ROOMS WITHA VIEW : Thirty Years of Design Magic in Six by Eight Feet

IMAGINE A COUNTRYSIDE TERRACE CELEBRATING THE FIRST HARVEST, A FRENCH MUSIC SALON, OR A MEDITATION ROOM THAT SUBTLY SHIFTS COLOR AS YOU WALK BY. NOW PICTURE ALL OF THESE SPACES—AND MORE—TUCKED INSIDE A SIX-BY-EIGHT-FOOT CUBE.

Room by Patrick Mele

Welcome to Rooms With A View, New England’s most inventive design event, where vision and virtuosity meet within the confines of three sheetrock walls. For thirty years, this beloved showcase has transformed the South- port Congregational Church into an irresistible destination for design lovers, collectors, and the simply curious.

In the early 1990s, the church’s longtime fundraiser, the Southport Antiques Show, was nearing the end of its run. A new idea was needed—something fresh, modern, and unforgettable. The concept that emerged was as radical as it was inspired: a mini decorator’s showhouse filled with “vignettes,” concept rooms designed to showcase talent and spark imagination.

While the idea generated equal parts excitement and confusion (“What exactly is a vignette?”), when the committee approached the late Albert Hadley—often called the Dean of American Design—he immediately recognized its brilliance. Hadley signed on as honorary chairman and became the show’s guiding spirit.

From these humble beginnings, Rooms With A View has grown into a nationally acclaimed design showcase, known for presenting award-winning talent from across the country alongside the best of the regional design community. Alumni include some of the most influential names in American interiors: Bunny Williams, Thom Filicia, Jeffrey Bilhuber, David Kleinberg, Victoria Hagan, Charlotte Moss, and many more who have gone on to define how we live and decorate today. More than three hundred vignettes have been imagined and installed over the years. Plastered, mirrored, and lacquered walls, parquet and antique tile floors, built-in bookcases, windowpanes, and even the occasional fireplace have all been squeezed into spaces no larger than a generous walk-in closet. The result is a temporary, immersive world of design that feels both accessible and aspirational.

Room by Amanda Reynal

In 2019 Christopher Philip was named Executive Director of the event. His job was to revitalize the show with fresh new thinking and ideas. In his first year he and longtime Rooms With A View Design Chairman Parker Rogers formed the Design Advisory Board.

The board consists of designers, editors, manufacturers and leading industry professionals. Much of the current success of RWAV can be attributed to the tireless efforts of the board. Long contributors include Barbara Sallick, the event’s Honorary Chairman, Rhonda Eleish, Edie Van Breems, Christina Roughan, Victoria Vought, Sydney Frazier and many more.

“Every year our goal is to build on the success of the prior year by constantly looking for new ideas to keep the show growing and evolving,” said Philip.

Room by Doniphan Moore

In 2019, Rooms With A View created the Rooms With A View / New York School of Interior Design Scholarship to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary and to honor Albert Hadley. Albert Hadley was a major supporter of young emerging talent. In addition to a cash prize, the winner is invited to create a vignette—a transformative opportunity that has helped launch new careers.

Perhaps more than any other design event, Rooms With A View celebrates the art of making the most of what you have— be it forty-eight square feet of sheetrock or the power to make a difference. It’s a reminder that creativity flourishes within constraints, that generosity fuels vision, and that great design is always an invitation to feel at home. Whether you come for inspiration, shopping, or the simple joy of stepping into twelve little worlds of possibility, Rooms With A View is ready to welcome you.

roomswithaview.org

Room by Parker & Co.