By Laura McAlister Journal EditorThe 25 rooms and outdoor spaces on display at this year’s showcase have different themes and stories to tell, but if you want to hear the real story of what life was like in the 2011 Decorators’ ShowHouse, you’ll want to talk to Ed Pyle.Ed is the property manager and groundskeeper of the Mountain Brook estate once occupied by the late … [Read more...]

By Donna Cornelius Journal Features WriterWhen Nancy Gowens and her team from Issis & Sons walked through the empty ShowHouse living room, they immediately recognized the potential of the expansive space.“”It’s the largest room in the house,” said Nancy, the company’s operations manager, “and we saw its grandeur. The house itself is classic and tasteful, and we … [Read more...]

By Donna Cornelius Journal Features WriterThere’s only one negative about Perry Umphrey’s guest quarters: Your company may never want to leave.Umphrey, a ShowHouse veteran, transformed three connecting rooms on the house’s lowest level into inviting quarters designed to accommodate visitors for an extended stay.“I knew my ideas would work only by taking on all … [Read more...]

By Laura McAlister Journal EditorTammy Heinss took one look out the huge kitchen windows of the 2011 Decorators’ ShowHouse and knew exactly what the room’s theme should be.“Well, you see this three-hole golf course out the window, and it just reminded me of the Scottish Highlands,” said the Lasso the Moon Interiors decorator. “I thought, how appropriate. It’s where … [Read more...]

By Donna Cornelius Journal Features WriterIn the ShowHouse guidebook, the space decorated by Andrea Carmichael and Providence Paulin is blandly described as “Bedroom #1.” Much more descriptive is Andrea’s name for the bedroom: “Dorothy Draper Meets 21st Century.”If the only Drapers you’re familiar with are Don and Betty from the TV show “Mad Men,” you’re on the wrong … [Read more...]