A 1902 Tudor revival home at 820 Prospect Avenue, just over the West Hartford line, has been transformed into the Junior League of Hartford’s 2025 Designer Show House.

By Ronni Newton

The Junior League of Hartford’s signature fundraiser, held every three years, gives local designers the opportunity to showcase their talents as they transform a notable area home, and visitors to this year’s 1902 Tudor revival will be treated to a truly spectacular tour of 17 decorated spaces.

The home, at 820 Prospect Avenue (on the Hartford side of the street) is the current home of Annie Pascucci and her family – which includes two young children – who have relocated for three months and generously donated the use of their home to support the Junior League’s fundraiser. Pascucci, who was raised in West Hartford, is a psychologist.

“She loves art and architecture,” said Junior League Board member Kelly Sellew, who provided We-Ha.com with a sneak peek tour a few days before the official opening. “There was already a lot of color here,” she added.

This is the second Show House in a row that was donated for use by its current occupants, following in the footsteps of Marsha and Jared Jacobskind who temporarily moved out of their West Hartford home in 2022 so it could be used for the fundraiser.

Sellew said there were 16 designers this year – several from West Hartford – who transformed a total of 17 separate spaces in the home, including the gardens.

The 4,900 square foot double-gable Tudor revival home in the Prospect Avenue Historic District features seven bedrooms, formal living and dining rooms, five full and two half baths, two library/dens, and a spacious sunroom – along with two separate staircases. Many of the original details remain intact – including the heart-shaped baluster and leaded glass windows and doors – and were preserved in the transformational process.

McCory Interiors of Burlington is the Junior League’s longest-standing Show House designer, and this year transformed the expansive living room, one of the most prominent spaces on the tour.

West Hartford-based Grace Galloway Design is a first-year participant in the Designer Show House, and incorporated the works of many local artists into the light-filled and colorful sunroom. Don’t miss the detail along the crown molding – which appears to be tile but is actually wallpaper.

The study, designed by Kate Smith Interiors of Farmington, is the opposite of a stuffy space – a cozy and retreat done in blues and greens – with some pops of yellow – that creates an inviting refuge.

West Hartford’s Kathryn Hunt Studio is back for another show house. Known for creating her own textile designs, don’t miss her custom wallpaper on the dining room’s ceiling. Sellew said the striking floral arrangements in the dining room were created by a Junior League member.

“We don’t always get a full kitchen transformation, but this one was a full makeover,” said Sellew. Although the footprint and layout was not changed, the kitchen and adjacent mudroom were renovated by AMS Kitchens & Interiors of Cheshire, and many of the high-end appliances were donated. The two spaces are unified through the sage green palette, and the wallpaper in the back of the glass-front cabinets also appears in the mudroom.

Sometimes the rooms of show houses are starkly different styles, but this year, Sellew said, there’s a “very cohesive color palette” with the use of green in many of the spaces.

Climb the main staircase to the second floor and you will find an enormous closet – with organization that most can only dream of – was created by NEAT Method Hartford, of Hartford.

The Homemaker CT – aka Ellen Piccolo of West Hartford – is participating in her first show house. She designed the primary bathroom, which is part of the master bedroom suite, keeping the original wide-grout blue-green tile on the floor and walls intact.

The primary bedroom’s design was the work of Kaitlin Smith Interiors of Watch Hill, RI, and Essex, CT, who created a floral-themed retreat that pays homage to English Cottage Garden style.

In what was previously the homeowner’s daughter’s bedroom, Shelley Dodd of West Hartford-based Mews Designs created a space with enough whimsy for a young girl, but one that would also appeal to a teen. Among the unique treatments is the gold trim delineating the door panels.

Camden Grace Interiors, another West Hartford-based designer, brings a conservatory theme to the den. Paintings by Connecticut artists line the walls, with “Torch Singer” by West Hartford’s Sandy Welch, claiming a prominent position and inspiration for the color palette.

Bedroom No. 2, which had been occupied by the homeowner’s son, was designed by Ethan Allen of Canton. Travel and photography are the dominant themes of the room, which features intense olive green walls. The theme carries through to the ensuite bathroom, with its preserved original toilet.

Continuing the tour up the back stairs to the third floor, Alison V. Cummings of Newtown added her skills as a muralist with hand-painted walls that highlight scenes from nearby Elizabeth Park.

The 2025 Designer Show House, the Junior League of Hartford’s 16th show house, is dedicated this year to the memory of Mary Lynn Gorman, who introduced the concept in 1979 and co-chaired the first event. A longtime volunteer for the Junior League as well as other area nonprofits, and a 30-year public relations professional, she passed away on Dec. 19, 2023. Cummings painted her portrait, which hangs beside a portrait she also painted of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. in the upstairs bedroom.

Throughout the third-floor hallway there are framed posters and articles from past show house events.

A surprise find on the the third floor is a kitchenette, and preserving the use of that space was a requirement of the homeowner.  The owners of Sabin Viehland of Washington, CT, freshened up the space with paint and wallpaper, and the exposed beams remain a striking fixture of the space.

The tour descends the back stairs to the first level, and then heads down another flight to the basement, appropriately tabbed “The Hive Speakeasy Bar & Lounge” by Quiver Spirits of East Hartford. “This is unrecognizable from what it was, every square inch,” said Quiver Spirits owner Tomas Nenortas, who was finishing up the space. Tastings will be offered at the wet bar during tours, said Nenortas, who is an ardent preservationist who has compiled much of the history of this home as well as other previous show houses.

He said that the home was designed by noted Hartford architect Edward T. Hapgood for Aimee Freehand Corson Ellis, the wife of Travelers executive George W. Ellis. Their daughter was one of the first members of the Junior League of Hartford, and their granddaughter plans to attend this year’s show house.

The final stop on the tour is the terrace, with crisp blue and white furnishings and a fire pit, designed by Ethan Allen of Manchester.

The Junior League of Hartford said in a news release that “since 1979, the tri-annual Show House has raised more than $1.7 million for the JLH’s charitable projects and programs, which currently focus on addressing the impact of systemic poverty on women and families in Greater Hartford. The proceeds from Show House allow for the Junior League to provide much needed resources, grants, and volunteer time to a multitude of Connecticut nonprofits.”

Funds are raised through the sale of tickets to tour the home, as well as special events and sponsorships.

The Show House will hold an opening night event on Friday, May 2, and will open for tours from Saturday, May 3 through Sunday, May 23. The house will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays through Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. Tickets allow for unlimited re-entry.

“We are so excited to welcome the public to our 16th Designer Show House,” Deirdre Green, who co-chairs the event for the JLH, said in a statement. “The designers have already been hard at work transforming 820 Prospect Avenue, and it is coming together beautifully. This Show House is not just a celebration of design and architecture – it is also a testament to the power of community, volunteerism, and philanthropy. Thanks to the partnership and support of CTC&G, Matthew Patrick Smyth, the designers and our sponsors, we hope this is our most successful Show House to date.”

Pop-up boutiques will be located in the home’s garage.

Additional special events at the Show House include a Kentucky Derby Party hosted by Quiver Spirits on May 3; “Tea & History” with Sigrid MacRae, an author and granddaughter of the home’s original owners, on May 4; and Happy Hour events on Friday, May 9 and Friday, May 16.

Tickets for opening night, house tours, and special events are available online at harford.jl.org/ShowHouse. Online presale tickets for Show House tours are $35 until May 2, and $50 beginning May 3.

The 2025 Show House is presented by the JLH’s media partner, CTC&G (Connecticut Cottages and Gardens) and is led by Honorary Design Chair Matthew Patrick Smyth and CTC&G Editorial Director DJ Carey. “This event not only showcases exceptional design talent, but also supports the League’s ongoing commitment to community impact and service. I’m thrilled to be part of such a meaningful and inspiring tradition,” Smyth said in a statement. The home will be featured editorially in the January 2026 issue of CTC&G and on cottagesgardens.com.

“CTC&G (Connecticut Cottages & Gardens) is honored to once again present the Junior League of Hartford’s 2025 Designer Show House,”  Carey said in a statement. “It is truly inspiring to witness such an exceptional group of designers unite in support of a meaningful cause. We look forward to sharing the story of this remarkable home – and the vision and creativity behind it – with our readers throughout the region.”

After the show house closes, the owners can choose to have the paint and wallpaper remain or have the spaces returned to a neutral palette, and they also have first dibs at purchasing the furniture and accessories.

The following is the list of designers and landscapers that participated in the 2025 Show House:

• Alison V. Cummings – Newtown

• AMS Kitchens & Interiors – Cheshire

• Camden Grace Interiors – West Hartford

• Creative Contour Landscape Design – Middletown

• Ethan Allen – Canton

• Grace Galloway Design – West Hartford

• The Homemaker CT – West Hartford

• Kaitlin Smith Interiors – Watch Hill, RI

• Kate Smith Interiors – Farmington

• Kathryn Hunt Studio – West Hartford

• McCory Interiors – Burlington

• Mews Designs – West Hartford

• Mikel Welch Home – New York, NY

• NEAT Method Hartford – Hartford

• Quiver Spirits – East Hartford

• Sabin Viehland – Washington

Sponsors include:

• John Boyle Decorating Centers

• Hudson Valley Lighting Group 

• JennAir

• Ethan Allen

• Tile America

• AKDO 

• ALTA (American Land Title Association) Good Deeds Foundation

• CATIC Foundation

• Hoffman Auto Group 

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