While these numbers are truly awesome, what impressed Doug and I even more were the more than 1,300 volunteers that made all of this possible.  From our Sponsors, who contributed not only funds but a tremendous amount of time and talent and who, with their teams, were such a joy to work with, to the delightful and talented group of designers who created what many have called “The best Showhouse ever”, to our more than 600 smiling and eager Docents who always seemed to be having a good time, to our Preview Party and Thirsty Thursday committees, Guest Speakers,  Boutique leadership, Ticket Venues, Donors of all types of products and services…. to the untiring, ever-supportive Guild members in their crucial leadership roles – it was truly the A-Team.

We cannot thank you  - and each of our guests - enough for your enormous donation to this fabulous cause.

Laura and Doug Mathewson
Co-chairs

The Raffle Winner is Carol Rishel of Atlantic Beach.

Our thanks to all of the wonderful interior and garden designers for their participation, and to our Showhouse guests for taking the time to vote for a favorite.  More ballots were cast this year than ever before!

If you have not yet had a chance to see this year’s Symphony Showhouse, now is the time to tour the estate. This year’s Showhouse is a breathtaking, two-story English Country style home, built by Collier Classic Homes. The home is located in the exclusive community of Pablo Creek Reserve and is open to the public through Mother’s Day on May 11th.

The Showhouse pairs classic architectural design with world-class interior design. Keeping true to traditional English Country style, the Showhouse contains multiple kitchens and fireplaces and is carefully designed to feel as if it was built in stages over the years. The inside of the home is decorated by over twenty First Coast interior designers. Each area of the home showcases fine design and stays true to the English Country style theme. The outside of the home offers seven individual garden areas and a stunning view of the lake.

Event organizers have lined up an impressive schedule of special guest presenters who will offer classes, seminars and demonstrations on topics ranging from landscape design and horticulture to interior design and gourmet cooking. These events are complimentary with the purchase of a Showhouse ticket. The schedule for next week will be as follows:

• Wednesday, May 7, The Passion of Collecting: Majolica Transferware Oyster Plates – 10:15 a.m. Mimi Kersun, a nationally recognized specialist in Victorian majolica and porcelain oyster plates, will share her extensive knowledge on these collectables. Kersun will also provide verbal majolica appraisals immediately following her presentation.
• Thursday, May 8, Unique Window Treatments with Exquisite Silk – 10:15 a.m. Discover the many possibilities of unique window treatments centered on unique silks. Mike Kohli will share the fascinating history of Kohli Silk as well as demonstrate quick tips on designing window treatments for the home.
• Thursday, May 8th, Thirsty Thursdays at Central Park from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Neil Roberts of PRP Wines will provide selections from a vast inventory of fine wines in Pablo Creek Reserve’s Central Park. As a special guest, Robert Stebleton will be in attendance. Stebleton is an acclaimed artist whose work is featured in the Grand Hall and stairway of this year’s Showhouse. Hors d’oeuvres, prepared from the Guild’s cookbook, Sounds Delicious, Volume II, will be served.

Tickets for the 2008 Showhouse are available on site for $20 at the Pablo Creek Reserve sales office located at 5050 S. San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, Fl 32224. Tickets can also be purchased for $15 in advance of your visit by visiting www.jaxsymphonyshowhouse.com or at any of the locations listed below:

Tickets purchased in advance are $15.00, cash or check only.

Jacksonville

• Avondale Gift Boutique, 3650 St Johns Avenue, 387-9557
• Designs of the Interior, St. Johns Town Center, 4663 River City Drive, Suite 101(St. Johns Town Center), 620-8100
• Liberty Furniture, 5555 West University Blvd., 737-3700
• Olde Green Cupboard, 10950 San Jose Blvd., 880-6656
• The Wardroom Ltd., 1969 San Marco Avenue, 396-1091
• The Wardroom Ltd., 1520 Prudential Drive, 396-7886

Orange Park

• Annabelle’s Interiors, 46 College Drive, 272-1440
• The Furniture Gallery, 1956 Kingsley Avenue, 272-2228

Northwest St. Johns County

• Curly Willow by Soap Sisters, 605 S.R. 13 North, Suite 102, 230-5551

Atlantic Beach

• Shore Things, 725-A Atlantic Blvd., 249-1313

Ponte Vedra Beach

• Mineral City, 240 A1A North, 285-4784
• Palm Valley Gardens, 4915 Palm Valley Road, 543-7777
• Village Jeweler of Ponte Vedra, 880 Sawgrass Village Drive, 285-4812

St Augustine

• Laterra PGA Tour Spa, 955 Registry Blvd., 940-7800
• Rembrandtz, 131 King Street, 829-9965
• Tre Sebastian, 3 Sebastian Avenue, 824-0095

Amelia Island / Fernandina Beach

• Alexander’s, 4924 First Coast Highway, 277-2040
• First National Bank of Nassau County, 1981 South 14th Street, 321-0400
• The Wardroom Ltd., Harris Teeter Center, Suite 110, Highway A1A, 261-1008

Southeast Georgia

• Southern Charmer, 1613 Highway 40 East, Kingsland, (912) 729-2116
• The Cottage Shop, 2015-A Osborne Road, St. Marys, (912) 882-9171

Curves for Women

• Arlington and Northside

2771 Monument Road, 997-0100

• Southside, Mandarin and Fruit Cove

465 State Road 13, Suite 12, Fruit Cove, 230-2820

• The Beaches

1569 Atlantic Blvd., 241-0101

210 – 3rd Avenue South, 270-2171

13947 #104 Beach Blvd, 992-2260

278 Solana Road, Ponte Vedra, 280-5565

Hours of Operation
Saturday, April 19 - Sunday, May 11, 2007
Monday-Wednesday & Friday-Saturday — 10 am to 3:15pm*
Thursday —10 am to 7 pm*
Sunday — 12 pm to 5 pm*
* Last entry admitted at this time.

The Designer Showhouse and Gardens is the key fundraiser of the Symphony Guild and proceeds help fund the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra for future years. The Showhouse is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. On Thursday the home is open from 10 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. For more information, call the Guild office at (904) 358-1479.

“The public is going to love this one-of-a-kind outing and stunning example of high-end architecture and design. The Showhouse is truly a can’t-miss event,” said Laura Mathewson, President of the Symphony Guild.

This year’s Symphony Showhouse is presented by Bank of America and is a breathtaking, two-story English Country style manor. The home is located in the exclusive community of Pablo Creek Reserve. The Showhouse is built by Collier Classic Homes and overlooks one of the neighborhood’s picturesque lakes. Keeping true to traditional English Country style, the Showhouse contains multiple kitchens and fireplaces and is carefully designed to feel as if it was built in stages over the years. The home seamlessly integrates cutting-edge technology such as home automation, an impressive home theater system and top-of-the line appliances. This year’s Showhouse also includes an exciting element to further expand the appeal of the public showing: gardens.

The Showhouse, which runs from April 19 through Mother’s Day, May 11, pairs classic architectural design with world-class interior design. Over twenty interior designers donated their time and resources to bring the Showhouse to life. For the event, the home will also offer two boutiques to highlight the many beautiful products featured in the home. The Interior Boutique by Wardroom Ltd. will offer home accessories, jewelry and gourmet items. The Garden Boutique by Palm Valley Gardens will display exquisite live flowering plants such as orchids, hydrangeas and lilies that form living works of art.

Event organizers have also lined up an impressive schedule of special guest presenters who will offer classes, seminars and demonstrations on topics ranging from landscape design and horticulture to interior design and gourmet cooking. These events are complimentary with the purchase of a Showhouse ticket. The schedule for the opening week will be as follows:

• Monday, April 21 at 10:15 a.m., Container Gardening – Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers by Louise Johnson of Skinner Nurseries. Bring spring and early summer plantings to special areas of your home. Louise Johnson will show how to create the perfect container plantings that will be the envy of your neighborhood.
• Thursday, April 24 at 10:15 a.m., Imaginative Architectural Accents with Stone by Elisa Waysenson of Francois & Co. - Accenting estate homes with architectural stone pieces has been a tradition for hundreds of years. Elisa Waysenson will discuss ways to incorporate stonework and hand-carved limestone into today’s homes for a truly distinctive, upscale flair.
• Thursday, April 24 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m., Thirsty Thursdays at Central Park by Neil Roberts of PRP Wines. - Enjoy selections from a vast inventory of fine wines in Pablo Creek Reserve’s Central Park, just steps from the Showhouse and Gardens. Hors d’oeuvres, prepared from the Guild’s cookbook, Sounds Delicious, Volume II, will be served.

The much-anticipated Showhouse is the key fundraiser each year for the Symphony Guild. Proceeds from the showing of the home go back to the Symphony Guild to help fund the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra for future years. For more than 50 years, the Guild of the Jacksonville Symphony Association (JSA) has worked to further an awareness of music and to create strong community support of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra through fundraising projects.

Tickets for the 2008 Showhouse are available on site for $20 at the Pablo Creek Reserve sales office, or for $15 in advance of the event. The home is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. On Thursday the home is open from 10 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. For more information on advance ticket purchases or to see the schedule of guest presenters, visit www.waters-edge.com/showhouse. The Pablo Creek Reserve sales office is located at 5050 San Pablo Road, just south of J. Turner Butler Boulevard.

Susan D. Brandenburg
11-B Ponte Vedra Court
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
(904) 543-0730 or 962-5131(cell)
email:  susanscribe@comcast.net

Glenda Wilson Wann, ASID, Glenda Wann Interiors
4540 Southside Blvd., Suite 504
Jacksonville, FL 32216
Phone (904) 642-0522
Sales@glendawanninteriors.com

Glenda Wann Interiors – Behind the Scenes at the 2008 Symphony Showhouse

For more than three decades, the Guild of the Jacksonville Symphony Association has hosted the Symphony Designers Showhouse as a fundraiser to help keep the marvelous music of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra playing.  The Showhouse provides an exciting annual opportunity for the public to tour a beautiful home and discover the newest, most unique home furnishing ideas presented by the First Coast’s top designers.

During those same decades, Interior Designer Glenda W. Wann, ASID, has always considered the Showhouse a delightful rite of spring, volunteering nearly every year in some capacity and participating as a room designer in nine of the Showhouses.

“I’ve always had a passion for the Showhouses,” says Wann, who has missed only one in 33 years of residing in Jacksonville – the year following her daughter’s birth.

This year, as Designer Chairman for the Jacksonville Symphony Guild’s 2008 Designer Showhouse & Gardens, presented by Bank of America, Wann is participating again in the history she has helped to create.

“Over the years, a pattern has evolved in the design process for the Guild’s biggest fundraiser,” she said, “and with the unveiling of this magnificent 32nd Showhouse, it seems a good time to share just a bit of the phenomenal behind the scenes work that involves hundreds of volunteers for months prior to the event.”

As Designer Chairman, Wann notes, she was responsible initially (“beginning in late June 2007”) for inviting area designers to preview the construction site of the English Country Manor Home being built by Collier Classic Homes in Pablo Creek Reserve; requesting that they then submit proposals which included their first, second and third room choices; and forming a Designer Selection Committee to review proposals and finalize room assignments.

One of 20 of the area’s top designers assigned a room this year, Juliana Catlin, FASID, is doing the Drawing Room.  She notes that the English Country Manor Home fits beautifully into the “open hearth, casual family style of Florida living.”  Catlin, former National President of the American Society of Interior Designers, said she considers this year’s Showhouse to be “by far the highest quality Showhouse that I have ever seen being built.  No expense has been spared and all of the designers are picking up on that quest for the highest quality.”

The process this year, Catlin noted, has been particularly peaceful and fun.  “Glenda Wann is a good team builder and a true professional,” Catlin commented.  “I’ve greatly enjoyed watching Glenda as she built this group of diverse designers into a cohesive team. She has a way of always helping people see the bigger vision.”

The bigger vision, Wann constantly reiterates, is to create something cohesively beautiful in order to raise money for the Jacksonville Symphony Guild and its music education programs, and to have fun doing it.

“Designers put their heart and soul into this annual project, as well as substantial capital outlay,” Wann said, “and this year we have assembled the best-of-the-best designers in NE Florida.  The collaborative outcome will be absolutely breathtaking.”

Wann acts a liaison between the designers and the builder, Elwood Collier, regarding special requests for finishes/details for each room.  She keeps designers aware of pending deadlines for room descriptions, credits & appreciation, correct names & appellations for the Showhouse program. She also attends meetings, working with various Symphony Guild committee chairpersons to establish scheduling needs for the many devoted volunteer docents manning each room, and consults on traffic flow throughout the house.

“The docents are absolutely wonderful, as are all of the volunteers!” declared Wann.  “It is an honor to work with these talented Guild members who make this event happen year after year.  You would be shocked to learn how many hours they put into the planning of every detail!”

Laura Mathewson, President of the Symphony Guild, has worked closely with Wann this year.  “Glenda is a joy to work with,” said Mathewson.  “She has helped to bring on board a fabulous group of interior designers to participate in the Showhouse.”

In her “spare time” Wann puts the finishing touches on her own assigned room, The Conservatory, and all the while, continues to devote her talent and energy to serving her loyal clientele.

“We were new to the area back in 1988 and found a home in Epping Forest that Glenda had decorated.  We liked her style,” recalls Eleanor Luhrs of Ponte Vedra Beach.  “Our home in Epping was the beginning and we’ve been with Glenda ever since.”  Two homes, two yachts and two decades later, John and Eleanor Luhrs look to Glenda Wann for all of their decorating needs.

Eleanor Luhrs attends the Symphony Showhouse each year in search of the newest “bits and pieces” in decorating ideas and loves to share those with Wann.  “I can see where Glenda will be the perfect Showhouse Designer Chairperson,” said Luhrs.  “She’s always been a good organizer.”

Building lasting relationships and creating comfortable casual elegance and beauty in homes from California to New York and throughout the First Coast for more than thirty years, Wann’s winning ways have brought her a level of respect in the design community that translates to smooth sailing for the 2008 symphony Showhouse.

“We are thankful to Glenda for her willingness to step forward this year with a unifying, diplomatic, professional spirit,” said Elwood Collier, who, with his wife, Donna, has built three prior Showhouses.  “It takes a talent like hers to bring out the best in people.”

And, speaking of aspiring to bring out the best, Wann notes that this year the Guild has added the exciting new dimension of eight lush individually designed gardens to the grounds of the unique three million dollar English Country Manor Home.

Also, the April 19th through May 11th run of the Jacksonville Symphony Guild’s 2008 Designer Showhouse & Gardens, presented by Bank of America, coincides with THE PLAYERS Golf Championship (TPC) this year, which will bring in additional traffic and, hopefully, additional monies to keep the music alive and well.

“This couldn’t come at a better time for the symphony,” said Naomi Lumley, Sales Manager for Palencia Homes, which was the site of the 2004 Showhouse.  “With Elwood Collier building the home and Glenda Wann the Design Chairman, this year’s Symphony Showhouse promises to be the best ever.  It will put Pablo Creek Reserve on the map!”

Also this year, event organizers have lined up an exciting schedule of special guest presenters who will offer classes, seminars and demonstrations on topics ranging from landscape design and horticulture to interior gardening and gourmet cooking. Special guests include Louise Johnson of Skinner Nurseries; Elisa Waysenson of Francois & Co., Orlando; Liz Stewart of Liz Stewart Floral Designs; David Bearl, Certified Chef de Cuisine, First Coast Technical College; Mimi Kersun, of Mimi’s Antiques, San Marco; and Mike Kohli of Drapery Ever After.

The work on this year’s Symphony Showhouse is 35 years in the making. In 1972 the Jacksonville Symphony Guild held its first Designer Showhouse in a beautiful historic home located in Avondale on the St. Johns River. Today, the Showhouse builds on the momentum of years past and includes an entirely new stylistic element: gardens. This year’s Showhouse features intricate gardens surrounding the home to further expand the appeal of the public showing.
The 2008 Showhouse is being built by Collier Classic Homes in the English Country style, and thus will contain many rooms with views of the outdoor gardens. The two-story home will have multiple kitchens, fireplaces and a guest house that is designed to make guests feel as though they are staying in a spa retreat. The home is located on a choice lot in the stunning Intracoastal community of Pablo Creek Reserve. The sunset balcony at the front of the home overlooks the community’s crown jewel, Central Park, and the sunrise balcony at the back of the home offers a dramatic view of the lake. Central Park will be used to stage symphony events and lectures to promote the Showhouse.

“This year’s Symphony Guild Showhouse is going to be the best ever. We can hardly wait to open the doors and welcome the public, but we’re also very busy right now making sure every detail will be absolutely perfect. The Showhouse is a favorite destination for thousands of people each year, and we are pleased that Bank of America is once again our presenting sponsor,” said Laura Mathewson, President of the Symphony Guild.

The 2008 Showhouse will be completed in time for the public opening, which will run from April 19th 2008 through Mother’s Day on May 11, 2008. The much-anticipated Showhouse is the key fundraiser each year for the Symphony Guild, and proceeds from the showing of the home go back to the Symphony Guild to help fund the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra for future years.

For over 50 years the Guild of the Jacksonville Symphony Association (JSA) has worked to further an awareness of music and to create strong community support of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra through fundraising projects. The centerpiece of the Guild’s benefit fundraisers is the Symphony Showhouse. For more information, visit www.waters-edge.com/showhouse.

$20 on site
$15 advance purchase (see below)
$12 per person – groups of 10 or more (must be purchased prior to April 11; contact The Guild at (904) 358-1479)
$5 Unlimited visit upgrade pass – available only in the Showhouse Boutique

…more ticket information

 Location and Directions

5050 San Pablo Rd S
Jacksonville, Florida

(904) 992-0383

…see map and get directions 

Saturday, April 19 through Sunday, May 11
Pablo Creek Reserve
Jacksonville, Florida

The Guild is delighted to present its 32nd Showhouse, and even more thrilled to announce the Jacksonville Symphony Guild’s very first Designer Showhouse and Gardens.

Renowned local builder Elwood Collier and his wife, Donna, return for their fourth Symphony Guild Showhouse — perhaps the best ever. Located within the gates of the exclusive Pablo Creek Reserve community, the home is designed by Kevin Gray/Residential Designs, Inc., in the rambling, English country style. The Colliers have used many imported elements as well as the latest in technology to create the ultimate dream home. The finishing touches have been provided by many of the First Coast’s renowned interior designers. Be prepared to be awed!

The landscape and gardens will also be included in the tour — from the potting shed and courtyards, the cloister and colonnade, to the garden pool with its long vista across the lake — all created by numerous First Coast area landscape designers.

The Guild wishes to thank the PARC Group, Collier Classic Homes, the designers, our sponsors and the more than 1,300 volunteers and contributors whose generosity has enabled us to host this event.

Proceeds benefit the Jacksonville Symphony Guild in its support of the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, as well as The Guild’s music education programs.

Welcome to the 2008 Jacksonville Symphony Guild Designer Showhouse & Gardens!

Advance Ticket Locations

Tickets purchased in advance are $15.00, cash or check only.

Jacksonville

• Avondale Gift Boutique, 3650 St Johns Avenue, 387-9557
• Designs of the Interior, St. Johns Town Center, 4663 River City Drive, Suite 101(St. Johns Town Center), 620-8100
• Liberty Furniture, 5555 West University Blvd., 737-3700
• Olde Green Cupboard, 10950 San Jose Blvd., 880-6656
• The Wardroom Ltd., 1969 San Marco Avenue, 396-1091
• The Wardroom Ltd., 1520 Prudential Drive, 396-7886

Orange Park

• Annabelle’s Interiors, 46 College Drive, 272-1440
• The Furniture Gallery, 1956 Kingsley Avenue, 272-2228

Northwest St. Johns County

• Curly Willow by Soap Sisters, 605 S.R. 13 North, Suite 102, 230-5551

Atlantic Beach

• Shore Things, 725-A Atlantic Blvd., 249-1313

Ponte Vedra Beach

• Mineral City, 240 A1A North, 285-4784
• Palm Valley Gardens, 4915 Palm Valley Road, 543-7777
• Village Jeweler of Ponte Vedra, 880 Sawgrass Village Drive, 285-4812

St Augustine

• Laterra PGA Tour Spa, 955 Registry Blvd., 940-7800
• Rembrandtz, 131 King Street, 829-9965
• Tre Sebastian, 3 Sebastian Avenue, 824-0095

Amelia Island / Fernandina Beach

• Alexander’s, 4924 First Coast Highway, 277-2040
• First National Bank of Nassau County, 1981 South 14th Street, 321-0400
• The Wardroom Ltd., Harris Teeter Center, Suite 110, Highway A1A, 261-1008

Southeast Georgia

• Southern Charmer, 1613 Highway 40 East, Kingsland, (912) 729-2116
• The Cottage Shop, 2015-A Osborne Road, St. Marys, (912) 882-9171

Curves for Women

• Arlington and Northside

2771 Monument Road, 997-0100

• Southside, Mandarin and Fruit Cove

465 State Road 13, Suite 12, Fruit Cove, 230-2820

• The Beaches

1569 Atlantic Blvd., 241-0101

210 – 3rd Avenue South, 270-2171

13947 #104 Beach Blvd, 992-2260

278 Solana Road, Ponte Vedra, 280-5565

Hours of Operation
Saturday, April 19 - Sunday, May 11, 2007
Monday-Wednesday & Friday-Saturday — 10 am to 3:15pm*
Thursday —10 am to 7 pm*
Sunday — 12 pm to 5 pm*
* Last entry admitted at this time.

Directions:  Located in Pablo Creek Reserve at the southern terminus of San Pablo Rd, west of the Intra-Coastal Waterway.  Click here for map.  ADD IN MAP ADD IN MAP ADD IN MAP  ADD IN MAP

House Rules:  Visitors must wear flat shoes, Food & drink are not permitted; nor is photography.  Due to insurance restrictions, children under 11 (including babies in arms) will not be admitted.  Home is not handicap accessible.

IMPORTANT:  In order to gain admission to Pablo Creek Reserve at the gatehouse, each occupant of a vehicle must possess a Showhouse ticket.  Tickets will be available at the Sales Office, on your right shortly after exiting J. Turner Butler Blvd.

Further Information:  The Guild (904) 358-1479