For the last few weeks we have eaten, slept, and breathed all things showhouse. We knew it was going to be a lot of work, but I’ll be the first to admit that we completely underestimated how much time, effort, and – well, shopping – it would take to turn a 3,500 square foot blank-ish slate into a lived-in-ish looking home. In two weeks, no less. So as you can imagine we’ve pretty much been camped out there. Or driving back and forth with a car full of stuff, unloading it, placing it on various surfaces, and repeating.
We thought most of the major hurdles had been cleared after choosing fixtures and finishes over the last few months, but that’s because we didn’t realize just how many surfaces there would be to decorate. We’d been gradually collecting items for the house since January (which is when we picked out a lot of furniture, honed in some art selections, ordered curtains and bedding, and started stocking up on general accessories) so after our furniture-unloading-day two weeks ago, we (naively) expected the house to look pretty complete. Instead, most spaces just looked like this. #sadtrombone
Sure, those breakfast nook built-ins were a big task on their own, but we fell short everywhere – on tabletops, vanities, counters, porches, beds, desks, etc. Everything looked sparse, and we had a minor freak-out. But our builder and the Homearama folks reassured us that we were in good shape. We just had to shop our little hearts out. Thank goodness we bought a bigger car because it looks like this almost constantly. We estimate that we have made close to 20 car-completely-full runs from small local boutiques, thrift shops, and larger retailers with everything from pillows, rugs, planters, tabletop accessories, bedding, books, and beyond.
Picture us filling multiple carts at HomeGoods, Target, and World Market on at least four occasions, to stock up on everything from frames and pillows to dishware and towels. And as we rolled towards the checkout (and watched various cashiers get wide-eyed) we profusely apologized every time.
We even found ourselves at the grocery store to pick up items to stock/style the kitchen. I think the cashier just chalked up our unusual purchase to pregnancy cravings. Well, at least the 9 bags of powdered donuts. Which, btw, pro-tip: don’t put your donuts out so early that they get mostly eaten by everyone working on the house (there are still people dropping by to fix scratches in the floor, touch up paint, make last minute electrical updates, finish a few carpentry projects, etc). But it was nice to reward such an awesome team… so maybe the tip should be: motivation can be handed out in donut form.
As of yesterday, the house was looking about 85% done – including those breakfast nook shelves. Sherry still has a bunch of tweaks that she wants to make (just sharing this not-completely-done shot makes her twitchy) but they’re a lot further along than they were a few weeks ago. A crew rolled through on Friday and shot video & photos to use while promoting the show (our first deadline) and the builder is hosting an event there today (our second deadline), which is why it has been such a rush to get things in order – even though each of these seven showhouses don’t open to the public until May 1st. Oh, that and there’s a baby coming soon for us (nine days and counting) so we have our own little deadline going on too.
You’ll notice the shelves above also got painted gray in the back, which was one of those 11th hour tweaks that we found ourselves making. We’d thought they might need some color back there, but it wasn’t until things started to come together that we decided that the same gray tone from the kitchen cabinets would tie them together, so we held up paint swatches to find a match (the winner was Timber Wolf Gray by Ben Moore if anyone’s wondering).
So yeah, they juuuuust got painted yesterday afternooon by Parker, the same guy who hung the laundry room wallpaper for us. Speaking of which, we made a last-minute change in there too. We were staring at it with the builder and the woman who runs the entire event and said “should we add a shelf? A chunky white floating one would probably be really functional.” Both voted yes, and it was on. The carpenter came over and knocked one out within 24 hours (including hanging it and painting it) and we all love it. Hooray for final-hour updates.
Here’s the foyer area, now sporting a big white driftwood mirror that we grabbed at HomeGoods on Thursday. We had hung framed art there just two days before, so our decorating process definitely hasn’t been a straight line. Trial and error is the name of the game. Sometimes we just have to see things before we know if it’s IT or if it’s “meh” – and then there’s a mad scramble to turn as many “mehs” into “heck yeahs” as we can.
In the background you can see a bit of the living room, which plays host to a big painting of Burger that our amazing friend Lesli Devito made just for that spot. Sure the real homeowner probably won’t put a giant pet painting up there (there’s a TV hookup behind there in case they want to mount theirs in that spot) but we thought it’d be a bit cheeky and fun for the show. A nod to our handsome four-legged friend, if you will. Especially since there are a bunch of more serious furnishings and accessories in the rest of the kitchen and living room.
A lot of you guys have asked where these furnishings and accessories will go when the house is sold since they’re all purchased (or donated or borrowed) just for the show. The answer is that once the show’s over, the homeowner has the option to buy a few items of furniture or art if they’d like – but they will mostly be furnishing/decorating this house so it works for their family (and not the fictional family that we’ve created in our minds). So many of the donated items will be paid forward to the Habitat ReStore or returned to the vendors, while things that came out of the builder’s decorating budget might be re-used in future model homes.
One of the toughest spaces to fill was the playroom/reading room upstairs, which I don’t think we’ve shown before. We wanted to do big bookshelves (with a built-in bench) in this room so it could be used as a quiet reading spot if the future owner didn’t need a younger kids play space, although we decorated it somewhere in the middle – both with games and books so everyone in the family could picture a spot to chill out and relax. We’re still waiting on our upholstered bench cushion for the window and a few other touches, but it’s coming along.
Of course last fall when we chatted about this room with the builder and the architect, we didn’t really think about having to get books upon books to fill all of those shelves that flank the window bench on both sides. So a few weeks ago in a moment of desperation, we called our buddy Kelly at a favorite local bookshop (Fountain Bookstore) and she said she had boxes and boxes of early-sample paperbacks that she was just going to recycle (they’re not allowed to be sold or donated since they’re advance copies). Phew!
We realized that we also haven’t shared this fun light fixture in there. It’s a spun glass chandelier from Shades of Light that looks great against the Dragonfly-colored walls, but is a little tough to see when photographed against the window. Can you tell we’re still learning our photography angles in this house?
One of the biggest car-fillers when it came to shopping was bedding and pillows. Not just decorative pillows for the couch and stuff, but more basic things like shams, duvets, quilts, sheets, bedskirts, and other various staples for the four beds that we had to make. A lot of it was picked up on the fly, but we did get this pretty patterned bedding donated from Pine Cone Hill for the master. It looks pretty awesome with another Lesli Devito painting that she loaned us for the show.
It’ll feel good to have the last remaining bits checked off this week, so we can hopefully squeeze in a few normal-ish days before normal gets redefined by baby Barnacle’s arrival. Our parents have been a big help in watching Clara outside of school hours, and she has clocked some pretty great quality time at the showhouse with us as well. She’s “breaking in” a lot of the rooms – like coloring at the desk in the girls room, playing make-believe with the Monopoly pieces in the playroom, and assembling Legos at the desk in the boys room.
This week will be showhouse heavy since we haven’t had much time to do anything else. But being so close to “finished” is getting us really excited to fully shoot each room and share the full monty details (listing sources, alternate angles, explanations for what went where and why, etc). So if you could hold any “where’s that from?” questions until we share each room, we plan to source every last item for you in those more detailed posts, which we’ll hopefully be rolling out this week (we’re planning to start shooting “after” photos before the party today if things come together like we hope).
I’ll leave you with one last glance of a space that we’re CRAZY excited about. We hired a local artist to deck out the chalkboard wall in the butler’s pantry (which has become a coffee/wine station for our imaginary family) with a chalk pen mural full of coffee and wine terms, and boy is she decking. it. out. It’s not dusty or smudge-able with a finger, but it can be scrubbed off with a magic eraser if the future homeowner doesn’t want to keep it. She’ll be back tomorrow to put the finishing touches on it, and then we can’t wait to shoot a million wide shots to show you how that awesome little hallway between the kitchen and the dining room has evolved.
We realize it – as well as lots of other design choices in the house – aren’t necessarily everyone’s cup of coffee tea, which might be an issue if we were decorating a spec or a model home (where the goal is to sell it by appealing to as many potential buyers at possible), but as a showhome, the purpose of this house is a tad more complex. Each of the seven Homearama teams have been encouraged to make unique and specific choices to keep the show varied and interesting – and oddly enough, these homes tend to sell pretty fast thanks to all of those special features, even though they might not be safe/universal.
So while these builders create dozens of more basic and mass-appealing homes each year, these showhomes aren’t like that at all. In fact, on Friday we got to run through a couple of the others in this year’s event, and we can’t wait to share some wide shots when everyone’s done decorating. In the meantime, here are just a few examples of some specific choices that other builders & design teams are integrating:
Please bear with us while we power through this last intense week of showhouse stuff (knock on wood) and slowly work our way around the house to share all of the afters (and sources) with you guys. Speaking of powering through, I’ve been killing it on my FitBit steps thanks to this job lately. And poor Sherry, her feet have just been killing her. That reminds me, seeing as it’s 10:32 on Sunday night as I wrap up this post, I probably have a foot rub that I should be getting to…
Psst – Wanna see more showhouse info & photos? Click here for Our Full Showhouse Tour, which includes final pictures of every room, the floor plan, budget info, a video walk-through, and shoppable showhouse furniture & accessories.
Elva says
Great job guys! Looks amazing…..love the lights in the playroom/reading room, and the kitchen is divine.
Rachel Serene says
I love everything you guys do. The paintings and chalk wall take the cake for me. I can’t wait to see the whole house and source-list. I wish I didn’t live so far away and could tour it myself. Also, how fun would it be to shop, shop, shop on someone else’s dime?? What a dream! :)
Nan Johnston says
you probably have already posted this, but I’m curious about the budget your builder gave you to work with. Would you be able to share that info?
YoungHouseLove says
We have a budget from the builder that breaks down to around $500 per space for all the furnishings (and curtains, rugs, accessories, art, etc) which of course can be met just by buying a bed or one rug, so we relied a lot on borrowing things and hustling to get donations since the show benefits Habitat For Humanity (we are donating our design fee to them, a chunk of money from the builder is going there too, and a portion of ticket sales do too).
xo
s
Melissa@TheChicDream says
You guys are killing me! I love the updates but it’s just making it harder to wait until I can see everything in person. We have some similarities in our choices of finishes (especially lighting) so I can’t wait to get some ideas and see some of the things that I plan to use in action. I had already chosen the light fixtures that you used in the pantry and kids bathroom so I can’t wait to see them in a home before I buy them.
Naia says
Umm, when can I move in!? Looks fantastic, you guys! Can’t wait to see it all finished.
Beth @BandBBuildALife says
I love it when a project comes together! Can’t wait for the full breakdown! Keep up the awesomesauce work – but please please please take care of yourselves too! With only 9 days left before your family changes forever, don’t forget to savor these moments! We all love ya and i’m sure we’d all survive if our daily YHL fix had to be post-poned for a little while for a little r&r. :)
Jackie says
I adore the light fixture in the reading room! It’s so beautiful.
Question – how come you went with white for the shelf in the laundry room when the cabinetry is dark wood? Did you paint the cabinet white?
Best,
Jackie
YoungHouseLove says
That cabinet is still dark, which looks awesome with the counters and the steely gray appliances. We love mixing dark wood and white a lot (for example we had a wood media cabinet in our last house with a white floating shelf over it).
xo
s
Stephanie says
Holy Cow shopping trip! Will you be sharing the budget breakdown? I am really looking forward to seeing the reveal! I have been stalling my kiddos bathroom revamp waiting for the striped tile bath reveal!
YoungHouseLove says
If you scroll back through the comments we’ve shared the budget we had for each space a few times (with so many donations and borrowings in the mix it’s not very easily quantifiable beyond that). Hope it helps!
xo
s
Christi says
Love love love! DO make a print from the photo of the chalkboard – it’d make wonderful canvas art!
Lisa says
Wow! I love everything I’ve seen so far, especially the reading nook. I want to move in, but Richmond is too far a commute. Great job.
Kat says
I apologize if you’ve already answered my questions, but what happens to all of this stuff after the show? And is the money for it part of your show/house budget?
YoungHouseLove says
If you scroll back through the comments we shared all that info (some is in the post as well). Hope it helps :)
xo
s
erin says
patiently waiting for your sources. =)
Nancy says
Just have to echo the other comments about how amazing you guys are! Love how all of this has come together and I can’t begin to imagine how you’ve done it so close to your little boy’s birth. Big sister Clara is a joy to watch, as always. The painting of Burger in the living room is definitely a favorite for me! I’m sending lots of good wishes and congratulations from NJ. (personal note… I’m the lifelong friend of Sherry’s Aunt Eileen). Looking forward to more photos, the video tour plus of course a birth announcement soon. :-)
Jenny says
Wow, Sherry you’re amazing! I’m at 33 weeks and we had two bday parties yesterday for my daughter (one school/kids, one family) and I’m still totally wiped this morning! I can’t imagine shopping and walking around all day and still being functional at all. Good for you! And through that ongoing all-day-sickness, too! Good on you!!
Kim says
Hey, I’m not in VA anymore, but my folks are still up in Burke. I think I’ll mention to my mom about the homearama and see if she can make it down there for me.
Lauren, sixteensunbuckles says
Please tell us where we can find that gorgeous wallpaper in the laundry room. I just lust over it!
YoungHouseLove says
If you search showhouse wallpaper the post with that info in it should pop up for ya :)
xo
s
Carter says
My daughter is the amazing artist who did the chalkboard! You can see more of her work at the Urban Farmhouse Market & Cafe – you can contact her through them if you are interested in chalkboard art!
YoungHouseLove says
Li is amazing! We can’t wait to share photos of her in progress along with the final result and her info for anyone interested :)
xo
s
mary says
I LOVE it.
Patience says
LOVE! Where did you get the coral patterned rug in your living room?
YoungHouseLove says
We’ll share a full source list for every room as we reveal them- hopefully beginning this week!
xo
s
mary says
That house is SO my cup of tea. It’s a good thing I don’t live there or I’d already be talking to the bank.
Alicia says
I second this statement! I anticipate an intense bidding war will take place … the house is stunning!
Lisa says
Our bedroom is Timber Wolf Gray- and we love it!! I love shopping- but it does sound like it’s been a bit exhausting for y’all.The house looks fabulous and I’m so excited to see it in person.
Caitlin says
Which builder are you guys decorating for?
YoungHouseLove says
John Waters of Biringer Builders. He and his team have been great to work with.
-John
Caitlin says
Thats too funny, that was my guess!! My mom works in their model in Hallsley!
Ali says
Amazing job! Love all these pics !!
Ali
Rachel says
Ok, i really can’t tell you how much i LOVE this house. I’m sure its going to be crazy hard for you guys not to want to buy in yourselves (though I’m sure you’d go crazy in a finished home!). If that house was in Austin and I had the money, i would buy it in a heartbeat. I think you found your new calling?!
Amy D says
Absolutely love it all!!! You guys did an amazing job. It looks modern and bright with a touch of flair – fab!
As a RVA local, I can’t wait to come see it in person!
Bravo!
Alicia says
Getting these show home updates make me SO excited! I’m a 25 y/o apartment dweller with a limited budget, but seeing your updates of the evolving show home over the course of the last several months has made me giddy! Your decorating and furnishing style is completely on-par with what I hope to accomplish some day. I can’t WAIT to get your run down of decorating sources … You two ROCK!
Cheers from SF :)
keisha says
It definitely has the YHL stamp on it: fresh, colorful, comfortable and livable. Very nice – congrats.
And chalk pens – how did I not know about these?? *adds to craft Filofax in my brain*
ajira says
Love how the showhouse seems to be shaping up. Can’t wait for the onslaught of deets on every room that seems about to come our way!
Karin says
So excited to see the completed showhouse (and Barnacle)! Had to comment that I finally found your line @ Target this weekend and bought a hook to use as a curtain pull back in my dining room…love the quality and it works perfectly! Must say, I would love to see an expanded line from you guys @ Target!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Karin!
-John
Emily @ Life on Food says
I am so in love with the breakfast nook. Right choice with the colored backdrop. It was the first thing I noted in that photo. I cannot wait to see all the final details.
Barbara in CT says
The show house is coming together beautifully. I am enjoying the ‘in process’ posts almost as much as I will enjoy the finished shots.
Gemma says
I think the key to keeping children happy while on a (marathon) shopping trip is to keep them involved in the process. When my two kids were Clara’s age, instead of relying solely on a shopping list, I would give them five words each to remember and ask them to prompt me when it was time to go find the next thing on the list. It was a memory game of sorts for them and they felt (rightly so) that they were being a big help!
I like the red seat in the boy’s room–the color really pops! But you might want to consider getting a lower chair with a supportive back so that it becomes more functional, and appears to visitors as a real working area. Just a thought…
Congratulations on the completion of this project–what a nice way to give back to the community!
Erin says
I totally agree in regards to the stool that is paired with the desk. It is not the right proportion and looks awkward even for a 4 yr old. There is no way anyone over the age of 4 could sit there and fit their legs under the desk. I would definitely love to see something more functional in the space.
I also wonder…if a place donated an item does it have to be used? Do they donate a specific item or say “we will donate a comforter, you can pick the one from our line that you like” because I am not at all a fan of the one in the master bedroom. It would be great for a tween room or even guest room, but it feels a bit too juvenile for a master. Not saying a master has to be overly sophisticated or stuffy, but the one used is too much for me. Then again maybe once we see the entire space it will make more sense?
YoungHouseLove says
Everything donated doesn’t need to be used (some things didn’t work so we just sent them back, etc) which is nice since we really do have to see stuff in action to decide what to move/keep/tweak/pull. Lots of trial and error going on!
xo
s
Kimberly says
Its so pretty and colorful I just love it! Cant wait to see the source list :-))
Karin M says
Where is the couch and matching chair from in the living room? That is the style I have been searching for everywhere.
YoungHouseLove says
We’ll share a source list as soon as we reveal rooms, starting this week!
xo
s
Nikki W. says
The house is looking so beautiful and SNAZZY!
I have a feeling you two might not be the type that participates in the “push present” craze… BUT, if you are .. John, I would suggest this house. The whole thing and all that is in it.
Or better yet, whoever it is that owns this beauty gifts it to you both. You guys deserve it!
Sarah Kyle says
Keep up the FABULOUS work! The house looks great so far, and y’all are such troopers! You’ve got this! :D
And I can’t wait to see the finished photos- SO sad I won’t be in Richmond for the show!
Tara says
Where did you find the globe pendant light for the livingroom?
YoungHouseLove says
We’ll share a full source list for each room as we reveal them, starting this week!
xo
s
Lauren says
You have probably already addressed this, but how are you financing all of the furnishings and accessories? Does the organizer give you a budget? Is it all out of pocket? Does stuff get returned after? Basically wondering how you’re paying when you roll all those carts to the checkout in Target (because I’ve had dream carts less full than those!)
YoungHouseLove says
If you scroll back through the comments we shared the budget we had for each room and explained where stuff goes in this post :)
xo
s
Kristen O. says
Wow! That is exactly how my dream house would look. I love it!! Congrats to the entire team on the show house. I’m just going to speak for all of your readers and say that you guys deserve a HUGE pat on the back. You should think of designing a Bed & Breakfast; because I would totally love to stay there for a week and recharge my batteries. XO
Samantha says
Oh my gosh! I love it all you guys!!! Love it! Way to go!!!!
Lauren says
Wow clearly ignore my comment! Sorry, you’ve mentioned it like 8 times this post alone. Apologies, it’s Monday!
Marissa says
Wow! Fantastic job! The house looks lovely– interesting mixes of textures, professionally designed, and livable! I can’t believe you’re doing all of this 9 months pregnant. I’m 6 months pregnant and got tired just reading this entry.
Since you’re still moving and tweaking small things, here’s my two cents: what about switching the painting in the playroom with the fun Burger painting in the living area? They’re both awesome, but I think the Burger painting would be even more fun in a playroom, and the gorgeous color palette of the abstract painting currently in the play room would be so pretty with the living room carpet. But who am I? You’re the experts!
Great job! Hope you can give those pregnant feet a rest soon!
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a fun idea! The playroom painting is too long for above the mantel, but it would be cute there too if it fit ;)
xo
s
See Emily Shop says
This post is awwweesommmmee! I want to live here. Love the wallpaper. I can’t imagine trying to make this house looked lived in so quickly, as I have lived in my house for over six months and it still looks bare. Where is the coffee table from?
YoungHouseLove says
We’ll be back with a source list for each room as we reveal them, hopefully starting this week!
xo
s
Becca says
The place is looking great! Props to you both, but especially to Sherri for doing all this pregnant! I’m also having a baby boy any day now, and I can’t imagine doing so much work at the eleventh hour! You rock!
Anna // Gone Banannas says
Absolutely stunning you guys! I love your color choices. The whole place looks so warm and inviting. And, fun!
Kayla says
Clara must think you guys have the craziest coolest jobs ever!
I had a dream about you guys last night. Totally not in a creepy way…..Clara told me all about her baby. =)
YoungHouseLove says
She says she thinks we are “fixers” which makes me laugh. Sounds like Olivia Pope. Haha!
xo
s
dylcia says
I.WANT.THAT.KITCHEN. Love the colors of the cabinets and the color of the granite. Love it. Love it. Love it.
Tricia S. says
I really love the show house. Your design is liveable, fresh and energizing (without being jarring). I see too many room layouts that aren’t in magazines and books. I don’t envy the pressure you guys have been under to fill the space with all the things that a family would normally collect over a lifetime. Fantastic job and I hope the barnacle is working from the same timetable you are.
rachael says
I have a question….what would you guys had done if the Bun had been born a week ago? Sherry would’ve been recovering from a c-section and possibly complications (fingers crossed for none in the future) and I imagine it would’ve been horrible for John to be gone all day every day and do this decorating by himself. Did you have a plan B in place?
YoungHouseLove says
We were just cautiously optimistic and tried to plan and work as quickly as possible (as John mentioned we had started collecting things and sourcing furniture a while back). I have been closely monitored and the doc is pretty confident I’ll make it to my date, and so far, so good. I think everything we take on feels scary if one of us is ever out of commission (ex: the book tour, shooting for the book, doing the hospital makeover, etc) so we just do our best to work towards our deadlines and keep our eyes on the prize :)
xo
s
Julianne says
I love how bright and cheery every room is! My husband is not too happy, but since becoming addicted to your blog, my decorating preferences have altered from a neutral ‘Restoration Hardware-ish’ preference to a more modern, light and airy vibe. Time to creak open that wallet of his for all new furniture!! ;O)
anna says
I am exhausted just reading this post. I really feel like I just ran through a bunch of stores trying to keep up with you all.
House looks great!