Need decorating inspiration? Visit the Charlottesville Design House!

With the spring season fully upon us, what better time to get some inspiration and tips to complete the design and decorating projects of your dreams? Today’s blog post comes from guest blogger Laura Winn Smith of the Design Center. Learn all about the exciting events going on now at the 2014 Charlottesville Design House.

The season is in full bloom, and visitors are rapidly descending on our little jewel of a City.  Amongst our many Spring attractions:  wine tasting tours, Historic Garden Week, Look3 Festival and Cavalier baseball, the Charlottesville Design House stands out as a must see for spring visitors and locals alike who are looking for inspiring ideas for the home and garden.

Each year a different local family generously extends the use of their residence to a team of designers and vendors.  This year, over 25 designers will showcase their talents and the latest in interior design styles and techniques to transform the home and gardens, room-by-room.  The resulting makeover is presented in tours open to the public, known as Charlottesville Design House, with all ticket sales benefitting the Shelter for Help in Emergency.

Greeting-visitors

In it’s 5th year, this one is a lovely 1950’s white brick residence in Farmington Country Club which has the particular distinction of a fully renovated kitchen/butler’s pantry.  There is the most gorgeous black paint in the powder room, hand stenciling on the ceiling of a bedroom, a laundry room so large you could have a desk – complete with chalkboard wall, a separate brick octagonal gazebo just off the kitchen garden, fabulous local artwork on the walls, sumptuous wallpapers, luxurious fabrics, wildly inspiring paint colors and textures.  You’ll recognize some of the designers, and be inspired by others.  There is a youthful team who love to breath new life into furniture and art.  A couple of impeccable closet and organizing designers (for those creative types who can’t find anything).  And some of your favorite local stores, both new and antique, have designed rooms that capture the imagination.  Many talented designers have collaborated giving this home a unique sense of openness and cooperation.

Designer-in-room

While the designers have been busy working on their spaces since February, volunteers throughout the community have been scheduling the Special Events, planning the Preview Party, organizing the volunteers, finding ticket outlets, selling ads for the catalog, finding sponsors to make the whole venture possible, protectively overseeing activity in the house and on the grounds every single day, and new this year:  setting up a Boutique where local artisans and merchants offer their goods for sale with a minimum of 30% of the proceeds benefitting the Shelter for Help in Emergency.

Boutique

And it’s not just the volunteers on the committees, or the designers that give their time and energy.  A restaurant is donating proceeds on Monday nights, a winery is supporting Charlottesville Design House one night, a darling store donated the rubber stamp for the bags in the Boutique, a promotional products company is donating bags, numerous businesses are donating services in the raffle ($2 tickets; 3 for $5; 6 for $10).  The list goes on.  The community effort to support this beautiful event in the springtime in Charlottesville is yet another reason to love living in this beautiful town.

Karyn-Nest

If you would like to volunteer, they are still in need.  Check out CvilleDesignHouse.com/Volunteer to find out how you can help.

“Because peace on earth begins at home” is the tagline for the Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE), it seems very appropriate that the local real estate community support this endeavor.  We wish for each and every person in our community a haven of love and laughter, free from fear and violence.  The 2014 Charlottesville Design House is filled with light and beauty and a positive outlook.

The 2014 Charlottesville Design House kicked off with a preview party on May 1, opening to the public on May 3, with tours running through May 18.   Tickets are $20 per person, or $45 for a multi-pass ticket.  To get tickets online, or to find our retail outlets with tickets, visit CvilleDesignHouse.com/Tickets

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