The Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts officially opened its doors to the public last Sunday, April 17th! Transforming homes to raise money for charity since the late 1940’s, this year’s idyllic showcase home features a sprawling European-style country estate. The house – which had not seen many updates since it’s original construction in the early 1900’s – was fully restored and brought up-to-date by a team of 25 of today’s hottest designers. The designers, challenged to renovate their unique spaces in just 90 days, faced many unwelcomed surprises when they got into the depths of the structure. Fortunately they were able to solve the structural problems and then some — the outcome is absolutely stunning and should not be missed.

The Grand Reception Hall (pictured above) in the main house was designed by George Massar Design, led by the talented George Massar who has supported the Pasadena Showcase House for years – and this year said yes to a request for his direct participation with the space. George Massar Design chose to include a Merida Links textured sisal rug to welcome guests to the home. Up the stairs, Massar selected Merida’s Cortina wool and sisal rug to add depth and interest. The overall effect is beautiful and sure to make a lasting first impression.

The rest of the home features spacious rooms, gorgeous arch features throughout, and a separate barn that was transformed into a guesthouse complete with an entertaining space and outdoor kitchen. The main kitchen was expanded to include the former butler’s pantry and updated with top of the line features. We particularly love how our partner Barclay Butera transformed the Regal Retreat into an exotic and relaxing get-away.

One of our other favorite features is the expansive outdoor sanctuary. The California home includes acres of land that house gardens and impressive water features. The large pool was re-done and now has a beautiful mosaic tiled bottom and a waterfall.

We are excited to see this beautiful home in person next week and look forward to sharing more photos of the finished space!

Click here to purchase tickets to tour the home >

Nested on Gibson Island, a small private island in the Chesapeake Bay, designer Erin Paige Pitts resides with her husband and her three children in their classically captivating waterfront home. Designed and built three and a half years ago, Pitts paired her love of neutrals with cool blues to give the house a serene, beach-like feel.

The dark wood floors in the kitchen and dining rooms prove to be a stunning contrast to the light and airy walls and furniture. Pops of blue drawn from the natural color and beauty of the surrounding water are found in pillows, light fixtures, accessories and on chairs throughout the home.

Sea glass tones of greens and blues are carried into the bedroom. As Pitts said, she is “a firm believer in your home being your sanctuary and the master bedroom must be the most tranquil of all”. To add a pop of pattern and texture without detracting from the soothing colors, Pitts selected Merida’s Broadway sisal rug in the Locust color. Featuring an eye-catching iconic diamond pattern, the rug adds visual interest to the space in a timeless, elegant fashion.

Merida's Broadway Rug

One of our favorite features of this house is the breath-taking terrace off of the living room. The white pergola and curtains are pure and fresh, while the bright blue lounge chairs compliment the vibrant green grass. We can already picture ourselves reading a book or taking a nap and enjoying the warm breeze on a lazy summer afternoon…

Click here to view more photos of Pitts’ home as featured in Traditional Home.

View all Broadway colorways here.

Those of you that attended the Design Bloggers Conference in sunny Los Angeles California earlier this month probably saw the Merida table, including a limited sampling of our Barclay Butera Collection, designed in partnership with the conference speaker himself. For those of you that were not able to attend, we are happy to give the low down, including the ins and outs of the conference.

The Stunning Flower Arrangement We Picked Up For Our Table

Being the first design bloggers conference to date, we were not sure what to expect. Upon arrival, we were pleasantly surprised with the buzz and excitement filling the room. Energy levels were high and we witnessed some longtime cyber friends connect in person for the first time. On day one I had the pleasure of meeting Twitter sensation Leslie Carothers of Kaleidoscope Partnership. If you haven’t checked out Leslie’s feed at @tkpleslie you should do so now – she has an inspiring 93,627 tweets under her belt to date.

Our Sponsor Table

If the crowd and energy weren’t impressive enough, the first keynote speaker delivered glasses of champagne to all attendees – yes, at 9:45 am! The following speeches delivered over the course of the two-day seminar proved to be both interesting and useful. There was hardly a topic that wasn’t discussed – from sharing photography pricing and talking budgets to resources for creating affordable mini business cards and tracking traffic to your blog.

I particularly enjoyed hearing from and seeing the interior spaces in Barclay Butera and Suzanne Rheinstein’s lectures. The hotel that Barclay designed is absolutely breath taking.

Barclay Butera Speaking

All in all we really enjoyed the conference (and the Sofitel Hotel!) and were proud to be sponsoring such a lovely event. We look forward to participating next year.

Were you at the Design Bloggers Conference? If so, what did you think of it? Which presentation was the most memorable to you? We would love to hear your thoughts…

Interested in seeing the full Barclay Butera Lifestyle rug collection? Click here to shop the collection.