Hampton Designer Showhouse 2015

Traveling on the curvy path through the woods on Old Sag Harbor Road, it appears you're on the way to that mythical grandma's house in the children's song ("over the river and through the woods…"). You'll even find what looks like a perfect wooden dollhouse. Not a dollhouse, but the Hampton Designer Showhouse, which presents works from the top interior designers across the country. Saturday, July 25 marked their opening gala, with proceeds benefiting Southampton Hospital. The Showcase is in its fourteenth year, and just keeps getting better. In this year's effort, each room succeeds in putting your stimuli on overdrive. In addition to outstanding furniture, each one is brimming with knickknacks; bedazzled place mats, a tray full of candles, a half finished lollipop statue. Walls and ceilings are a fusion of different patterns, textures and colors. Dried starfish even adorn one bathroom ceiling. They do not convey just an austere showcase, but a warm, livable atmosphere -- one where you can imagine kicking off your shoes and watching a movie, not just sitting gingerly like a debutante in training. No matter how particular your tastes, there is at least one room that will suit your fancy. Yet, despite vast differences (one room had magenta walls, another had purple velvet chairs), the rooms flow into one another quite seamlessly. There's a home theatre dubbed "Mancave," a game room to fulfill any ex frat boy's dream, and plenty of mini bars around every corner. Designers this year included Black & Poole, Hagins & Mortimer Design, Melanie Roy Design and Denise McGaha, to name a few. As if the rooms weren't breathtaking enough, the designers themselves were often posted up in each room, with a welcoming smile, eager to discuss their creations and provide details. One could say the gala was a success, as elegantly dressed people entered the doorways of each room. Guests spilled out of the back porch and onto the grass for refreshments. It was tempting to pretend to retire for the evening in one of the delicious, pillow plumped beds, but the designers probably were not expecting a sleeping beauty reenactment, so back to the shuttle it was for me! Admission to the Showhouse is $35 and includes the Showhouse Journal. Visit www.hamptondesignershowhouse.com.