It’s Designer Show House Time! Head to Henlopen Acres for a Fantastic Treat
The century-old Village Improvement Association (VIA) of Rehoboth has assembled a team of 14 talented designers from around the region to transform a 1960s beach house into an inspirational showcase of imaginative decorating. From boutique décor firms to major remodelers, the diversity of the designers will make this Show House a knockout.
On Thursdays-Sundays next month (May 5-8, 12-15 and 19-22) from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day, you can wander throughout this fantastic property, snapping up ideas for your own home or just marveling at the creativity expressed by these talented designers and decorators. It’s always one of the most exciting events on our local calendar.
The show house address is 52 Rolling Road in Henlopen Acres, tickets are $25 (benefits the hard-working Village Improvement Association) and are available online at designershowhouse.com, at the door, and at selected area merchants.
The home selected this year is a spacious two-story home, echoing the classic ranch style and featuring large well-proportioned rooms with generous hallways and a comfortable flow. It’s the perfect setting for a crew of designers to go wild with their ideas.
Set on three quarters of an acre of lawn, ground cover, and large trees, the house has a gracious circular driveway in the front and a pretty garden patio in the back.
If you love our Delmarva history, this handsome beach house was constructed back in 1965 by the Selbyville Manufacturing Company. It is a sleek, two-story version of the American classic ranch house or “rambler” style popular in the mid-twentieth century and enjoying renewed interest today. This domestic architectural style is an American original, first built in California in the 1920s. It’s long, low profile is perfectly suited to casual beach living, especially on the spacious lots of Henlopen Acres.
The VIA has its own rich history of designer homes open to the public. This year the house may be the most creative and fascinating of all. You’ll see this four bedroom, three and a half bath home with a first floor central foyer, formal living and dining rooms, a master bedroom and bath, kitchen, family room with fireplace, a garden/sun room, and a laundry/mud room leading to the garage. Upstairs encompasses bedrooms and baths and a paneled library retreat with a private stairway entrance.
The designers selected for 2016 cover an amazing breadth of styles and services. They are Ed Albers, Bella Terra Landscape, Brenda Carter, Kate Fitzgerald-Wilks, Nile Johnson,Thom Lockhar, Patty McDaniel, Lynn McKay, T.K. Novikoff, Cindi Orozonio, Mark Polo, Earl Schmidt, Mary Stewart, Libby Zando and Lydia Zeller. It’s a list offering interior and landscape design with a wide range of styles and services—what fun to find this all in a single property, open for inspection. You can read about each of these accomplished designers at designershowhouse.org or rehobothbeachvia.com.
In addition to the interior rooms and gardens, the Show House will include a Boutique and Garden Shoppe with articles for sale from interior and landscape designers, authors, and more. Hungry? On Show House viewing days the VIA will provide a special lunch at $15, at their beautiful building just off the boardwalk in Rehoboth. Reservations for lunch are required, by calling 302-227-1631.
Individual ticket holders may be joined by groups—tickets for groups (that’s four or more) are discounted to $20 and are welcomed on Thursdays May 5,12 and 19.
If you are not familiar with the 100 years of Village Improvement Association activities to benefit the Rehoboth Beach community, they have achieved some amazing accomplishments. The VIA established the Rehoboth Beach Library; provided parks with shrubbery, flowers, and trees; provided the boardwalk with lights, benches, water fountain, original bandstand, and refuse cans: began a successful mosquito campaign many years ago; restored the Cape Henlopen lighthouse replica at the circle on Rehoboth Avenue; established the Rehoboth Day Care Center; helped with the formation of the Rehoboth Art League and Sussex Gardeners Club; built a fishing pier at Lake Gerar; established nursing scholarships, and purchased beach wheels to provide beach access to the disabled—just to name of few of the projects of the VIA.
The VIA has made donations over the years to the West End Neighborhood House, Rehoboth Beach Library, Stockley Center, Casa San Francisco, Cape Henlopen Senior Center, Rehoboth Beach Fire Co., Rehoboth Art League, and more.
How does the VIA raise funds from this Designer Beach House event? From generous sponsors, of course. This year they include monetary and in-kind donations from Benjamin Moore, Group J Designs, Coastal Style magazine, The Boardwalk Plaza Hotel, the Cape Gazette, Delmarva Public Radio, The Jolly Trolley, Elevee Events, Bethany Blues, Dover Rent-All, Nage Restaurant, and Letters from CAMP Rehoboth.
Many individuals and businesses get involved in this annual community-wide event. Come check out the Designer Show House next month—and satisfy your curiosity, get decorating ideas, and have a grand time helping one of Rehoboth’s most active non-profits keep providing services throughout the community.
Get your tickets online at designershowhouse.org or call 302-227-1631 for more information.