Showhouse Inspiration in 2020-According to LiLu Interiors

Virtual Tours Are Inspiring

Are you wondering where you are going to get your showhouse inspiration fix in 2020? Some tours are open for limited tours, but I am not traveling right now, like many of you. So, what is a design enthusiast to do? Look for the silver lining, always look for the silver lining. Boy have I found a silver lining for you! Virtual showhouse tours! Interior designers are a tribe of creative problem solvers, so they always take a challenge and turn it into an innovative solution. You don’t need to miss out on the inspiration, you can even soak in more this year than a normal year.
Some years I have been in New York to see the Kips Bay Showhouse, sometimes I’ve been had the luck to see showcase house’s when I’ve been in San Francisco or Dallas but this year I can visit many of the showhouses without ever getting on a plane. I have five fabulous showhouses I want to tour this year, today I am highlighting four. Next week, log in to hear about the most creative approach to a virtual showhouse you might ever encounter. I might even turn it into a bit of an event and “meet” a friend to tour the houses together and compare design critiques!
Last weekend my daughter and I enjoyed the MN AIA Homes by Architects tour from our sofa and here is what I learned and why I would encourage you to take full advantage of the virtual showhouse tours this year.

• It’s easier to fit the tour into my schedule when it’s virtual!
• I could stop, linger and “look” at a detail for as long as I wanted without someone getting in front of me or trying to take a picture of what I was looking at.
• We could dish the dirt on designs while eating popcorn on our sofa.
• I could take notes about details I loved without holding up the crowd or even make a sketch while I toured.

Overall, I thought it was a blast and I can imagine a future where showhouse and tours have tiered pricing and sell tickets to attendees frm all over the country and the world.  If having fun and getting your fix of showhouse inspiration in 2020 isn’t enough reason for you to buy a ticket, remember showhouses, typically support a charity. Let’s get into the details!

Kips Bay Dallas

Kips Bay in New York has always been one of my favorite showhouses. This year, Dallas looks to pack all of the inspiration in a bigger way and I’m putting some time on the calendar to tour the house. This home has rooms by iconic designers like Jan Showers, Mark D. Sikes, Michelle Nussbaumer, and Cathy Kinkaid. There are 25 spectacular rooms and designers are featured. Why wouldn’t you visit when travel isn’t an obstacle! The proceeds for the month long event will benefit the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club and local nonprofits Dwell with Dignity and the Crystal Charity Ball.

Pasadena Showcase House

When looking for showhouse inspiration in 2020, I urge you not to miss The Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts. The home is a 1937 federal-country estate designed by Hollywood’s society architect, Gerard R. Colcord. On park-like grounds, Locke house is a 6,700 square foot home featuring six bedrooms and five bathrooms. Sixteen designers participated, including two of my favorite firms Four Point Design Build and Jeanne Chung at Cozy Chic Stylish.
The tour proceeds support various arts initiatives in Southern California including an instrumental Competition that has awarded over $500,000 in prize money since 1985. Musicians who play string, woodwind, and brass instruments have been able to further their education. I have two string players in my immediate family, so I love this mission.

Milieu Designer Showhouse

Located in Houston, the Milieu Designer Showhouse benefits Clayton Dabney for Kids with Cancer which provides needy families, with children in the last stages of terminal cancer, assistance in creating everlasting memories by providing last wishes, gifts, special events, family travel and financial assistance with household expenses. Their assistance is arranged through the parents and is anonymous to the child. claytondabney.org
The tour is a film featuring the rooms designed by eleven star designers including Darryl Carter, Lisa Fine, and Kathryn M. Ireland.

The San Francisco Decorator Showcase

The San Francisco Decorator Showcase features 20 designers, 27 spaces, and exuberant color throughout, which may make it my favorite of the year. The kitchen design, by Regan Baker, alone is worth the price of the ticket. Another feature I love about these virtual showhouses is having access to designer interviews and hearing directly how they approached the design of their space and what they were inspired by.
This tour supports the San Francisco University High School financial aid program. This event has allowed hundreds of deserving Bay Area students access to a world-class college preparatory education. For the past 43 years, the San Francisco Decorator Showcase has raised over $17 million for scholarships in the bay area.

Enjoy the Tours

I think this year you can experience the same awe-inspiring inspiration we have in years past with a virtual tour! Enjoy and add to the comments below whether you enjoyed the tours.

Bringing Intention Home

For more than a decade, LiLu Interiors has been designing intentional living environments that reflect the singular values and needs, lifestyle, and aesthetics of each individual client. With care, joy, and trust, we’ll creatively collaborate with you to design a home that uniquely expresses who you are and how you live. Intentional design, no matter the style, requires thoughtful attention to detail and deliberate choices.
Let’s make life better. Let’s bring your intentions home.