Mansion In May Showhouse 2023
Mansion in May
I was honored to be one of the selected designers to take part in this year's transformation of Mansion in May. Design impacts lives for sure and what a great way to use our talents and skills to help raise funds for a great cause. The event drew more than 20,000 visitors and raised $1.65 million for the Institute of Bioskills Training and Innovation at Morristown Medical Center.
Flowering branches by Larkspur Botanicals welcomed the visitors and created a moment amidst the fragrant blooms. A mural by Studio Eighteen enveloped the passerby with tranquility and enchantment. Curated moments of surprise such as the sculpture by Broadfoot & Broadfoot tucked away in a hidden garden nook, the skeleton key light fixture by Shaun Killman along with the cabinet of curiosities lined with moss that visitors were encouraged to explore showed that “if you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden”.
The Before
the secret garden path
I was so inspired by the architecture of the house and the surrounding landscape that instantaneously The Secret Garden Path concept emerged. I wanted to create an indoor secret garden path where I imagined transporting to a different place on the way to the Master Bedroom to retreat from the day. Flowering branches reminiscent of French/English country welcome you and create a moment to stop in wonder and enjoy the magical moment amidst the blooms. The walls painted with Benjamin Moore paints in soothing neutral colors topped with tree branches painted in soft gray/green tones will bring nature into this interior space. The outdoor/indoor stools by Janus et Cie mimicking birch trunks set up underneath the blooms allowed visitors to take a seat and take it all in. The rest of the hall was left open to allow ample space for visitors to pass through. Walking along this magical garden inspired hallway I hope enveloped the passerby with tranquility, beauty and enchantment. My goal for this space was to tune into wellness for the mind and body and for the passerby to have a positive experiential moment.
a garden of intention
The hallway space that I was given was challenging because of the shape of the space. It’s almost like having two spaces. Another challenge was that there is only one small window in the space but luckily it’s a charming one. The most challenging part was that it’s a hallway space with many doorways to get to so many different rooms, therefore limiting design space. I had to rethink the design plan/direction as this was not the hallway space that I applied for at the showhouse initially. The existing wall nook was also a challenge in itself but at the same time presented an opportunity. I decided to make the nook in the wall into “a garden of intention” where you peek in to see a hidden sculpture which I thought really spoke to the amazing quote in the (The link below is an amazon affiliate link. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase) Secret Garden book that I just fell in love with. The quote “if you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden” in the space acts as a reminder to the visitor that the whole world is beautiful if you really look. The print of the quote was custom made for the space with letters that are reminiscent of old typewriter keys bringing us back to the beautiful art of writing such books as the Secret Garden.
sculpture titled separation anxiety
The sculpture in the hidden garden covered by green vines was chosen as a reminder of our connection and disconnection to nature. We are often pulled away from it but at the same time always connected on some level, we are rooted to the earth no matter how far we move away from it and that is why when we come back to nature it is always a comforting feeling and that’s what I hope this Secret Garden space inspires. A light was installed to highlight the sculpture from above. Paper rose petals were provided for visitors to write their intentions and to toss them into the garden of intention (the sculpture nook) which many did. The mushroom shelves by Larkspur Botanicals added textural whimsy and brought the outdoors in.
cabinet of curiosities
Of course the cabinet of curiosities was definitely one of the featured items as the existing cabinet provided such a unique opportunity to reinvent itself and bring new life to it. I decided to keep the old existing built-ins and to do decorative painting over the cabinets as well as extending the mural on the wall above. By reusing what was already there, I hoped to bring new life into the old and make it a uniquely beautiful space. It became a truly artistic piece as well as an interactive cabinet allowing visitors to explore and have fun peeking in through the painted forest to find the treasures and made it truly a unique feature. The drawers were lined with moss, making it feel like it belongs to the secret garden and lights were installed to highlight the curiosities in the upper cabinets.
skeleton keys
The walls painted in soothing neutral colors topped with tree branches painted in soft gray/green tones brought nature into this interior space. As much as possible I tried to use Eco Spec paint in the space which is the “greenest” interior premium paint. I chose neutral colors that spoke to nature even in the color names which were Baby Fawn & White Dove but of course the goal was to provide soothing peaceful colors and to allow for pops of greenery and color through the addition of gorgeous florals and forest like mural painting. Flowering branches reminiscent of French/English country welcomed the visitors and created a moment to stop in wonder and enjoy the magical moment amidst the blooms which were infused with fragrant oils to invite the sense of smell. The ceiling light fixtures were custom made for this space from old skeleton keys, bringing yet another element inspired by the Secret Garden book. Again with the goal of reusing the old and bringing new life to it in unexpected ways.
Another element of surprise was the hidden (The link below is an amazon affiliate link. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase) bird sound box positioned secretly in the space. I was inspired to find a way to bring the sounds of birds while at a spa appointment earlier this year where I listened to an audio of birds singing. I will forever treasure some of the comments about the space by visitors which included: Exudes peacefulness, So thoughtful, Very whimsical, Super fun, Feel transformed into another space, Feel like I’m in a movie, I feel like I’m stepping outside with the bird sounds, This is so cool, It’s beautiful, Is this a meditation space? So fun, Cozy, So clever, Very interesting concept, Love it, Very ingenious, Did something with my imagination, Like a museum, Very interesting concept, Love it, So fantasy like, Very zen, This is where you get your peace on, Peaceful, So much fun, Beautiful, You’ve touched me, It brought tranquility and peace, Unusual, Very peaceful, What a fun surprise, It’s magical, Unique, Just magical, Gorgeous, Very clever, Cool, How cool is that? So romantic, Oh my gosh, Very relaxing, It’s like a living wall. That's so cool, Very soothing, Relaxing, Wow, So interactive, Lots of wows today, OMG, This is wild! Their comments made this showhouse even more worthwhile and meaningful to me. Plus the cherry on top was bringing awareness to this showhouse fundraiser months after it was closed by winning the ASID NJ Design Excellence Award and being featured in 201 Magazine!
Hi. I'm Marina. I'm a NY State certified interior designer and certified Feng Shui practitioner.
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Favorite Aspect of the Design
Everything! From the mural to the floral blooms and the hidden garden of intention and of course the cabinet of curiosities. And the custom light fixtures of course are all unique details to fill the visitors with wonder and inspiration. Thank you to all of my friends and family who showed up to support!
And of course working alongside talented artists & industry colleagues to raise funds for a great cause was one of my favorite parts - without them, this showhouse wouldn’t have been possible. What was yours? Let me know below in the comments.
Forever grateful to Lindsey Neff at Larkspur Botanicals, Heather Pallotta at Studio Eighteen, Shaun Killman, Paul Sarrubbo at Janus et Cie, Scott at Broadfoot & Broadfoot and Diana Rattazzi at Benjamin Moore. Photography by Wing F. Wong of Memories TTL.