Savings at Designer Show House

Support local cultural enrichment programs, see the amazing transformations at Cape May’s fifth annual Designer Show House and save money.
The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts (MAC) has reduced admission prices to Cape May’s fifth annual Designer Show House at 511 Franklin St., the mid-19th century Carpenter Cottage.
Designers, suppliers and contractors spent more than six months integrating the Carpenter Cottage’s historical integrity and coastal charm with modern design and seashore style.
MAC contracted with its restoration architects, Holt, Morgan Russell, to survey the house and come up with a new floor plan, which includes seven bedrooms, four full bathrooms and one half bathroom, as well as a more spacious layout on the first floor with a dining room, a kitchen, study, and a foyer opening into a living room.
A side porch was added off the kitchen and a bike shed for additional storage. MAC contracted the Beach Boys LLC to carry out the renovations.
New electric, heating, plumbing and hardwood floors updated the house further and more than 20 new windows brighten the house with natural light and keep with the overall theme of bringing the essence of nature indoors.
Fresh coats of paint, murals, faux finishes and tiles have given the house a more modern feel. Twelve regional interior designers and numerous suppliers transformed 16 areas and 2,500 square feet of space to make this year’s Designer Show House.
The Cape May Designer Show House has become a much anticipated annual event. Every year a different house, design aesthetic, architectural style, and group of designers bring fresh ideas to inspire every homeowner.
This year’s Designer Show House will be open for daily self-guided tours through Nov. 1 and Nov. 20 through Jan. 3, 2010.
Through Nov. 1, tours are offered daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and evenings, Sundays through Fridays, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children (3-12) (a $5 savings on each admission). Admission price for MAC members and those with a MAC trolley tour stub is $10 (a $10 savings).
Each visitor will receive a full-color program book with information about the designers, products and vendors.
Satisfy your appetite for good taste with one of Cape May’s Designer Show House Dining Packages or combine a tour with a four-course Tea Luncheon at the Carriage House Tearoom Café on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate.
For more information, contact MAC at 609-884-5404.