Southport, Connecticut – New England's Premier Design event is set to take place from Friday, November 10th – Sunday, November 12th. Rooms with a View (RWAV) has been a showcase for international, national and regional talent since its inception nearly 30 years ago. The brainchild of the late Albert Hadley, RWAV raises money for 19 Fairfield County-based charities.
Hadley’s principle is still utilized today: 12 designers are invited to create a vignette set within a pre-built space measuring 6’ X 8’ X 8. The library, Great Hall and chapel of Southport Congregational Church, an historic stone Gothic Revival, are all magically transformed into magnificent spaces that promise to inspire, awe and educate. The event showcases both prominent as well as new and emerging designers. When Architectural Digest compiles its annual list of the top 100 designers, it routinely includes designers that have participated in Rooms with View.
Over the years some of the most celebrated designers have participated, including: Bunny Williams, Thom Filicia, Victoria Hagen, Jeffrey Bilhuber, Jamie Drake, Charlotte Barnes, Charlotte Moss, and Alexa Hampton, to name just a few.
This years talented group include: Scot Meacham Wood, Ross Alexander, Amanda Reynal, the team at Stamford Modern, Lindsey Coral Harper, Amanda Essex, Jasmin Reese, Smith Gardner, Robin O’Neil, Jennifer Gresinger, Parker Whitmore, Stacey Kleinberg and Adrianna Tingley of MKDA, and Carrisa Kim Pintello and Kayla Lowry the New York School of Interior Design/Rooms with a View Scholarship winners. Christian P. Arkay-Lelevier returns to magically transform the chapel, The Hadley.
Over the course of the four days there will be four major events: The Opening Party on Thursday Night celebrates the beginning of the show and is open to all.
The Guest Lecture Series takes place on Friday and Saturday featuring leaders in their fields. The talented likes of Page Englehart and Deb Herbertson of Nash Hill will demonstrate how to use Mother Nature to create seasonal designs for your home. Thomas Lloyd and Bryan Huffman return to talk about the life, style, and gardens of Bunny Mellon. They will also be on hand to sign copies of their book, Bunny Mellon Style. Architect Charles Hilton will be leading a discussion on architecture with a focus on his work on Sleepy Cat Farm. He will also be around to sign copies of his book, Classic Greenwich Houses afterwards. Billy Cotton Billy will be talking about what it means to build a unique home. His multi-disciplinary design firm is known for its intelligence and unique sensibility. Billy will also available to sign copies of his book, Interior and Design Work.
Join Artist and Gallery Owner Jo Tonkovich of Tonk Gallery for a fun and inspiring talk on transforming spaces with art. She will be joined by several of the artists features at Rooms with a View. This year’s gallery will feature artists Sam Sidney, Jen Badalamenti, Kathleen Palmeri, and Nancy Sharpe.
A Night at the Hadley, the leading Design Industry Networking event is taking place that evening, 6:00 – 8:00PM.
The fun and event-filled weekend continues with the Book Signing Event. Guests will delight in meeting Shawn Waldron who returns with his latest book, Slim Aarons, Essential Collection featuring over 100 never before published photos. RWAV Designer Amanda Reynal will be on hand to sign her book, Designing Rooms with Joie de Vivre. Meet William Abranowicz who will sign copies of Country Life: Homes in the Catskill Mountains and Hudson Valley. Nina Farmer will sign her latest, Timeless by Design: Designing Rooms with Comfort, Style, and a Sense of History. Emily Evans Eerdmans joins us with her book, Mario Buatta: An Anatomy of a Decorator, and Jesse Carrier and Mara Miller of Carrier and Company Interiors will by signing Defining Chic – Carrier and Company Interiors.
This year RWAV will be launching a Bookstore featuring new and gently used books on design, art, architecture, entertaining and gardening, many from designers themselves and from leading book publishers.
Rooms with a View is fortunate to have many nationally and globally known sponsors to help with the design efforts including Mary McDonald Inc., Waterworks, Benzinger Winery, Fifth State Distillery, Rings End, Yankee Custom Builders, Oka, Visual Comfort, Dunes & Duchess, Eleish Van Breems, Holland & Sherry, Pimlico, and many others.
For more information on Rooms with a View, the charities it supports, full show details and information on this year's designers please visit: https://roomswithaview.org/
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