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Like those who came up with the terrific idea of putting the Columbus Decorators Show House in the Columbus Museum of Art galleries last month, Dayton’s organizers were also searching for something fresh and new that would excite the public and attract new patrons. The biennial event, which dates back to 1979, is traditionally held in a large historic mansion with each room decorated by a different designer.
A NEW TWIST
What’s fun this year is that designers have an entire apartment to decorate— whether it’s a studio or a one-, two- or three-bedroom unit. The building boasts lots of windows with great views of downtown, the ballpark and river.
“We’ve always had people who came to get decorating ideas for their homes, but now that’s been expanded to include younger people and empty-nesters who are interested in downtown urban living,” says Karen Marshall. president of the DPVA who co-chairs this year’s Show House with Jon Blunt of Luken Interiors.
Marshall says there’s been a lot of buzz and excitement about having the show house downtown. Designers were enthusiastic about the opportunity to use their creativity to meet the challenge of spatial limitations and multi-purpose living spaces.
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Kim Dehler Girz, a designer with KDG Designs in Centerville, is participating in the project for the first time and says it’s a win-win situation for both the designers and the developers. “I’m all about urban living and I hope this will get a lot more people to think about living in downtown Dayton,” she says. “It’s good for us because it gives us recognition as designers and its good for the developers because it’s more aesthetically pleasing for potential renters to see a furnished rather than an empty apartment.”
Jane Barlow and Vicki Saunders of Design Sources said their vision was to focus on the type of clientele that would rent these units: “fun, professional, cutting-edge, energetic, eco-friendly and always ready for a gathering.” They wanted to take advantage of the view of Fifth Third Field and installed a bar for “last-minute gatherings and evening games.”
Visitors can expect to see everything from a New York-themed bathroom and mid-century-modern bedroom to apartments filled with work from local artists. Sculptor/musician Michael Bashaw has created and donated a sculpture fashioned from the parts of musical instruments which will be on display and auctioned.
Girz said the challenge of the assignment was the size of the space. “When you’re doing one room, you’re doing just that room,” she notes. ” Here I was doing a two bedroom suite.”
HOW THE IDEA ORIGINATED
Marshall says the seeds of this year’s event were planted when Jen Merkel, a neighbor of a DPVA member, mentioned that her brother-in-law was developing some loft-style apartments in Dayton.
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“She was familiar with our Show House and wondered if we might be interested in having it there,” Marshall recalls. The folks at Crawford-Hoying Development Co. in Dublin, she adds, have been supportive ever since. “They gave us permission to do whatever we wanted,” she says. “Those who rent the apartments can either keep the colors the rooms have been painted or have them painted over.”
In addition to the tours, there will be musical entertainment throughout the eleven days of the event, as well as a “Delco Den Cafe” serving healthy snacks and “desserts of the day” donated by area restaurants. The “Boss Kettering Emporium” will offer boutique items for sale ranging from jewelry and hand-blown glass to pottery and pet treats.
The committee has also come up with a number of special events: A High Tea and Fashion Show at the Dayton Woman’s Club which includes transportation to the Delco Lofts; a Hot Cars & Cold Beers Pine Club Burger Party; a Sounds of the Classics Cruise-In with food trucks; and a Seventh Inning Stretch, which includes a ticket to a Dragons game and ball park buffet. On Designer Days, you’ll meet some of the folks who’ve been responsible for the loft decor.
In addition to the booklet given to each show house patron, in recent years the DPVA has also produced a publication about the history of the venue. Volunteers Glenn Harper and Georgie Woessner have published a terrific booklet this year titled “Living in the Future: Charles Kettering and the Daylight Factory Building” which will sell for $3.
WHERE THE MONEY GOES
Over the last 60 years, DPVA has raised more than $2 million for the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and music education programs for school children in the Miami Valley.
According to the Dayton Performing Arts Alliance director of education Gloria Pugh, monies have supported in-school programs such SPARK, Q the Music and five ensembles to out-of-school programs such as Magic Carpet and Young People’s Concerts. Funds raised also support three youth orchestras — Dayton Philharmonic Junior Strings, Dayton Philharmonic Youth Strings and the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
“These programs reach over 70,000 students in 12 counties and it is only through the generous support of organizations such as DPVA that we are able to keep these programs in the schools and on the stage,” Pugh says, adding that it’s also important to mention the many volunteer hours at DPVA members contribute to all of these programs.
Marshall, who joined the DPVA in 1995, said anyone interested in getting involved with the group is always welcome.”I hope those who visit our Show House leave with an appreciation for what the DPVA is doing to raise funds and an awareness of music education,” she says. “We also hope they leave with an appreciation for our Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra and the arts in Dayton.”
WANT TO GO?
What: 2017 Designers' Showhouse
Where: Delco Lofts, 329 E. First St., adjacent to the Dayton Dragons Fifth Third Field
When: Wednesday, June 14 through Sunday, June 25. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Tickets: $20 in advance at Dorothy Lane Markets, Ashley's Bakery in Oakwood, Boston Stoker and www.dpva.org or $25 at the door.
Presented by: The Dayton Philharmonic Volunteer Association
RELATED EVENTS:
- A First Ladies of Dayton Tea and Fashion Show will be held at 11 a.m. at the Dayton Woman's Club on Monday, June 19. The $40 ticket includes a tour of the show house, fashions by Magnolia's on Main and entertainment by pianist Raymonde Rougier. Transportation to the show house is included.
- Designer Days will be held between 2-7 p.m. on Thursday, June 22 and Sunday, June 25. It's a chance to visit with the interior designers who have decorated the Delco Loft apartments.
A Hot Cars & Cold Beers Pine Club Burger Party is slated for 6 p.m. on Friday, June 16 at the Delco Lofts Dragon Plaza. The $50 ticket includes a tour of the lofts, Pine Club burgers, Killer Brownies and all the fixin's. The evening includes a luxury car show and live music by J Stanton and Friends featuring Natalie Sanders.
Sounds of the Classics Cruise In will tale place from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.on Saturday, June 19 at the Delco Lofts Dragon Plaza. The cruise- in is free to the public, Visit the Lofts at $20 (pre-sale) or $25 at the door. The event include DJ Richard ("Hot Rod" Ryman); food trucks; balloon sculptures; raffle and door prizes.
A Seventh Inning Stretch is scheduled for Thursday, June 22. A $60 ticket includes a tour of the Designers' Show House , a 7 p.m. Dragons game and a ball park buffet with Dragon souvenirs.
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