of the project. According to Russell, under the leadership of Melanie Graw and Connie Morrisette, the Nantucket on the Severn Showhouse was staffed by the largest group of volunteers, many from Coldwell Banker, ever assembled in Maryland for such a lengthy period of time. At the close of the showhouse’s six-week run, almost 6,000 visitors had passed through—the event raised $90,000 from tickets and designer sales to benefit various cancer programs, which were later decided upon by the group, as well as Habitat for Humanity.
Contacts and Sources:
Alex Clymer, Alex Clymer Interiors, Ltd.: 410-263-0992
Living Room: Twin Diamond Studios, Inc., decorative painting, artwork. Brunschwig & Fils, chair. Kravet, chair fabric, drapery. Lee Jofa Fabrics, drapery. Randolph & Hein textiles, sofa fabric. Samuel & Sons, trim. Vie Necessary Luxuries, accessories and mirrors. David Iatesta, chandelier.
Dining Room: Twin Diamond Studios, Inc., decorative painting and wax oil paintings. Niermann Weeks, chandelier. Vie Necessary Luxuries, accessories, art. Alex Clymer Interiors, Ltd., area rug, settee, end chairs. Royal Annapolis China & Glass, Ltd., place settings, silverware, stemware. Hinson & Company, chair fabric, settee fabric. Chase Erwin, drapery fabric. Beacon Hill, drapery fabric.
Arlene Critzos and Joyce Pearl, Interior Concepts Inc.: interiorconceptsinc.com or 410-224-7366
Foyer: Theodore Alexander, table, corner etageres, sideboard.
Family Room: Century Furniture, sofa. Sherrill Furniture, large chairs. Hancock & Moore, wing chair. Theodore Alexander, secretary. Roberta Schilling Collection, painted table. French Heritage, dropleaf console. Niermann Weeks, painted chest. La Barge, cocktail table. The Owners Select Company, ottoman.
Lauren Brooks is the former Assistant Editor of Chesapeakehome.
Eric Blamphin, Exterior Image & Woodscape: exteriorimage.com or 410-956-1344
Landscape Design
Gary Lawrik, Lawrik Interiors Ltd.: 410-974-4608
Sunroom: Sherwin Williams, paint. Rexel Lighting, lighting fixtures. Natural Rug.
