Real estate agents are getting creative in how they market high-end properties. Over the past few years, we've seen open houses disguised as art openings, concerts, and cocktail parties. This weekend, Boston realtor Ricardo Rodriguez presented the Urban Showhouse — an open house fundraiser with proceeds benefiting Pine Street Inn, the largest resource for homeless men and women in New England.
It's no surprise that Rodriguez, named one of the 25 Most Stylish Bostonians by the Boston Globe, called on some of the city's premier designers to deck out the stunning 2,340 square foot townhouse overlooking Peter's Park in the South End.
Designed by architect Guy Grassi, the contemporary four-story structure features 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and 3 outdoor spaces. High ceilings and oversized windows add to the airy, treehouse feel. Each of the designers was given a floor to decorate in their signature style &mdash from veteran Dennis Duffy's global-inspired master suite to up-and-coming designer Lisa Kreiling's eclectic, art-influenced home office.
But the real stars of the show were the warm, welcoming hosts from Pine Street Inn who provide permanent housing, job training, emergency shelter and street outreach to over 1,300 homeless men and women each day!
Learn more about the designs featured in the Urban Showhouse and how you can support Pine Street Inn.
Designers: 1., 6., & 7. Lisa Kreiling of LTK Interiors; 2. Johnathan Adler; 3., 4. &5. Dennis Duffy of Duffy Design Group; 8., 9. & 10. Terrat/Elms Interior Design for Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams
Images: Ronee Saroff
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This is off topic, but does anyone know what style the wooden chair in the first picture is?
Where do I get the cool rope sconces?!?
"This is off topic, but does anyone know what style the wooden chair in the first picture is?"
This style chair is called Courthouse Chair.
Thanks so much, LoriSF!
My friend Rosemary Brandenburg emailed me this recently from her Legends of La Cienega window vignette she designed (and discusses the wood courthouse chair):
My "Public Enemies" Window at Szalon
Szalon, at 910 No. La Cienega Boulevard
A fabulous shop specializing in Hungarian and Eastern European designs in the Vienna Secession, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Bauhaus styles.
My starting point to evoke the mood of 1930’s Chicago, where the bravado of John Dillinger and his band of outlaws swept through banks in the Midwest with explosive violence in their short but meteoric lives -- is a simple wooden office chair, circa 1902.
The chair – like so many people struggling during the Great Depression – seems solid and mundane. In fact, it was designed by Adolf Loos, the famous Austro-Hungarian architect and furniture designer. He spent several years in the United States and was impressed by The Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago. His chair, with its undulating curves, shows the influence of turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau style. By 1930, an Americanized version of this chair -- stiffened up considerably -- was standard office-fare throughout the United States.
Rosemary Brandenburg SDSA
Two soon to be released films -- “The Rum Diary” starring Johnny Depp (1960’s Puerto Rico) and “Unstoppable”, Tony Scott’s latest action film, starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine -- feature my work.
Past credits include: “Hancock”; “Déjà Vu”; “The Island”; “The Haunted Mansion”, “The Ring”; “Planet of the Apes”; “What Women Want”; “Amistad”; “Casper”; “The Flintstones”; and “Hocus Pocus”.
(For more on that event she is talking about- if you are interested) go to the setdecorators.org website and click on "Hot off the Set"
http://www.setdecorators.org/incEngine/?art=hotofftheset
Great Idea~
My husband is a realtor and he also has to find creative avenues to promote open houses... this one is a fabulous idea though!
Lindsay
www.adesignstory.com
This is a great concept. I work for a nonprofit and we just held a Designer Showcase House where local designers came in an overhauled the place (currently on the market for $8.2 million). The nonprofit handled the admission sales and we received the net of approximately $195,000 for youth who are aging out of foster care!
Another vote for those splendid rope sconces.
Wooden chair in the first picture is called the Bank of England chair.