PREVIEW PEEK SET FOR 2008 DECORATORS’ SHOW HOUSE
Want to get a preview peek of the St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild 2008 Decorators’ Show House? The Meridian-Kessler home at 4266 N. Pennsylvania Street will be open to the public for preview tours on February 9 & 10 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the door. Work on the house will begin February 11 and is expected to be completed by April 18.
“The Preview Tours give guests an opportunity to see the house before designers work their magic and then fully appreciate the finished results,” said Janet Main, Promotions Director.
The house was built in 1924 by Mothershead & Fitton for George Hilgemeier, Sr. and is situated on nearly two acres at the southwest corner of Pennsylvania and 43rd Street in the historic Meridian-Kessler neighborhood. This beautiful Italianate home was originally built with four bedrooms and baths.
Dr. Joseph Walther and his wife, Mary Margaret became the second owner of the home in 1949. They added several amenities which have since been removed. It is now occupied by the Heslin family.
Currently, the home is undergoing another transformation. An addition is underway with careful attention being paid to maintaining the architectural integrity of the home. The interior addition includes a hearth room, locker/mud room, and powder room on the main floor. A boy’s bedroom, girl’s bedroom, bathroom, laundry/kitchenette, and master closet will conclude the upstairs renovation. On the exterior, a family room with fireplace has been added. Adjoining the formal gardens will be an outdoor dining room, loggia, kitchen, swimming pool, spa and fire pit.
For over 100 years St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild has provided funds to Wishard. This money has helped fund such programs as: pediatrics, the Richard M Fairbanks Burn Center, radiology, St. Margaret’s Diagnostic Breast Center, newborn and special care nurseries, the Midtown Community Mental Health Center, Wishard Ambulance Services and mobile mammography services. In all, the Decorator’s Show House has raised more than $9 million for Wishard.
The 2008 Decorators’ Show House will officially open on April 26 and will continue through May 11. Tickets for the completed home will be available at the Preview Tours, on-line and at Marsh stores.
Two Ball State University Design Students to Participate in the
2008 Decorators’ Show House in Indianapolis
On February 6, Raechel Ball and Katie Kane, two design students from Ball State, will be presented with a check for $1000 to be used to decorate an area in the 2008 St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild’s Decorators’ Show House in Indianapolis. Jill Failey, the Guild President, will present the check at noon.
This is the first time in its’ 47 year history the Decorators’ Show House will include student designers. The area to be decorated is called “The Potting Shed” and it may be the most luxurious space to store garden tools you’ll ever see.
Young designers will follow the same schedule as the professional designers, with work beginning on February 11th.
“This is a unique opportunity for them to meet professionals, network and get some great experience,” said Lydia Brunner from St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild. “The students came to our Kick-off and gleaned valuable experience from the designers’ boards and the professionals themselves.”
The Decorators’ Show House and Gardens Tour will be located at 4266 N. Pennsylvania Street in Indianapolis from April 26- May 11. The theme for this year is “The Artistry of Design”. Preview Tours will be held February 9 and 10, for those who want to see the house before the decorators work their magic. Cost for Preview Tours is $5.
