This Old House Turns Show House

A collaboration among interior designers, landscape architects and other Island trade specialists will be unveiled in June at a decorator show house in Edgartown and will be open until mid-October. The project is a benefit for Habitat for Humanity of Martha’s Vineyard, which builds affordable houses for qualified Island families using charitable contributions, volunteer labor and donated materials.

The Captain Thomas Mellen house on Main street has been in the Keniston family for 80 years. When the last family member died, the house was put up for sale.

Constructed in 1840 by master builder Ariel Norton with later additions, the house features wide board floors and a curving front entrance staircase. Now configured as a seven-bedroom, two-bath house with more than 2,900 square feet of living space, the home’s original details will be preserved and enhanced by the creativity of Island designers.

“The idea of a decorator show house had been in the back of my mind for years but when the economy was strong, it was never possible to think that someone would ever give us a house to use,” volunteer Barbara Welsh said. “But the market changed and I was friends with the family of the Keniston estate and with my association with Habitat for Humanity, those pieces of information all came together and clicked.”

She emphasizes the number of people it has taken to organize the project: the Habitat for Humanity board of directors, the Keniston estate and all the business people who have donated their time and resources. “This is an economic stimulus project for the entire Island.”

In 12 days, Vineyard House Painting Services stripped all the old wallpaper, replaced the ceilings, patched and primed the walls, and sanded and refinished the floorboards on the first floor and the stairs to the second floor.

Many Island designers have taken on different rooms but all are still in the planning stage. Nancy Kelly of Bradford Designs, a Habitat board member who is coordinating the interiors, said, “At this point all I can tell you is that it is an upstairs sitting room with a relaxed tropical isle theme.”

John Murphy at Vineyard Decorators is responsible for the living room and two hallways. For the living room, he’ll use a DeLany & Long sea blue check with a cream background to slipcover older chairs and might add a new sofa. The fabric is Sunbrella, an extremely durable, stain, mildew and water resistant material that feels like cotton and was originally used to make awnings. It’s very Island-friendly but possibly not something Captain Mellen would recognize.

“The room is sort of a twist on tradition,” Mr. Murphy said. An upright piano that was in the house will remain as part of his décor.

He plans to wallpaper the front hall with a Ralph Lauren grass cloth and hasn’t decided about the back hall yet.

Bev Fearey and Jane Norton of Past & Presents are just back from a buying trip to England. They are in charge of the dining room but want to be sure it coordinates with Mr. Murphy’s color scheme for the living room before making final decisions. “We just want to be sure things flow together,” Ms. Fearey said. “And it’s great because we all know each other and can work together.”

Their container shipment arrives May 1. “We’ll be using one of our cherry dining room tables custom-made in England but we don’t know which one,” she said. They plan to set the table for dinner with china, silverware, candlesticks and flowers.

Fashion and interior designer Lorraine Parish plans a bedroom with a nautical theme based on fabric she creates from her own pen-and-ink drawings. She’ll paint the walls a light camel color and use the nautical print for the draperies with a blue- and ivory-striped fabric for the bed.

Ms. Parish has participated in show houses for the Boston Junior League and in Newport at author Edith Wharton’s first house there. “It’s all about exposure,” she says, and the house should get plenty of that since she’s already lined up coverage from the Boston Globe, Traditional Home and Coastal Living magazines.

Rosemary Casey is also designing a bedroom, Paula Conover is in charge of the nursery, Kathryn Tate Interiors is doing the study and Rentschler & Company Interiors is designing the media room/office.

Martha’s Vineyard Tile Company is doing the bathroom and MacDonald’s Rugs and Carpets is providing sisal floor coverings for the hallways, second floor and stairs. Habitat will operate a boutique in a downstairs room designed by Annie Parr of Island Interiors.

With few exceptions, all of the items in each room will be for sale with 20 per cent of the proceeds donated to Habitat.

Outdoors, the extensive grounds will also be part of the tour. “We have divided the garden into four spaces: a dooryard garden, an entry garden, a sunken garden and a kitchen garden,” said Susan Feller of Susan Feller Design, a Habitat board member who is coordinating the exterior. “The gardens will include both the more traditional Edgartown ‘town’ garden and the more natural styles of the Island countryside.”

Each landscaper’s space will flow into the next garden but reflect the individual’s design. Caleb Nicholson of Contemporary Landscapes, landscape architect Kristen Reimann, and Barbara Lampson of Land Design are the other garden designers. The gardens will be used for demonstrations, lectures and parties throughout the event.

Proceeds from this event will help finance Habitat’s eighth Vineyard house, which will be located in West Tisbury.

The show house opens June 28 with a patron’s party the evening before and will remain open through Oct. 12. Hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m.

Advance tickets are on sale for $20 online only until June 27. Starting June 28 tickets will be $20 at selected retail stores and $25 at the door or $20 for seniors 65 and older.

The Captain Mellen House is located at 105 Main street at the corner of Pease’s Point Way in Edgartown. More information is available by calling 508-696-4646 or online at marthasvineyardshowhouse.com.

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