The Resource Home Show of Maplewood
The first Resource Home Show, produced by Maplewood residents and NYC bedroom community Realtors® Carla Labianca and Lisa Danbrot, debuted September 30 at the Woodland, a historic meeting hall built in the 1920s located within walking distance of Maplewood Village, New Jersey.
Upon entering the double doors, visitors were greeted with a stunning living room vignette curated by interior designer Jenny Castronuovo Miller of Studio Nuovo in Morristown. The furniture, provided by Design Within Reach in Paramus, was paired with accessories from Jenny’s personal collection. “It was so much fun being a part of the show,” Jenny says. “Not only was it a wonderful way to interact with potential clients in the community, it was equally valuable as a way to meet other creative people in the industry. Since I work on my own, I always love having the opportunity to connect with others in the field of design. I left the event feeling so inspired by all the talent in our area!”
Once inside the great hall, visitors were able to amble through displays created by a variety of diverse home-industry professionals. This talented group offered some of the region’s best in design, home restoration, landscape arts, home maintenance systems, architects, cabinet makers and unique handmade decor, hardware and accessories. Exhibitors ran the gamut from local and regional independent makers such as Astrid Oyo of NOYO Headboards to noted interior designers such as Nureed Saeed of Nu Interiors – one of NJ’s top 25 designers as per LuxPad — through international franchises such as California Closets, global companies such as Ferguson Enterprises and everything in between.
In addition to the unique exhibitor displays, visitors attended DIY demonstrations by antique window restoration specialist Paul Lewis of 2GFN, fall container gardening by Bonnie Ryan and Santa Tush of Bonnie’s Blooms, and an intro to Annie Sloan Chalk Paint® by Azie Shelhorse, hospitality designer and owner of {verdigreen}, a DIY boutique in Montclair.
The show ended with a panel discussion moderated by Amy Hughes, owner of Maplewood Mercantile and Salvage Style and a former Editor at This Old House magazine. The subject was “Best Ways to Boost Style and Comfort at Home,” and the panelists consisted of select exhibitors. Hughes reflected, “This isn’t a tear-it-down-and-build-a-McMansion kind of community. We desperately needed a place to share ideas and resources about restoring, maintaining and tastefully updating our beloved older homes. This local expo met that need—and then some.”
Proceeds of the 2018 Resource Home show benefit First Friends of New Jersey and New York. For a complete list of 2018 participants, visit The Resource Home Show.