For 31 years, Vanguard, the Albany Symphony’s fundraising organization, has been holding a terrific event-a designer showhouse that showcases the efforts of decorators and artists around the region.

This year’s showhouse, called Prospect Place,  is located at 10 Stafford Road in Loudonville, NY and it will be open for viewing from May 3 through May 22, 2011.

Built around 1840 as a summer home, Prospect Place is a grand dame that is seeing a remarkable rebirth. Nate Bette, a native of Loudonville, NY, bought the property and then put a fortune into renovating the approximately 6,700 square foot home.

Vanguard’s Designer Showhouse provides a potential benefit to all that help make it a reality.  Many times and, as in this case, the selected home is up for sale, and the homeowner welcomes the chance to display the newly decorated property to potential buyers.

The designers and artists that decorate the home free of charge, provide aid to the Albany Symphony, and they also receive the opportunity to show off their beautiful work to the public.

Finally,Vanguard and the Albany Symphony benefit through ticket sales,  the purchase of lunches from the site’s temporary cafe, and from the sale of  items bought from the showhouse’s temporary gift shop.

What was process that went into the huge effort of preparing this year’s showhouse?

First, the house was chosen based upon various factors including interest and accessibility to the public. Later, designers and artists are notified of the opportunity to decorate the home.  Those interested  then provide a proposal with the use of colors and fabric on a board in order to demonstrate how each would decorate a certain space in the home. Vanguard then reviews the proposals provided, and it determines which individuals or companies will decorate which particular area.  After the structural renovations are finished, the designers and artists come in to decorate.

Sherwin Williams is helping to sponsor the event this year, and that company has generously donated several gallons of paint to each of the decorators and an additional $1000.00 to Vanguard.

A little while back, Vanguard’s president, Barbara Richer, permitted me to visit Prospect Place during the initial renovation process.  The work that went into restoring the home looked amazing.

Nate sent me the pictures above and below so we could see the steps that went into restoring the outside of this home to its full beauty.

I personally like the location for this year’s choice because it’s conveniently close to Route 9, and visitors will be able to use the adjacent parking lot owned by its next door neighbor, St. Pius Church.

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