Habitat's Decorator Show House & Gardens
To have seen the Captain Thomas Mellon house on Main Street in Edgartown this past winter, with its unadorned lot and worn façade, it is hard to believe that in just a few months it could have been transformed into the elegant fully realized Edgartown estate it has become. But that is what can happen when a team of expert designers, architects, builders, landscapers, and dedicated volunteers work as a cooperative team for a worthy cause.
Marcia Zolin of Jeff Entner Painting cuts a window sash with care. Photo by Ralph Stewart
Such was the case with Habitat for Humanity of Martha's Vineyard's fundraising event, the 2009 Decorator Show House & Gardens.
Mary Rentschler of Rentschler and Company Interiors designed the first room on the lower level of the house combining vintage with modern. "I fell in love with this room the first moment I saw it," she says. "I knew I wanted to design a cozy room that looks out on the garden. Most of the pieces in my room come from recycled materials. The end tables are refinished pieces of wood I found on a beach; the lamps are made of recycled glass. It was important to me to feature eco-friendly pieces and to have as much for sale as I could to up the ante for Habitat for Humanity and raise more money for the cause."
An empty room was turned into a charming nursery by Edgartown Art Gallery Interiors. Photo courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of M.V.
Nancy Kelly, chairman of Show House & Gardens and a member of Habitat for Humanity's board, has lived behind the Mellon house for seven years. "This house has undergone a complete transformation," she says. "There is nothing that has happened by chance, every surface has been touched and every detail planned. As with any project, we have needed a lot of help, and the response from the community has been: 'What do you need? I will do it.'"
At first Ms. Kelly thought they would only be able to redesign the first floor, but the entire 2,700 square feet of the house has been remodeled and decorated, leaving the original details preserved and enhanced. Although each room was decorated by a different designer, all artistic decisions were subject to approval, so that all the rooms flowed together. The Show House has a contemporary feel, while maintaining its historical attributes.
"This is a win-win situation for everyone involved," Ms. Kelly says. "It is a great promotional opportunity for artists and a chance to help Habitat for Humanity raise money."
Holly Alaimo, former owner of Dragonfly Gallery in Oak Bluffs, is responsible for organizing the art donations and Show House gift shop. "This is a task that most people could not take on in such a short period of time. This project says a lot about the Martha's Vineyard community and about how well people work with one another. What this house has become is a wonderful part of the neighborhood again."
Bradford Designs created a completely new atmosphere in this sitting room. Photos courtesy of Habitat for Humanity of M.V.
Artist Margot Datz designed and painted the risers on the hand-carved spiral staircase. "This project was so much fun," she says, "not only in staying true to the historical integrity, but also dancing with the other designers, seeing their palettes, their visions. My vision was to have each stair represent a different virtue, a trait that one would want to incorporate into their character. Honesty, humor, ingenuity and poise, to name a few."
One of the second-floor bedrooms redone by Rosemary Casey.
Susan Feller, chairman of garden design and a board member of Habitat for Humanity, designed the entrance garden to the house. "We had to get permission for every detail of the house and garden from the Edgartown Historic Society. No sign went up without their approval. We wanted the gardens to stay with Edgartown tradition while also presenting something different. Each garden is unique, but they also flow together."
The gardens contain over $1,000 of plants and labor, all of which are to benefit Habitat for Humanity. Donations from Middletown Nursery make up almost 80 percent of the plants in the home's gardens.
More than 35 designers and craftsmen participated in decorating the rooms, providing furnishings and other elements that will be offered for sale. At least 75 percent of the contents of each room will be for sale. Local artists are also either donating their work, or splitting the profits with Habitat for Humanity of Martha's Vineyard, which builds affordable houses for Island families using charitable contributions, volunteer labor, and donated materials. It will receive all of the Designer Show House & Gardens ticket sales and a portion of the sale of furniture, accessories and artwork throughout the house.
Vineyard Alternative Heating has added solar lighting, eco-friendly outdoor furniture, and a pellet grill. Owner Sharon Strimling-Florio says, "I wanted to contribute because I think it is a great opportunity for the public to see that going green can be design-conscious, and I also wanted to donate to Habitat for Humaity. I have been very close with Habitat for Humanity for a long time. Eight years ago I went with Habitat for Humanity to El Salvador to build a home there. I loved working side by side with the community. I spoke with the man who was going to live in the house and he said, 'The fact that you flew down here to help us is so wonderful, now I know there is a God.'"
Designer Show House & Gardens opens Sunday, June 28, 12 noon-4 pm, and remains open throughout the season. Demonstrations and lectures planned throughout the summer. Tour tickets are $25. For more information and a complete list of businesses providing discounted tour tickets, visit marthasvineyardshowhouse.com
Apphia Williams is a freelance writer living in Oak Bluffs.
