The exhilarating journey of bringing our Homearama Showhouse to life is rapidly approaching its climax. With the grand opening slated for May 1st – and a very personal deadline of our baby’s arrival just weeks before – the pace is nothing short of a frantic, yet incredibly rewarding, scramble. It feels as though a million exciting updates are unfolding simultaneously, making it a delightful challenge to consolidate everything into one cohesive narrative. Bear with us as we attempt to share the whirlwind of progress surrounding this monumental project, blending design decisions, logistical leaps, and the palpable excitement of the finish line.
Our recent call for your input on the front door color was met with an astonishing response – a massive thank you to the 38,000 of you who cast your votes! It was fascinating to watch the rust shade quickly seize the lead, ultimately claiming victory with an impressive 36% of the votes, comfortably ahead of red, which garnered 21%. This vibrant community engagement truly fueled our excitement. As we’ve previously mentioned, the final decision hinges on the installation and sealing of the porch columns, which will naturally deepen and enrich their wood tone. This crucial step will allow us to assess how the chosen door color harmonizes with the overall exterior aesthetic before making our definitive selection.
One delightful surprise emerged from the voting process: an unexpectedly strong “write-in” campaign for a white front door. My initial hesitation stemmed from concerns about practicality, fearing that a white door would show dirt too readily, especially in a high-traffic area. I confess, I talked Sherry out of including it as a primary option. My apologies! However, the persistent “what about white?” comments proved invaluable. They prompted us to reach out to homeowners with white doors, particularly those with similar porch structures and overhangs like our showhouse. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive; many reported no issues with cleanliness and expressed genuine love for their white doors. This collective wisdom has certainly shifted our perspective.
The possibility of a crisp white door is now very much on the table. Should the sealed beams, the porch floor tile, and the other rich, layered elements we plan to incorporate begin to feel too dominant, a white door could offer the perfect counterpoint, adding a refreshing lightness. We particularly appreciate how it would seamlessly integrate with the white sidelights, visually expanding the entire entryway and imparting a grander, more inviting presence. The ultimate decision will involve a collaborative discussion with the builder, architect, and realtor once the beams are sealed and we’ve had a chance to test various white paint samples on the door. Rest assured, we’ll share every detail of this pivotal exterior choice with you!
Speaking of those porch columns, we’re thrilled to report a significant milestone, as some of you may have already seen on Instagram: they are now fully installed! Driving up to see them standing proudly, instantly transforming the facade, was a truly memorable moment. Their presence adds such a strong sense of arrival and architectural weight to the home. The next step involves sealing them, a process that will enhance and deepen the natural wood tones, revealing their full character. We’re eagerly anticipating their finished appearance and how they will anchor the home’s welcoming exterior.
Moving beyond the captivating exterior, our design process for the interior of the Homearama Showhouse has been a constant exercise in navigating a fascinating internal debate. Every decision presents a crossroads: do we opt for the “safe,” universally appealing choice that caters to the broadest possible taste? Or do we embrace a bolder approach, taking a calculated risk with something unexpected, perhaps even a bit unconventional? Given that this home will eventually be listed for sale, the desire to create an attractive, marketable property is paramount. We certainly don’t want to design a “wild-card” house that inadvertently deters potential buyers.
However, the very essence of Homearama lies in its mission to showcase a diverse spectrum of innovative and inspiring design ideas across its seven featured homes. The goal is to avoid monotony, ensuring that each house offers a unique perspective rather than appearing as a mere replica of its neighbors or a generic template. This core principle means that almost every design choice for our showhouse has involved a delicate, sometimes paralyzing, balancing act. We constantly weigh the question: “Is this design too polarizing to appeal to a wide audience?” against “Is this option too conventional to truly make this a memorable and interesting home show entry?” This dynamic tension was even present yesterday as we explored distinct wall-to-wall carpet options for the children’s bedrooms, searching for that perfect blend of charm and broad appeal.
For the most part, we’ve found ourselves leaning towards the “riskier” side of the spectrum. This direction is actively encouraged by the Homearama organizers, who champion creativity and originality. Our builder, a pragmatic partner in this endeavor, also provides a comforting reminder: “The house only needs one buyer.” This perspective liberates us to infuse a few truly showstopping elements into each room, creating memorable moments throughout the home. Furthermore, with a comprehensive team involved – including the builder, various contractors, the architect, Homearama coordinators, and the realtor – we operate with a robust safety net. This collaborative environment ensures that even our boldest ideas are thoroughly vetted, preventing us from venturing too far off track and ensuring every decision contributes to a cohesive, exceptional design.
Speaking of decisions, our “To Be Determined” list is shrinking with gratifying speed. We recently finalized all interior paint colors, a significant step that truly defines the mood and flow of each space. Concurrently, we’ve begun the extensive process of pinning down furniture for every room. It’s an eye-opening experience to realize the sheer volume of furniture required when outfitting an entire house from scratch! Our sourcing lists span multiple pages, a testament to the scale of the undertaking. The good news is that with the drywall now complete and the interior spaces fully defined, visualizing our needs and making these crucial selections has become considerably easier and more intuitive.
Transforming this newly drywalled structure into a beautifully furnished home, replete with rugs, curtains, art, and accessories, is both an exhilarating design adventure and a complex puzzle. The core elements that will be permanently sold with the house – such as hardwired lighting, plumbing fixtures, tile, and paint – are covered by the builder’s budget. However, each designer (or, in our unique case, design blogger) is allocated a separate, modest budget specifically for decor. This decor budget often amounts to less than $500 per room, an amount that could easily be depleted by a single significant item like a rug, a bed, or a sofa. This financial constraint necessitates immense creativity and resourcefulness in our sourcing strategy.
Fortunately, Homearama has forged an invaluable partnership, arranging for each of the seven showhouses to borrow a substantial portion of their furniture from Green Front Furniture, a local-ish institution we’ve serendipitously explored years ago (here and here). This generous arrangement is a game-changer, allowing us to acquire many of the “big ticket” items without draining our limited decor budget. Green Front Furniture is a truly monumental establishment, comprising twelve massive buildings, each filled with multiple floors of an astounding array of furniture. Sherry and I embarked on a road trip there last week, navigating as much of the vast showrooms as her little pregnant feet could possibly endure, meticulously selecting pieces that align with our vision for the showhouse.
Even with the incredible support from Green Front, there’s a practical limit to what we can source through this partnership. Consequently, like all the design teams for the seven showhomes, we are actively hustling to fill the remaining decor needs of the house. For some designers, this might involve borrowing items from other model homes they’ve decorated or calling in favors from retail stores with whom they frequently collaborate. For us, it means leveraging our network of local artists and favorite shops that we’ve cultivated through years of blogging. This approach mirrors our successful strategy when we recruited decor donations for The Children’s Hospital a few months prior, demonstrating the power of community and connection in achieving a greater goal.
Ultimately, every dollar we save through resourceful sourcing – whether via donations, discounts, or strategic borrowing – directly contributes to our philanthropic objective: supporting Richmond’s Habitat for Humanity. The more efficiently we manage both the building and decor budgets, the greater the financial contribution we can make to this incredibly worthy cause, empowering them to build more homes and stronger communities.
Beyond the budget savings, we are also personally donating our design fee entirely to Habitat for Humanity. Homearama itself is a powerful fundraising platform, collecting substantial contributions from its generous sponsors, vendors, and ticket sales, all benefiting local charities. And for our local friends and followers, here’s an insider tip: once the show concludes, there will be fantastic opportunities to snag some amazing goodies at the ReStore. We’re donating a selection of our furnishings and decor to them, so not only can you find unique pieces, but your purchases will also directly support Habitat’s vital work in the community.
Our showhouse won’t solely be a showcase of brand-new items. We’ve also been passionately exploring local secondhand stores, diligently hunting for vintage and thrifted treasures. These unique finds will be lovingly upgraded and reimagined with everything from a fresh coat of paint to new upholstery, adding character and a sense of history to the spaces. For instance, we recently discovered this magnificent full-sized wooden headboard for an unbelievable $9.98. We’re incredibly excited to transform it with a vibrant new paint color for the girl’s bedroom, drawing inspiration from high-end versions that can cost upwards of $1,500. This kind of thoughtful repurposing allows us to create bespoke, high-impact pieces without the exorbitant price tag.
Once expertly painted and paired with a comfortable bed, this charming headboard will anchor the right-hand wall in the image below. This wall is destined to become a captivating accent feature, adorned with a cheerful wall stencil generously donated by Royal Design Studio, adding a playful and artistic touch. You can also glimpse the nascent stages of the custom built-in desk, a fantastic collaboration with our carpenter (also named John). This desk is taking shape based on some impressively rudimentary sketches we literally drew on the wall with him – a testament to the organic, collaborative spirit of this project.
Without a specific client guiding the design, we’ve approached each space as if we were designing for a future, slightly older version of ourselves and our children. The girl’s bedroom, for example, is envisioned as a thoughtfully designed sanctuary for a tweenage Clara. Her studious nature is reflected in the dual desk areas – one dedicated to focused homework and another tailored for artistic pursuits, fostering both academic growth and creative expression. This personalized approach allows us to infuse the spaces with a genuine warmth and functionality.
The second children’s bedroom is conceived as an imaginative retreat for an 8-year-old Barnacle, complete with a fantastic built-in bed and storage system. Clearly, our innate love for built-ins has been passed down! These custom creations are not only incredibly functional and space-efficient but also serve as excellent demonstrations of the builder’s team’s craftsmanship, offering future clients a tangible example of their bespoke capabilities. And for us, it’s a particular joy to design these intricate pieces, knowing that for once, we get to simply dream them up without having to personally construct them.
Allow me to offer a sneak peek into one final room: the inviting living room. This space seamlessly flows into the kitchen – in the photograph below, your back would be facing the kitchen island. This island is destined to be painted a sophisticated navy, complemented by exquisite gold pendant lights hanging above. We thought it would be a striking design choice to echo that same navy hue on the prominent fireplace column across the room. We anticipate this bold navy accent will provide a dramatic backdrop, allowing the crisp white mantle and the elegant light stone surround we’ve selected to truly pop, creating a captivating focal point reminiscent of this inspiring living room aesthetic. To add a truly personal and playful touch, we even have an artist friend painting a large, colorful portrait of our beloved dog, Burger, which will proudly hang above the fireplace. At this point, integrating a random Burger reference into every side project we undertake has become an irresistible tradition!
While we’ve given you a glimpse, a more comprehensive overview of how each room is truly shaping up will come a little later, once they’ve reached a more finished state – perhaps accompanied by an updated video tour. Currently, we have approximately 20 mood boards, each about 40% complete, brimming with exciting ideas. We can hardly wait to finalize these and share all the intricate plans with you. With our baby boy due in less than eight weeks, the clock is certainly ticking, urging us to maintain our brisk pace and bring this incredible Homearama vision to fruition!
Psst – Eager to see the finished showhouse? Click here for Our Full Showhouse Tour, which provides a complete visual journey with final pictures of every room, detailed floor plans, budget insights, an immersive video walk-through, and direct links to shoppable showhouse furniture and accessories.