We are honored to be part of the 2024 Decorators’ Showhouse & Gardens presented by the St. Margaret’s Guild, benefiting Eskenazi Health’s mental health initiatives.

The St. Margaret’s Guild Decorators’ Showhouse is the longest running showhouse of its kind in the entire country. When we were approached in 2021 to be a part of the event, it was a true pinch me moment. I’ve spent a gorgeous Sunday (and a few rainy ones) touring past showhouses with my husband’s stepmother since I moved here in 2006. The designers that participate have huge hearts donating their time, talents and effort to transform a home into a true work of art, all in a matter of months. To be among them is something I’m incredibly proud of.

Year One I partnered with Erin Moore with California Closets to turn a primary closet into a space we affectionately called “Brass Monkey.” Last year, I took over a teeny tiny telephone room transforming it into a retreat for mom. Now that’s what I want for Mother’s Day!

I get a lot of questions about the process for designing a space, so I thought it would be fun to share more of the ins and outs of the design process.

Each August, designers are invited to tour the selected home and rank the spaces they’d be interested in designing. This year’s home is called the “Sylvan House at Northern Estates” and has a very rich history. Once we’ve ranked our spaces, we find out which space is ours and we get to work on mood boards.

A project like this is unique (in many ways), but especially because you are given free reign to show your capabilities as a designer without having a true “client" influencing your design. Let me make a caveat that this is someone’s personal home, so they do have the opportunity to provide feedback. Some designers may choose to alter their finishings so that they can leave them after the tours are complete (like paint, wallpaper, plumbing + lighting) or you can continue with your design and just remove them afterward.

Designers partner with tradesman and local businesses to complete their spaces, with many contractors and businesses providing in-kind donations, borrowed furniture and decor, or discounted work to make the designer’s dreams for the space a reality. We were fortunate enough to complete three spaces this year and had incredible in-kind sponsors, which helped keep our out of pocket costs down.

Design work (or “dirty work”) begins the last weekend of January and must be completed within five weeks, so that photography can occur and marketing materials can be created. Which means that after months of planning, you’ve got a few short weeks to completely transform your space and then it sits for about five weeks before opening to the public.

This year, the showhouse runs from Saturday, April 27 through Sunday, March 12 (closed on Mondays). So grab some friends and spend an afternoon at the showhouse: Tickets - 2024 Decorators' Show House & Gardens (showhouseindy.org).

Here is a peek into our 2024 spaces!

MEET GUEST BEDROOM CLOSET

Quite possibly my favorite of this year’s trio of spaces, the guest bedroom closet is nestled inside Compass Design’s stunning space. We partnered with Erin Moore from California Closets, who is a true expert at elevating even the smallest of spaces into something special.

When thinking of ways to suprise and delight guests, we incorporated monogrammed robes from LaLaLinen, pickleball paddles (which you may remember from our Telephone Room in 2023), fluffy towels, WIFI signage designed by Painted Letter Co and specialty hangers for the most adorable overnight bags from Parkside Linen.

Photography from Southern Sky Photography is featured with a handful of famed Indianapolis must-dos, along with a travel journal to record moments from one’s travels.

Once all of my spaces were complete, Lindsay, the mastermind behind Southern Sky Photography came back through to photograph with her talented eye. I cherish these beautiful photos from her!

MEET THE LINEN CLOSET

Our second space in the showhouse, happened to have NO electrical (what were we thinking when we chose two spaces like this). We were still able to transform it from dark + dreary into fresh + fab.

Partnering with Erin Moore from California Closets, we wanted to showcase a multi-functional storage closet by fully utilizing the vertical space available with deeper shelves, wall hooks and plenty of baskets for storage. CertaPro Painters graciously painted each of our spaces this year - and boy, do they look fabulous!

Each shelf highlights linens from Parkside Linen, organized using a different method for storing linens (baskets, enclosed bins with front visibility, beautiful ribbon ties, and of course, a perfectly folded stack). Shelves are lined with protective liners from ExactMats, which also “protect” a gorgeous metallic leopard wrapping paper that acts as a decor element on its own.

We want guests to walk away with the mindset that there is a no single “right” way to organize a home.

MEET THE PANTRY

And finally, the Pantry. What began as a dark (and I mean, DARK) closet, has transformed into a less dark nook perfect for storing all of your pantry staples.

Little touches like a framed heirloom recipe, dish of iconic Indianapolis restaurant matchbooks, mixed metals and plenty of Oreos complete the space.

Erin Moore from California Closets and CertaPro Painters laid the foundation by creating a beautiful shelving unit that serves as a nod to the dark wood throuhgout the home.

I headed to Tasteful Times to choose a yummy variety of pantry staples to grace the shelves. Throw in some cheese, and you’ve got the makings of a perfect charcuterie board in the works starting with all of the crackers and condiments in the closet. Proof that even a small space can have BIG style.

SEE SOMETHING YOU LOVE?

One of the other neat things is that a lot of the furniture, art and decor throughout the home is for sale at the end of the show. We’ve got some really neat pieces offered below, including all of the product you see in the pantry listed as a bundle! It’s the perfect collection if you have a small, but mighty, pantry of your own.

If you are interested in purchasing any items, please reach out to me at maria@thebaerminimalist.com.

The Baer Minimalist helps busy families create ORGANIZED + STYLIZED spaces throughout Indianapolis. Being able to give back through the St. Margaret’s Guild Decorators’ Showhouse & Gardens has been an absolute joy over the last three years.

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