This weekend marks the opening of Designer House XXIII, and after a three-year hiatus, the month-long signature fundraising event of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Guild is back and better than ever.
Beginning with an empty house, top interior designers from across the state each adopt a space to decorate in their own unique style. The resulting masterpiece is then opened to the public for those who want to experience it firsthand.
Crescendo, the 1920s-themed opening night gala, took place on Thursday night, serving as the first opportunity for guests to see the redecorated house.
As Designer House XXIII gears up for a slew of themed events and general tours, we spoke with a few of the designers to get an exclusive look at their favorite pieces from their space.
Garry Mertins | Garry Mertins Design
The “Keenan” Chair from American Leather is a classic contemporary chair with clean lines and fantastic sit! The group of 4 Keenan chairs around the lucite cocktail table work beautifully with the antique Asian wardrobe behind them, all creating a welcome conversation or reading area.
Chris Olsen | Botanical Gardens
I really wanted to update the landscape of this wonderful home, so I concentrated on the main focal point, which is the center circle. The zig-zag design of Wintergreen boxwoods and the upright Emerald Green Arborvitaes make this landscape totally different from the surrounding neighbors.
Mara Malcolm | Lamb’s Interior Design
The trumeau and the draped bed are my favorite elements of the guest room. The bed is absolute dreamy elegance and the trumeau adds such a sense of history with its authentic French relic adornment — the combo is pure magic!
Sandy Sutton | Sandy Sutton Designs
When I began to organize this space in my head, I felt that the room was rather long and needed something striking as a focal point to pull it together, and I turned to renowned glass artist James Hayes to create a dramatic and vibrant chandelier and gave him my color scheme. The reason I love it is that it makes the room come to life. It is dramatic, sophisticated and playful — all the elements I wanted to create a livable room for a family and their beloved pug Zappa.