Anyone who knows me knows I love a good showhouse. I also love being at the forefront of trying out new design concepts. Seasonal Living Magazine’s first luxury designer showhouse is an example of the future of the designer showhouse. The first of its kind, Gary Petitt of Seasonal Living Magazine employed the E-Design Tribe to build the house in virtual. I’m thrilled to announce that I am one of 11 participating designers for the Seasonal Living Magazine Designer Showhouse.
There is no doubt that the experience of walking through a designer showhouse changed in 2020. I experience that first hand, designing and installing the Pasadena Showcase House a few months ago, just to have it open virtually. The Seasonal Living Magazine Designer Showhouse will be a bit different. This time around I designed to my heart’s content and didn’t have to worry about obtaining building permits, scheduling trades, or coughing up the cash to realize my designs. I designed the Principal Suite, which is comprised of the Principal Bedroom, Bathroom, Closet, Dressing Room. I am waiting with bated breath to see and experience it virtually, on December 3.
The 20,000 square foot virtual modern luxury designer Showhouse is located on 20 acres of prime real estate overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Malibu, CA, and will focus on wellness and sustainability. The spaces are also multi-functional and have been adapted for how we live in our homes today. It was conceived by Gary Petitt, publisher of Seasonal Living Magazine, in response to the changing ways of doing business as a result of the pandemic. Pre-pandemic we were able to attend show houses and shop in person, but that has since changed. So has the future of the designer show house.
The designers have designed their space and the estate is currently in the process of being rendered photo-realistically using state of the art technology. This will allow for a lifelike 3D walk-around experience with product discovery, augmented reality highlights, and virtual reality incorporated into each room. The house will also be entirely shoppable to bring a whole new layer to the designer showhouse experience.
The Seasonal Living Magazine Designer Showhouse is virtual only, and as a result, the designers have not been constrained by budget, which is music to a designer’s ears – especially mine! I have so many great ideas but oftentimes my ideas may be outside of the client’s budget. Here, I was able to bring every idea on my plate and I had all the resources I needed to implement those designs with the variety of sponsor products I had at my fingertips.
The Seasonal Living Magazine Designer Showhouse Sponsors
15 sponsors make the inaugural Seasonal Living Magazine Designer Showhouse a possibility. Designers were tasked with using sponsor product in their designs. I used products from all 15 sponsors, many of which I purchase regularly for my own projects or carry in our showroom. Below are the 15 participating sponsors:
And let me tell you something about each sponsor to get you better acquainted.
ROBIN BARON DESIGN
Robin Baron of Robin Baron Design is a designer and a fabulous product designer. With a collection of casegoods, upholstery, rugs, and hardware, her products have become a staple for designers. A big perk – she can customize almost anything. You’ll see quite a few Robin Baron Design custom pieces incorporated into the spaces we designed for #SLDS21.
COSENTINO
Cosentino, based in Spain, produces surfaces for the world of design and architecture. Their products include natural stone, quartz, and technology-driven surfaces that focus on design and performance. I incorporated a handful of Cosentino products for the floors, walls, and countertops of the spaces I designed for #SLDS21. Dekton Slim, a 4mm ultra-compact surface that can be used indoors or out, is their newest introduction to the line and I can’t wait to show you what I did with it!
THE HOWARD ELLIOTT COLLECTION
The Howard Elliott Collection is probably best known for their mirrors, but they also have an extensive collection of accent furniture, accessories, and art. If you ask me, they are the industry’s best-kept secret! Unlike most manufacturers, they are able to customize their mirrors, which makes them VERY designer friendly! Every designer needs an affordable custom mirror source.
FABRICUT, INC.
Fabricut is comprised of several lines and we know the line well. Fabricut is one of our biggest fabric, wallcovering, and now LEATHER vendors in our Pasadena showroom. S. Harris, a brand under the Fabricut label, really has their eye on fashion and the current trends, and I always look to for inspiration. My favorite recent introduction – Liberty of London! The prints and color combinations are simply divine!
GLOBAL VIEWS
Global Views is a line that every designer is familiar with, as they carry an extensive line of fashion forward accessories, case goods, upholstery, and lighting. Their product offerings go on for days and they have such a great selection from some of my favorite designers (and friends) such as Ashley Childers, Julia Buckingham, Form Studio. I wouldn’t be lying if I said we use at least one Global Views piece in every project!
JAIPUR LIVING, INC.
The Jaipur Living lifestyle brand includes pillows and decor, but they are best known for their rugs. They are a one-stop shop for rugs ranging from polypropylene outdoor rugs to fine, hand-knotted wood rugs. They are a global company that realizes how important our environment is and are committed to sustainable practices in the production of their line.
MINKA GROUP
The Minka Group is a leader in decorative lighting and offers an extensive product line ranging from chandeliers to outdoor ceiling fans and everything in between. Their lighting uses the highest quality materials on the market and their 4 brands have distribution nationwide. They are another designer-friendly company that has a wide breadth of offerings.
NATHAN ANTHONY
Nathan Anthony is a fashion-forward upholstery line that produces out of their family-owned factory based in Los Angeles. They have the ability to customize any of their award-winning designs – many of which can be found in luxury, high-end homes throughout the country.
NIERMANN WEEKS
Custom studio Niermann Weeks is best known for the quality and variety of their metal finishes. A designer can purchase anything off their line. If you tend to customize products for your projects as I do, Niermann Weeks can tailor items from their existing line or can work off of sketches, to create a designer’s original design. Niermann Weeks’ finishes can involve a variety of techniques including paint, glaze, distressing, or metal leafing, to name a few. They are best known for their lighting, but they create so much more – tables, fireplace screens, accessories, and more. Their creations are truly one of a kind.
REVEL WOODS
Revel Woods is a hardwood floor company that responsibly sources and mills their product entirely in North America. They offer a diverse range of colors and textures that fit in with a variety of spaces and situations. I used Revel hardwood flooring in the interior spaces that we designed, except for the bathroom. There were so many beautiful woods and finishes to choose from and it was tough making a decision, but I think I made a good one. I can’t wait for you to see what I chose!
SEASONAL LIVING
Seasonal Living is a boutique indoor/outdoor furnishings, lighting, and decor company that is revolutionizing the industry with both their constantly changing product offerings and their creative vision of bringing product to the consumer in new and innovative ways. Seasonal Living supports artisanal creators in the production of their modern indoor/outdoor line. They are also a designer favorite as they too have the ability to customize.
I used a variety of Seasonal Living products ranging from furniture to lighting, planters, and fire pits in the exterior spaces I designed and they really transformed the spaces from ordinary to anything but!
SHERWIN-WILLIAMS
Sherwin-Williams is the paint sponsor for the Seasonal Living Designer Showhouse and a global brand that requires no introduction. Their newly unveiled Emerald Designer Edition includes a collection of 200 colors, including a selection of brighter, purer whites. I used a variety of colors throughout my spaces and then tailored each product and finish to each particular space for maximum performance.
SIGNATURE KITCHEN SUITE
Signature Kitchen Suite is the global luxury appliance offshoot of LG and has the only 48″ Pro range that offers integrated sous vide cooking. Because we did not design the kitchen, we did not use any kitchen appliances. However, we used the LG Styler in our main closet, to freshen up clothing between wearings. It looks great in the space and if you have space in your closet, as I did in this massive closet, it is the perfect addition for the luxury closet and makes everyday life more convenient.
STRESSLESS
Stressless, a global company based in Norway, is known as the “Innovators of Comfort” and the pieces they design are not merely a purchase, but an investment. Their mission is to develop the most comfortable seating in the world with their extensive research and engineering and a deep understanding of the human body. Their designs come in a variety of sizes to best accommodate each body size and many products have movement, to position the body for maximum comfort.
UNIVERSAL FURNITURE
Universal Furniture is another brand that needs no introduction to designers. Their focus is on lifestyle and their many lines appeal to a wide range of aesthetics and are both approachable and affordable. They have several licensed collections , the most recent from Miranda Kerr. Miranda Kerr’s Love.Joy.Bliss. collection reflects a warm energy and is full of stylish and functional pieces. Universal also recently launched an outdoor collection with Coastal Living, which I can’t wait to see!
Seasonal Living Designer Showhouse - The Designers
Who are the designers creating the spectacular spaces for the Seasonal Living Magazine Designer Showhouse? Ten of my design colleagues (and favorite people) around the country, and then there’s me. Each and every one is a talented designer and industry expert with an engaged following on social media and their blogs.
So…how do you tour this luxury designer showhouse? You can do so from the comfort of your own home. The VIP Launch event will be held live on December 3 at 6 pm ET. It will be hosted by none other than LuAnn Nigara so it is guaranteed to be upbeat, entertaining and is not an event to be missed. Here is the link to RSVP for the event: http://bit.ly/DesignerShowhouse
To learn more about the rendering process, please visit Annilee Waterman’s blog here. She was the designer who photo-realistically rendered the images of the house above. I was fascinated by the process and I’m sure you will be too.
I can’t wait for you to join us on December 3 as we unveil this home and you are able to experience it in its entirety!
