Ever dream of giving your home a high-design makeover but short on funds to hire a professional? What about dozens of professional designers, craftspeople, and local artists? Your house could get the refresh of your wildest dreams if it is selected for the Kingston Design Showhouse.
Since 2018, the Kingston Design Connection has taken over a house in Kingston for their annual showhouse. Conceived as a way of showcasing the design talent of the Hudson Valley and stimulating the local enocmoy, the multiweek event brings together dozens of designers, woodworkers, artists, painters, and other artisans to collaborate on the transformation of multiple spaces in a local home.
This year KDC is looking for the 2024 showhouse…could it be yours? To get excited about the possibilities, check out the 2022 showhouse and 2021 showhouse.
The Kingston Design Showhouse before the transformation.
Homeowners keep all permanently installed items free of charge, including custom kitchen and bathrooms; landscaping; lighting; wallpaper, and paint treatments. There are some requirements though—location, condition, ability to vacate, and so on. Read on to find out if your house is a good fit for the next showhouse.
Kingston Design Showhouse Requirements
For your home to be considered as the next Kingston Design Showhouse, it needs to be comply with the following requirements:
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Own your own home, located in Kingston or nearby towns (Hurley, etc.)
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Updated electric (200 amps)
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Updated heating
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Safe entry/egress (sturdy railings, etc)
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Sound structures (decks, roofs, etc.)
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Removal of landscape material, if needed
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Walls clean and free of cracks and holes
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Wood floors sanded and polished, if needed
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Wall-to-wall carpets removed, if needed
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Kitchen/bathrooms prepped (e.g., old flooring removed; appliance/cabinet removed)
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Vacate home months of September and October
BEFORE: A kitchen in a past Kingston Design Showhouse pre-design takeover
If work is needed to reach this level of readiness it is the responsibility of the homeowner to hire and pay for contractors to complete this work, although the Showhouse team will help manage and supervise prep work needed at no cost.
The 6th annual Kingston Design Showhouse will open to the public October 11-27. To submit your home for consideration, and fill out this submission form.
Other KDC Initiatives
In 2023, the KDC took a year off their annual showhouse to begin moving toward the organization’s long-term, big-picture goals of cultivating community through design. In April 2023, they debuted their first ever Kingston Design Connection Habitat House, which was open to the public for four days. The Ulster Habitat-built house in Saugerties was be staged by five Hudson Valley designers, using mostly art, furniture, and decor borrowed from the Habitat ReStore on Route 28 in Kingston, then sold to a family who qualifies for Habitat’s affordable housing. The KDC will collaborate with Ulster Habitat for Humanity for another Habitat House, which will be open to the public sometime in May, with a launch party.
Last year also marked the launch of the Building with Community speaker series, another collaboration with Ulster Habitat that featured talks with local design/build professionals, including interior and landscape designers, makers, and more. The talk series will return this year to Fuller Building, with the schedule yet to be announced. If you’d like an opportunity to promote your business while helping educate and engage our community you can email [email protected].
