A sneak peek at Symphony Designers’ Showhouse rooms

Loyal attendees of the Symphony Designers’ Showhouse might feel a sense of deja vu when they enter this year’s home. The 1911 Colonial Revival at 96 Janssen Place in Central Hyde Park served as the group’s showhouse 15 years ago.

I got a look at it a couple of weeks ago when it was almost ready to show.

A few rooms weren’t quite finished, though they were on their way to becoming real stunners.

Susan Prestia of Interior Directions in Mission was completing an update of the kitchen, with Cambria countertops that look like marble, a porcelain basket-weave tile backsplash, and undercounter and in-cabinet LED lighting. A striking Arteriors Caviar light fixture from Wilson Lighting hangs over the center island with a cluster of eight huge smoke-glass balls of various sizes. Blanco donated sinks made of volcanic ash. Nearly all the new materials are eco-friendly.

Rick Ingenthron of Woodson Place Antiques & Interiors in Raymore was putting the final touches on the dining room. The walls are covered in soothing shades of pewter paint and wallpaper, and the furnishings are all antiques, including a crystal chandelier, a mid-18th-century secretary from Provence, France, the cap for a baptismal font from the late 1700s and a large 100-year-old buffet that he bleached to a soft light wood using an ammonia wash.

Last year’s showhouse had a consistent feel throughout, because its new owners dictated the color palette. That isn’t the case this year, because 96 Janssen is for sale. But all the rooms are elegant, and several, including bedrooms on the third floor, are colorful and have loads of personality.

My favorite room is the gentleman’s library at the back of the home off the living room. It’s a fun mix of glitzy modern and Old World traditional.

This story was originally published May 8, 2015 at 10:26 AM with the headline "A sneak peek at Symphony Designers’ Showhouse rooms."