Happy May—and happy Opening Day of Homearama! Our showhouse opened to the public today, alongside six other homes in the event. Deep breaths.
Since we last shared the office, butler’s pantry, main bedroom, and the en-suite bathroom and closet, and after a short break to have a baby, we’re back to walking through the main living spaces: the living room and the kitchen. The floor plan shows both are substantial zones on the first floor.
The walls throughout these spaces are painted Simply White, which gave us a bright, neutral backdrop to layer in color with paint, textiles, artwork, and accessories. We used a navy fireplace column, a kitchen island in the same navy, a breakfast nook loaded with colorful pieces, bold art, and a lively rug and pillows to add personality.
We always wanted the fireplace to be the living room’s focal point, so we anchored that wall in Hale Navy. A large portrait of Burger brings a playful touch to the fireplace wall—during the show we used the portrait instead of a TV as a little nod to the pup. The mantle is white wood with a marble surround and hearth installed by a local supplier, and the gas fireplace operates with a simple side switch, which is a surprisingly luxurious convenience.
The coffee table and a 9 x 12 rug came from West Elm, and a colorful basket was a HomeGoods find. The gray sofa, chair, and ottoman are from Green Front Furniture in the “smoke” finish. In the corner we used a console found at HomeGoods, paired with lamps and baskets from Target. Large-scale artwork is on loan from an artist, and the bench under the window is also from Green Front. We borrowed a blue pouf from our own home to fill out the space for the show. These photos were taken before the white custom shutters were installed throughout the house, which ultimately pull each room together.
A last-minute side table from World Market and a brass-toned lamp—repurposed from a past project—helped finish the vignette. A red planter for the fiddle leaf fig came from a home improvement store.
Choosing the living room light was one of the final decisions. We wanted something that wouldn’t compete with the gold accordion pendants in the adjoining kitchen. After seeing a clear glass chandelier in another room, we realized a similar fixture would work well here. We had a local source modify it with gold hardware so it would coordinate with the kitchen pendants.
Moving into the kitchen: many details were shared previously, but here’s a consolidated look. Cabinets came from a local cabinet shop; most are a stock gray similar to Benjamin Moore’s Timber Wolf, while the island is painted Hale Navy to echo the fireplace column. The island measures over 11 feet long—surprisingly spacious—and includes deep storage, the dishwasher, a roll-out double trash cabinet, and two large 30″ x 18″ cabinets on each end that proved especially useful for quick storage.
Two common questions about the kitchen are worth answering here. First, the quarter round around the island is wood-toned rather than painted; this is a typical builder choice with oak floors because it hides dust and scuffs better. Second, the cabinets don’t reach the 10-foot ceiling. While ceiling-height cabinets are available, they’re an upgrade most buyers decline. The builder can add taller upper storage if a buyer requests the upgrade.
The stools are from West Elm, and the kitchen is outfitted with high-end Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances installed by a local dealer. Cabinet pulls are a simple metal style and the counters are White Moura leathered marble sourced locally, chosen for its soft finish. Glass-front cabinets were styled minimally with white dishware from everyday retailers to avoid visual clutter. The backsplash is a white blend waterfall glass tile that adds a subtle polished sheen.
Affinity, the cabinet shop, helped optimize the layout for function: deep drawer bases instead of deep fixed shelves for easier access, a roll-out spice rack, and a vertical cookie-sheet organizer. Those practical solutions made daily use much easier during the show.
The sink area features a classic, functional faucet and a very deep single bowl sink—30″ wide and 10″ deep—ideal for hiding large pots or, as an amusing aside, a few canisters of donuts during photo staging.
To the left of the kitchen is a breakfast nook with a built-in banquette. We worked with the builder’s carpenter to create floor-to-ceiling bookcases flanking the nook with a wraparound bench. These shelves provide accessible storage and display without requiring a ladder, and the backs are painted to echo the nearby cabinet color. The bench cushions were made by the show’s seamstress in a deep gray to tie in with the stools at the island.
The nook light is a simple dome that plays off the stainless and silver finishes elsewhere in the kitchen. Our approach to mixing metals is intentional: repeating a finish several times across a space makes the mix feel cohesive rather than random.
The custom table in the nook was built to fit the space—5 feet deep by 6 feet wide—and finished in a Jacobean stain to match the floors, topped with a glossy protective coat. The result is a durable, tailored surface that seats several people comfortably for casual meals.
Finally, the walk-in pantry features shelving built by the carpentry team with frosted double doors that don’t interfere with storage or hallway flow. A simple flushmount light repeats in the nearby hallway and mudroom. For the show, we opted not to create a styled pantry and instead used the space as a collection point for donated canned goods for the local hunger-relief organization. Visitors are encouraged to bring donations to the show or drop them at the ticket counter.
We’ll continue to share one weekly update about the showhouse alongside normal home and family content for the next few weeks. We also toured the other six homes in the show and plan to post a House Crashing feature soon with highlights from those tours.
Psst— For a full tour, including final room photos, the floor plan, budget details, a video walk-through, and a shoppable list of showhouse furnishings and accessories, see our full showhouse tour in the photo gallery.