The Homearama showhouse project is charging toward its deadline — the show opens May 1 — and we’re racing to finish while also preparing for a baby who’s due a few weeks earlier. There’s so much happening that this update covers a mix of progress, decisions, and behind-the-scenes logistics as we move the house from shell to staged home.
First: thank you for weighing in on the front door color. We were blown away by more than 38,000 votes. Rust led the pack with 36% (red was the runner-up at 21%), but a surprising number of people wrote in “white.” Sherry originally wanted that as an option, but I worried white would show dirt too easily — I talked her out of including it. Those write-in comments convinced us to ask owners of similar homes with white doors how they felt, and the responses were overwhelmingly positive. Many said a white door under a covered porch stayed looking great and helped make the entry feel wider and more cohesive with white sidelights.
We’re waiting to finalize the door color until after the porch beams and columns are sealed, since the sealant will darken the wood and influence how the color reads. If the sealed wood, porch tile, and other layers feel visually heavy, a white door could be the perfect bright counterpoint. We’ll grab paint samples once the beams are sealed and report back with the final pick.
One big step forward: the porch columns are finally in! Seeing them installed was a quiet but exciting moment. They still need to be sealed, which will deepen the tone of the wood and give the porch a finished look. We can’t wait to see the sealed result and how it plays with the rest of the façade.
Throughout the build we’ve been balancing two competing instincts: play it safe for broad market appeal, or take bold risks to make the house memorable for the show. Because Homearama showcases a range of design ideas across seven homes, the organizers encourage unique, attention-getting choices — and the builder reminds us the house will only need one buyer. That mix has led to many decisions that are equal parts thrilling and nerve-wracking, from striking paint choices to playful carpet options for the kids’ bedrooms.
We’ve been steadily checking items off the TBD list. Interior paint colors are chosen, and we’re narrowing down furniture for every room — which is humbling once you realize how much furniture a whole house needs. With drywall up, it’s much easier to visualize scale and layout, and mood boards are coming together.
Budget and sourcing present their own puzzles. Built-in items, tile, plumbing, and hardwired lighting come from the builder’s budget; designers receive a separate decor allowance that often works out to under $500 per room once big-ticket items are counted. To stretch our dollars, Homearama arranged for each showhouse to borrow furniture from Green Front Furniture, which helped us check off major pieces without breaking the budget. We made a road trip to their massive warehouse to pick items that anchor each space.
Beyond that assistance, we’re hustling for donated or discounted decor. That means calling on local artists, favorite shops, and secondhand finds. We’ve already scored thrifted pieces to refresh — like a full-size wooden headboard we found for $9.98 that will get a fresh coat of paint for the girls’ room and become an affordable showstopper. Using donated or discounted materials not only helps the showhouse look great, it lets us donate more to Richmond’s Habitat for Humanity, which we’re proud to support. We’re also donating our design fee, and Homearama is channeling sponsor and ticket revenue toward charitable contributions. After the show, look for furnishings heading to the ReStore so locals can score deals while supporting Habitat.
We plan to mix new and vintage: painting and reupholstering thrift finds alongside borrowed and new pieces. For the girls’ bedroom, a donated cheery stencil will create an accent wall, and a built-in desk is already taking shape — sketched straight onto the wall with the carpenter as we refine plans. Because we have no specific buyer, we’re designing rooms to suit an imagined future family: a studious tween Clara with dual desk areas, and a built-in bed and storage for an eight-year-old Barnacle who clearly loves built-ins.
One preview from the main living area: the living room opens to the kitchen, where the island will be painted navy with brass pendants overhead. We’re planning to repeat that navy on a fireplace column to tie the room together and make the white mantle and light stone surround pop. An artist friend is painting a colorful portrait of Burger to hang above the mantel — a playful personal touch we couldn’t resist.
We’ll share a fuller room-by-room update once more spaces are complete — mood boards are roughly 40% finished and about 20 of them are in progress. With our baby due in less than eight weeks, the pace is intense, but we’re excited to wrap things up, reveal the finished showhouse, and share every detail of the design, sourcing, and charitable efforts that went into it.
Psst — Want to see the finished showhouse? Click here for Our Full Showhouse Tour, which includes final pictures of every room, the floor plan, budget info, a video walk-through, and shoppable showhouse furniture & accessories.