At Home Living: Showhouse makeover must meet owner's budget, vision

TOPEKA The transformation of the homes for the annual Child Care Aware of Eastern Kansas Designers Showhouse has involved many moving parts, including the budget that is set for the design of the house.

Reva Wywadis, executive director of Child Care Aware, has been involved in the annual grassroots fundraiser for several years and said its a continuous process to educate the public about how the designer showhouse comes about each year. She said its a common misconception that the homeowners get their house remodeled a no cost to them.

We work with the homeowner and they give the designer an allowance for each space, said Reva Wywadis, executive director of Child Care Aware. The homeowner is responsible for any plumbing, heating, electrical changes, etc. That investment is always made by the homeowner.

Another myth, Wywadis said, is that the designers have free reign who redecorate each room any way they want to and that the homeowner gets very little input in the design process.

The designer still has to get their plan (for each room) approved, she said. The homeowner is always in control of the designers plan. They approve or might ask for some changes but the homeowner is always in control of this process.

The homeowner will set a budget for each room that will be remodeled or redecorated, Wywadis said. From there, each designer then figures out what he or she can do in that space with the money they are given by the homeowner.

Because each rooms budget is usually lower than what the designer ends up doing with the space, the designer will ask other vendors to donate additional labor and materials and will often be recognized in the showhouses publicity pieces.

The goal is to stretch their budget, Wywadis said. They often do to a fabulous job of stretching that budget.

Wywadis said coordinating the design of the showhouse, including this years home, the Washburn University presidents residence, takes someone with knowledge and connections in the design community. She said for the past six years, Topeka interior designer Jan Hutt has filled that role so that Wywadis doesnt have to be as hands-on during the busy showhouse season each spring.

It was just so necessary because the showhouse took me out of my area of expertise, Wywadis said. Jan is on-site a lot, making sure everyone is on schedule. Shes our liaison between our agency and all of the designers.

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At Home Living: Showhouse makeover must meet owner's budget, vision