Planto visit the American Lung Association's 2006 Designer Showhouse where fabulous Ideas for the home are yours to take home with you.
Story by ELAINEMEIER;
Ever wish you could enlist the help of interior designers without actually having to hire them? Maybe steal a few of their ideas and incorporate them into your own home? Well, with the recent opening of the American Lung Association's 2006 Designer Showhouse - whose rooms have been decorated by a collection of talented local designers (and with an emphasis on superior indoor air quality), your wish can come true. That is, provided you take advantage of the opportunity to tour this beautifully restored historic home. The house, located at 1217 North Flagler Drive in the Providencia Park section of West Palm Beach, was built in 1926. Back then, it was considered a mansion; today, it is an architectural gem painstakingly restored to its former glory by the home's new owners, Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Katzen. "I just fell in love with it," said Dr. Katzen,who discovered the home a little more than a year ago, when he would leave work from Good Samaritan Hospital on his way home to Old Northwood. "I have experience in renovating old homes; my home in Northwood is a 1924 Mizner, which was moved over from Palm Beach on a barge. It has been very gratifying to bring this [Providencia Park] home back to its original grandeur. Tim Givens, an expert in building and remodeling old homes, knew just what to do." A team of ASID designers was assembled by co-chairs Bernadette Upton, ASID,president of EcoDecor in North Palm Beach and Steven M. Hefner, ASID, owner of Designworks Creative Partnership in Delray Beach. "We decided to establish a design theme that worked within the framework of when the home was built in 1926," said Hefner. "Each designer was asked to stay within a Bauhaus, Art Deco or Mediterranean/European feeling to emphasize the architectural elements and beauty of the home. Many homeowners will be able to relate to the rooms in the home, because of their scale," added Hefner. "The house does not have huge rooms; it is a very livable, charming home. At the same time, every room is designed to promote the importance of healthy air quality using fabrics, materials and paint that have little, or no, toxicity and VOC [volatileorganic compound] levels." The livingroom, always a main in a designer showhouse, was designed by JoAnnMunro of Southeast Interior Design in Jupiter. "I was very excited about the house, because they kept the integrity of the original architecture," Munro said. "The livingroom is small by today's living room standards - about 16 feet by 25 feet; nonetheless, it has fabulous architectural elements, including a pecky cypress ceiling, twin arch French doors, oak floors and a fireplace, which is the focal point of the room." To enhance the formal living area, Munro covered the walls with a new European limestone finish that is a completely natural product with no VOCs.- She worked with faux artist Fran Gambino of Go Faux It to achieve a look that complemented the home's stucco texture. The decor in the room reflects a collection of travel from around the world.