'98 Designers' Showcase home under construction

SBJ Staff

Designers in the Springfield area will once again get to showcase their work while helping raise money for the Springfield Symphony. In May, the Springfield Symphony Guild will hold its 11th Designers' Showcase, a project which raises money for the Springfield Symphony.

During Designers' Showcase, area interior designers get to design rooms of a home chosen by the Symphony Guild. The home is open for viewing by the public during the month of May.

This year's home is in the Millwood subdivision, adjacent to the Millwood Golf and Racquet Club. The home is now under construction, said Amy Montebello, spokeswoman for the project.

Mike Dobbs is building the home. Dobbs has worked with the Symphony Guild before on Designers' Showcase projects, Montebello said. It was Dobbs who introduced the Millwood home project to the Symphony Guild.

The guild has used homes under construction before, Montebello said. Last year, the group chose a finished home in Highland Springs to redecorate. In the past, the guild has chosen historic homes under renovation, but a lack of those in the area has prompted members to seek other types of homes, Montebello said.

"We think the fact that it is in Millwood, and that people are curious about that development, will make them want to come out and see this," Montebello said.

The guild held a walk-through for area designers Jan. 19. At that time, designers looked at the home in order to make decisions about what areas they would like to decorate.

The home will be divided into 12 or 13 areas, Montebello said. Designers will have to submit both their choice of room and a design board, and the guild members and homeowners will look at those boards and choose the designers who will work on the home, Montebello said.

The designers work with a budget established by the homeowners. The homeowners will designate how much money they will spend to have the home decorated, Montebello said. The budget includes permanent fixtures like paint, wallpaper and floor coverings. It does not include furniture and accessories, although the homeowner will have the option to purchase those items, Montebello said.

The Designers' Showcase home will be open to viewing by the public May 8-24, and tickets will be $8 for adults and $6.50 for seniors and members of groups of 10 or more, Montebello said.

The Springfield Symphony Guild was established to raise funds for the Springfield Symphony, so that players could be paid and improvements could be made to the symphony. The Designers' Showcase is the group's biggest fund-raiser of the year.

The committee for the Designers' Showcase this year includes Montebello, Kay Finnie, Jeanette Unsell and Nancy Back. [[In-content Ad]]