Inside Scoop on a Designer Showhouse

Insiders look at a Designer Showhouse

If you’ve ever been on a house tour or visited a show house, you’ve seen top designers who have created beautiful spaces in homes. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to turn your home over to several different designers? Well, I always wondered what it would be like to be one of those designers. This year I was invited to participate in the Hackensack UMC Foundation Designer Showhouse of New Jersey. Here is a little tour of how I transformed an outdated bathroom with paint, tile, hardware, and accessories. With a little help from my friends, here is a look at a Designer Showhouse.

Repurpose and Renew: Designer Showhouse

Our project was to bring new life to the shared Jack & Jill bath. Pickled cabinets and pink and green tile were the design trends that in their day were cutting edge but by today’s standards screamed for a re-do. Our challenge was to repurpose the cabinetry and shower doors without relocating the plumbing.

Teamwork makes the dream work: Inside a Designer Showhouse

Using design savvy, a great team, and generous donation of materials, we were able to reconfigure the vanities and repaint them, install new tile, fittings, and fixtures and create this beautiful, serene, classic space. Benjamin Moore paints were used: Chinchilla on the ceiling for a soft blue hue, Gull Wing Grey on the doors, trim and wainscot panels (which we installed) and Genesis White on the upper walls created the color palette.

The pearl detail on the drawer fronts inspired penny glass tile detail on the floors. Softly draped fabric creates privacy around the toilet and the bidet. Custom millwork panels replace the traditional (tiled) walls. A whimsical Moravian star light fixture, a “ghost” chair, and fanciful accessories completed the room.

It was a fun experience and I look forward to the next opportunity. If you’re in the area feel free to drop by and see the work of 25 of the top designers of the New York/New Jersey area.

Special thanks to our vendors and manufacturers: