Showhouse may inspire ideas for your home

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Tips, trends & textiles: Junior League Designer Showhouse may inspire ideas for your home

Three years ago, the estate at 526 South Crest Road was a flamingo-pink, Mediterranean mess. Empty and untouched for about 35 years, the house had fallen into disrepair; vines climbed over its walls, every window was broken; trees pushed up through the swimming pool.

There was even a small Jeep stuck in a tree seven feet above the ground.

On Saturday, the renovated property - now covered in fresh, white stucco - opens its doors to the public as a showcase of the latest in interior design.

The Junior League of Chattanooga's Designer Showhouse is filled with ideas visitors may want to try in their own homes after they tour the 12 decorated spaces in the Missionary Ridge property. After a private preview party is held at the showhouse tonight, it will be open to the public on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays throughout June. The 7,462-square-foot house is located at the corner of South Crest and Shadowlawn Drive.

The home is owned by Rick Davis, the face of Rick Davis Gold and Diamonds, who hopes to sell it following the high-profile event. He lives in the corner house on the opposite side of Shadowlawn from the Designer Showhouse, and he purchased the neighboring eyesore and its nearly seven acres of property about three years ago with the intent to renovate and sell it.

"The pool had trees growing in it; the pool house had caved in. There were 30 leaks in the home's roof before we tore it off and put on a designer shingle roof," Davis describes.

"Everything was rotten, falling down, the house had cracks in it; trees were laying on the house. There was a Jeep mail-carrier-type truck seven feet up off the ground because trees had grown underneath it and lifted it into the air as they grew. Every window was broken, so we were looking at almost $25,000 in replacement windows."

The downstairs wood flooring was replaced with new oak flooring; floors upstairs were refinished and stained. In all, Davis says he spent $1.3 million over two years of renovations. Six months ago, the Junior League asked about using the property for its fundraiser, he says, and they reached an agreement.

Visitors to the showhouse will notice three distinct trends.

Look Up: Painted ceilings and unusual ceiling fixtures

* The vibrant emerald-green ceiling in the living room designed by Michelle Workman Interiors is a statement-maker, but combined with the soft mint-green and pastel-blue hues of the room's furnishings, it creates an elegant decor.

"I like to do little things on a ceiling, such as color or a stripe, because it's unexpected. I wanted this room to feel Southern in color and fabric, yet modern," says Workman.

Check the wall above the marble-top sideboard for another of Workman's ideas that can be adapted at home. Grouping six acrylic tiles into a square, she handpainted a Chinese garden scene on them that complements the Asian influences throughout the room.

* Notice in the breakfast room by J.L. Brewer Designs how the white motif painted on the royal-blue ceiling echoes the same swirl in the room's rug. It's a subtle touch that gives the room cohesiveness.

* Interesting chandeliers make surprise focal points in Southerly Abode's library with a massive, beaded pendant, Robin Praino's study with its white faux-tree branch with textured leaves and birds, and Eda Walldorf's bedroom, featuring a modern, white oval with 16 Edison bulbs suspended beneath, a piece custom-made by Matt Blackwell.

Walls vie for attention

Draped walls and unexpected colors make walls anything but subtle backdrops in the showhouse.

* In keeping with her company's name, Green and Lofty, Eda Walldorf draped her bedroom's walls in white linen, giving an immediate light, airy contrast to the darkly stained wood floor. Above the bed, she created an art installation of driftwood.

"I really wanted to play on my design aesthetic - green, environmentally conscious - so I wanted to bring nature, sustainability into the environment. My goal is to be a spokesperson for sustainable design; how you can have something beautiful in the indoor environment, so we are mindful of the pieces we are using," Walldorf explains.

For example, reclaimed wood was used by hardwood company Woodwise to build the custom bed frame in her room, and J&B Craftworks also used reclaimed wood for the side table. The modern chandelier's Edison bulbs are energy-efficient.

* By draping the dining room's walls in silver silk, Laurel Powell immediately created an elegant room. Visitors should note how she "hangs her wall art" over the draping by suspending 1870s wall panels or suspending paintings from the ceiling on delicate gold chains.

"I like to find vintage pieces and update them," Powell says. Examples in the dining room include the mix of chairs she reupholstered and grouped around the dining table.

* One wall of Kim Lemmon's bedroom is the canvas for a romantic rose-and-vine mural painted by Lydia Reynolds. The soft pastel-blue room reflects Lemmon's goal of creating "a feminine retreat that is sophisticated."

* The serene pastel blue of Lemmon's room is contrasted by use of bold, royal blue in Marsha Yessick's guest bedroom. A royal-blue leaf motif is repeated in the fabric and wallpaper and is contrasted by a fabric collage in shades of blue upholstering the love seats and a royal-blue flame-stitch fire screen.

Try this at home

Every room of the showhouse offers tips or techniques to try at home, but three stand out.

* Check out the lambriquen framing the windows of Yessick's bedroom. Lambrequins are similar to a valance or corniceboard above the window, only longer in length; in this case, the lambrequin appears to be a cornice board that extends from ceiling height to the floor molding. Because the window treatment is done in fabric that matches the wallpaper, it is unobtrusive and almost invisible to the eye.

* The headboard in the Yessick bedroom is sure to draw speculation as guests consider its raised lid and what appears to be shelf doors opening on either side. It's a cabinet bed, says Yessick.

"The whole length folds into thirds, then the top and sides fold around it so it closes to about 24 inches in depth. It's perfect for a loft space or downsizing because everybody needs an extra bed for guests or visiting grandchildren," she explains.

* Lemmon shows how to increase use of a recessed dressing table by mirroring the three-sided wall above the vanity. The individual seated at the vanity gains a more encompassing back-side-front view for styling hair or dressing.

Contact Susan Pierce at spierce@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6284.