Great Indoors Decorators’ Show House 2001 By Elizabeth Licata Photography by Jessica Kourkounis For our final report on this year’s Show House, we visited the completed house in May. By then, over 10,000 people had been through the space, surpassing 1999 attendance. When asked about the popularity of this year’s house, Chair Patty O’Brien commented, “A lot of people found things they could try in their own homes. People can imagine living in these rooms.” This year’s house, the Schoellkopf-Vom Berge manor, is located at 121 Chapin Parkway. It was built in 1912 by Esenwein & Johnson for Genevieve Schollkopf-Vom Berge. There are over thirty rooms in the English-Manor style structure, and a separate carriage house, allowing plenty of space for Western New York designers and builders to work their magic. The kitchen was among the most radical redecorations. Designed by Wayne Watson of Auburn-Watson and Sally Gioia of Smith & Co., this renovation involved tearing out all the flooring and appliances and removing a chimney. The finished room has been enlarged to include a family gathering place. It also features granite counter tops, a poured concrete floor with acid-washed surfaces (giving them the feel of leather), cherry cabinets, soft green walls, and both an island and a peninsula. The Mission-style cabinets and other furniture are simple but elegant, while professional appliances complete this beautifully efficient space. Also shown here is an upstairs guest bathroom done in a charming “revival” style by Marcia Nagel of Ellicott Paint and Decorating. This room is well within the reach of the do-it-yourselfer. The combination of gold handcrafted tiles and ruby printed wallpaper create a warm, rich effect, while the white fixtures—original to the house—add classic simplicity. Two of the major downstairs entertaining room have different takes on the idea of country living. The dining room is set in the French countryside of Bordeaux and features distressed hickory oak dining table and chairs, scaled for both comfort and elegance. The draperies are also oversized in sumptuous buttermilk velvet, while the café au lait walls and molding echo these warm tones. The room was created by Michael Michalski and Sandra Parmenter of Drexel Heritage. The living room, by Maryan Celani of Smith and Schulte, is in the style of an English country manor. Painted in cream and gold, it features faux finishing by Mary Quimby, dressy but comfortable brocade furniture, period mahogany occasional tables, and hand-rolled silk curtains. The overall motif is floral with paintings emphasizing country life. The Decorators’ Show House is presented by the Junior League of Buffalo and the Buffalo News. Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top