Forty Designers Prepare to Transform a “Duet of Cottages” into the RPO Symphony Showhouse
Rochester, NY – The culmination of months of planning, drawing, fabricating, and creating by 40 designers from Rochester to New York City for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2010 Symphony Showhouse fundraiser is about to enter its final, and most intense, phase. On May 3, the designers will make their way into the Showhouse homes—which this year is a “duet of cottages” in Pittsford—to prepare for the public opening on Saturday, May 22 and running through Sunday, June 13, 2010.
For the first time, the integration of music and design is the centerpiece of the RPO’s sixth biennial Symphony Showhouse, which raises money for the Orchestra’s education and community engagement programs through admission to tour the homes. Each designer was given the opportunity to select a piece of music performed by the Orchestra as their inspiration. The RPO’s versatile repertoire resulted in two adjacent cottage-style homes—a “Philharmonics” House and a “Pops” House—for a total of 8,500 square feet of living space at the Cottages at Malvern Hills in Pittsford (route 64 and Thornell Road) built by Ketmar Development.
Music chosen by designers includes ABBA’s Name of the Game, The Firebird, Carmina Burana, Rhapsody in Blue, and Jeff Tyzik’s own Pleasant Valley Suite, among many others. Details include a family playroom designed by the Strong National Museum of Play with slinky wall sconces and a giant Scrabble wall piece; custom-made furniture, art work, and lighting; a fitness room; the use of “green” fabrics; customized vintage furniture; state-of-the-art entertainment electronics; real flutes as refrigerator door handles; and more. Showhouse visitors also will be able to vote for their favorite rooms at an on-site voting booth.
Showhouse opens to the public on May 22 with the following hours: Tuesdays through Thursdays, 9:30 am-3:00 pm and 6:00 pm-8:30 pm. Hours on Fridays through Sundays are 9:30 am-4:00 pm. Tickets are $15 in advance, $18 at the door. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.rposhowhouse.org, or call the RPO Box Office at (585) 454-2100. Advance tickets also are available at Wegmans and all Rochester AAA branches. Private tours and groups also are welcome.
A variety of ticketed and non-ticketed special events like the Opening Night Gala, plus Chef’s Nights, Build-a-Showhouse Family Play Day, Designer “Drop-in Talks,” Jazz Night, and Talks and Tours will be available. Tickets for these will be available by phone at the RPO Box Office (585) 454-2100.
Based in Pittsford, Ketmar Development Corporation is a new home and renovation company which has built hundreds of custom homes in Monroe and Ontario counties since 1988. For more information, visit www.ketmar.com. A complete listing of participating designers follows.
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NOTE: Photos of designers’ boards as well as illustrations of the exterior of the “Philharmonics” and “Pops” houses are available on request. After May 3, on-site interviews and photography opportunities will be available.
*PARTICIPATING DESIGNERS
PHILHARMONICS HOUSE: POPS HOUSE:
American Accents Audets
Art Effects Glass Bloomfield Gardens
Bloomfield Gardens Blynn Nelson Interior Design LLC
Breathe Breathe
Carol Urtz & Associates Décor Interiors
Darcy K Design Diane Prince Furniture and Gifts
DeLancey Décor Grayson Oukes
Designer’s Library Grossmans Garden and Home
Design Details Invision Design Partners, LLC
Bev Diminski Stereo Shop
Hansen & Hill Interiors Strong National Museum of Play
Historic House Parts Kathleen Uncapher Interior Design
Nancy Hodge Lee Interiors Webster Interiors
Lindsey Interiors Wegmans Pittsford Complements
Positive Environments & Decorative Arts
Sublime Designs
Suite Artistry Interior Design
The Tile Room
Wall Wise
Webster Interiors
*Some of these design studios have multiple working designers
