During last week’s update about our Homearama showhouse for Habitat for Humanity, we shared a few early glimpses of how some rooms were coming together.
At the moment most of the house exists mainly on paper: paint is being applied, cabinetry is next, and hardwood floors will be stained on site. That means furnishings have been limited to shopping lists and mood boards so far. Still, the builder and crew have been moving quickly, and we’ve made real progress on furniture and accessory planning in several rooms. Two spaces are especially far along: the study (home office) and the dining room.
These are the first rooms you encounter when you enter the house, so we’re glad they’re shaping up to reflect the overall feel we want. One leans light and cheerful while the other brings a cozier, moodier vibe. Together they’ll help set the tone for the rest of the home.
The Study / Home Office
We designed this office imagining a future homeowner who works from home — perhaps blogs — so we chose a lighter, slightly feminine approach instead of the usual heavy mahogany study you see in model homes. Our aim was to keep it bright, cheerful, and a little refined.
- The walls and trim will be Benjamin Moore Simply White, with a bold accent color on the 10′ ceiling. We’ll use a rich saturated turquoise called Skydive to make the tall ceiling feel intentional instead of cavernous.
- A rustic wire globe lantern in a warm rust finish will hang over the desk that floats in the center of the room.
- Floor-to-ceiling curtains in a textured woven fabric (Dapp in Elephant) will frame the window and emphasize the room’s height.
- We enlisted a striped Saddle office chair to keep the look casual and stylish, though it’s currently on back order.
- Chic storage boxes will add practical and decorative storage on shelves.
- A cheerful pencil mug will bring a small, personal touch to the desktop.
- The desk is a simple wood-and-metal piece on loan from a local furniture lender; we removed display materials from the original photo to present a cleaner look.
- Art plays a role here: we chose prints from Help Ink, where a portion of every purchase supports a charity you pick. The colors and uplifting message felt like a natural fit for the space.
- To keep the palette light and relaxed, a Guava-toned wood kilim rug will ground the desk area without overwhelming the room.
- We also plan to add another Help Ink print—decorating for a charitable cause feels especially meaningful in a showhouse built to benefit Habitat.
Many of these items are secured, while other accessories and artwork will be purchased and added as the rooms progress. Expect some changes as pieces arrive and rooms evolve.
The Dining Room
The dining room has made visible progress since last week, most notably with the completion of custom wainscoting. We chose a nontraditional, subtle pattern composed of angled wood slats with 1/4″ gaps between them so the lines read almost like an engraved texture rather than raised moulding.
Working directly with a skilled carpenter, we sketched and tested different angles, board widths, and spacings on the wall until the pattern felt balanced — distinct but not overpowering. We landed on 1×3″ boards, a 1/4″ spacing, and an angle close to 22 degrees from the floor. Once painted glossy white, the wainscot becomes a refined backdrop for the rest of the room.
The plan for the upper walls and finishes includes these elements:
- The upper walls will be Kendall Charcoal, a deep brown-gray that adds mood and depth across the tall 10′ ceiling.
- The wainscoting and trim will remain glossy white, providing crisp contrast with the darker upper walls.
- An industrial-modern island chandelier in a warm bronze finish will hang over the table to define the dining area and add character.
- A soft, textured Jute Bouclé rug in a neutral tone will ground the table and chairs while keeping the palette warm.
- Simple potted greenery will serve as fresh, understated centerpieces to bring life and texture to the table.
- A rustic wood pedestal table will float in the center of the room beneath the chandelier, keeping circulation clear around the seating.
- We’ll add a mix of old wine bottles or green glass vases among the planters for color and collected charm.
- Dark upholstered chairs will pop against the white wainscoting and tie into the moody upper walls.
- Floor-length curtains in a blue-toned fabric with a subtle striped or angled motif will reference the wainscoting and bring color to the window wall.
Seeing these two rooms move from concept to actual spaces is an exciting stage of the project. It feels like the house is finally becoming a home as furnishings arrive and layers of personality go in. Just a few months ago this was a dirt lot; now in a matter of weeks we’ll have a completed showhouse with more than 20 different spaces to share. There’s a lot of work ahead — and life’s getting busier in other ways too — but watching these rooms take shape makes it all worthwhile.
Psst — Want to see the finished showhouse? Check the full showhouse tour for final photos of every room, the floor plan, budget details, a video walk-through, and a list of furniture and accessories used in the home.