Friday, July 16, 2010

York Decorator Show House Features Twin Cottage


By Larry Favinger
Staff Columnist
YORK—
The Museums of Old York’s 21st Annual Show House opens to the public Saturday.
Twin Cottage at 6 Starboard Lane features more than two-dozen spaces, each decorated by one of the region’s interior designers, landscapers and artists.
The house will be open through Aug. 14th on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursdays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays 1 to 4 p.m. The house is closed Tuesdays.
The other of the twin cottages was the museum’s Decorator Show House in 2007, according to Scott Stevens, director of Old York.
He said this year’s show house is “almost ideal” for the much-anticipated event. He said it is a sprawling venue that includes spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean. “There’s a lot to see,” he concluded.
This annual event is a centerpiece of the society’s fund-raising efforts.
“The show house provides an important percentage of our operating programs,” Stevens said in a telephone interview. These include the museum’s education programs, exhibitions and preservation initiatives.
The importance of the fund-raiser has increased this year due to the sluggish economy.
“Our endowments took a hit,” Stevens said, “and we’ve seen some softness in our annual giving.”
Chairwoman for this year’s Show House is Beverly Young, working with a committee of volunteers.
Parking will be on-site.
Designers from York, Kittery, Wells, and South Berwick have been joined by firms from Cambridge, North Andover, and Boston, Mass., and Portsmouth, Hampton Falls, Rye, Hollis, and Barrington, N.H.
To go along with the show house, Old York sponsors a series of events, attendance at which includes tickets to the show house.
These include a designer discussion July 21 with four of this year’s decorators at the York Harbor Reading Room at 491 York Street; a Fashion Show by Jane’s July 28 at The Stage Neck Inn in York Harbor, a Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School Aug. 4 at Stonewall Kitchens, 2 Stonewall Lane, and Floral Design by Botanica Aug. 11 at Blue Sky, 2 Beach St., York Beach.
Advanced ticket purchase for these events is required and seating is limited. For information and tickets call (207) 363-4974.
The Museums of Old York collects, stewards and presents objects of historical and community significance from York and surrounding communities.
The museum campus in York Village features a contemporary art gallery, numerous period gardens and nine historic properties, including the Ramsdell House, a more than 250-year old house that once belonged to a farm laborer, and the Remick Barn, a fully-accessible visitor, education and exhibition center.
For more info, call (207) 363-4974 or visit the museum’s website at www.oldyork.org.
Photo caption: Twin Cottage is this year’s Decorator Show House. (Museums of Old York photo)