Melissa Rieke Photography

44th Symphony Designers’ Showhouse

 

The Kansas City Symphony Alliance sponsors the Symphony Designers Showhouse each year to raise money for the Kansas City Symphony and the Youth Programs. To date, they have raised over $5 million for the Kansas City Symphony.  The Kansas City Symphony Alliance (formerly the Junior Women’s Symphony Alliance and the Friends of the Symphony), hosts the country’s longest-running, continuous, Showhouse fundraising project. They open in April of each spring and invite the public to see the work of local designers.  They invite Designers to choose a room or space in the house and on the property and to decorate it. They generously do so at their own expense.

This year I decided I would take a chance at designing a room and submitting a proposal.  I went to the preview days for the designers, I went with the intention to choose a hallway to hang my images in.   I quickly realized that I truly wanted to feature my newborn photography and not so much my other work.  Then I walked into the room…so much light…so airy…PERFECT…I knew this was the room I was meant to design…and I knew it had to be a nursery!  I have to say I was super nervous…and with my lovely fear of failure…I almost didn’t even turn in the design I had worked so hard on.   I thought to myself…I am no designer?…who am I to submit a proposal?…who wants to see my art hanging in a house?…silly things I know.  Then I realized I must really have wanted this to work out or I wouldn’t have gotten so worked up about it.

So I designed my board…talked myself INTO it all the way to town on the hour drive to turn it in my proposal…and I dropped it off.  Then I washed my head of it.  I knew they were announcing the designers the following week…and I hadn’t really thought much of it until Tuesday evening. I was at dinner with my good friend Jenny…and I mentioned to her that I was anxious to hear back…but wasn’t sure when it would be.  And again, I started talking myself out of it…and trying to tell myself it wasn’t a big deal.  I walked out of that dinner and check my messages and there it was…a message from Stacey (only the sweetest and most energetic Designers’ Co-Chair anyone could meet)!  Eeeks!!

So as I said before…I am no designer…and it turns out the “Perfect room” wasn’t exactly the one I bid on…but THIS ONE…

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^^^^^  That’s me…very excited!!^^^^^

I can’t tell you how excited I am…and how honored I am to have been choosen!  I can not wait for my nursery design to come to life!

So…I wanted to share the BEFORE PICS today…and also my design inspiration boards!  And then I have a task for all of you!! 🙂

WINDOWS WINDOWS WINDOWS!!

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More Windows Windows Windows on the the other side!!  LOVE!

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Main door into the room…

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The backdoor…leads to a fabulous sitting area and hallway!  And that pretty young lady standing there is design one amazing closet space!  Meet Veronica from Veronica Perry Interiors!  Veronica and I are already fast friends and I am so excited to get to work in the same space with such an amazing talent!

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So there you see the room!  NOW I am going to share my design boards…then I am going to give you your task!! 🙂

So if you know me…you know I love two things…WHITE WHITE WHITE…and pops of bright colors!  So…as you can imagine I had a hard time deciding between the two.  But in the end…if you know me really well…you know I went with the WHITE ON WHITE ON CREAM ON WHITE!! 🙂 And I am in HEAVEN! 🙂

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So that is the space idea…or at least a smattering of it….the details are changing a little with the new space and layout…but the idea is here.

And here are the featured images for the space…

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So here is your task.  I need a description for my room!  I would love to get some of your ideas…thoughts…creative writings!

So here is the deal…it needs to be 100-125 words…and written in the 3rd person (so not personal…not that it would be since you aren’t me writing it..he he he).  So all of you creative writers out there…help a girl out…my creativity doesn’t extend to the written word! 🙂

So excited to share this experience with you all!

BE SURE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS FOR THE 44th SYMPHONY DESIGNERS’ SHOWHOUSE HERE!