As the finishing touches were being put on the first-ever Carnegie Arts Designer Show House before the Opening Night Gala on Friday, eight of the home’s designers gathered for a champagne toast as their months of hard work was finally completed and ready to be showcased.
The designers’ comradery added to the festive atmosphere at the Turlock show home and was characteristic of the project as a whole, according to event organizer Jeani Ferrari.
“The entire process has been so positive,” said Ferrari. “All the designers and workmen who have been at the house literally every day had such positive energies and attitudes. It has been unbelievably good.”
Some of the region’s top designers, landscape architects and local artisans worked for over two months to transform a classic 1939 Turlock home into a showplace for public viewing. The show house, a benefit for the Carnegie Arts Center, will be open for public tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily starting Saturday and through May 6. Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased at the home.
The property, located at 1129 Sierra Dr. in Turlock, is a traditional, two-story home built in 1939 for the family of Dr. Sidney Olson. Dr. Olson, a prominent community member, had his office in the home with a separate side entrance for patients. The Olson family owned and occupied the home until 2017.
The current homeowners, former Mayor John Lazar and his wife Nellie, wanted to preserve the history and traditional character of the home, while updating it to reflect their interest in design and healthy living. They sought to create an environmentally-conscious home incorporating sustainable design elements and green materials wherever possible.
The house features a completely redesigned kitchen by Torre Reich Construction, one-of-a-kind sculpture furnishings by woodcrafter Kinzie Inc. in the living room and a guest suite filled with Post-war Modernist works of art including Harold Frank and George Kafka from The Gallery Finesse.
The back-yard barbecue area, designed by Farm House, includes a custom redwood dining table made by local craftsman Mike Maul under a custom steel pergola made by Matt Gonsalves of Rustic Metal Designs and hung with a repurposed vintage turkey feeder chandelier.
The show house includes 21 areas transformed by 20 interior designers and landscape architects. For more information, visit https://turlockshowhouse.squarespace.com/
