The Dalton-Bell-Cameron house, built in 1914, was one of the most unique homes in High Point, North Carolina. Built in the Craftsman style, the house was quite different from its more traditional Victorian and Colonial neighbors. But the pioneering structure was stricken by two major fires—one in 1997 and the other in 2012—and by 2017 it was in such a forlorn state that the city ordered it be to be either repaired or demolished.
At that point, the High Point Preservation Society stepped in to save it, just prior to it being sold to Rick Lewis and his wife Margaret Bell Lewis, who had once lived there as a child. Following the purchase, the Society and the Junior League of High Point moved quickly to help with the goal of restoring the home. To assist the new owners with some of the restoration costs, they decided to raise funds by creating a showhouse in the historic home, enlisting a diverse group of 21 extraordinary designers to bring the interiors back to life.
In our recently released aspire design and home Showhouse Issue, we sat down with Andrea Schumacher to learn more about her creative process in designing a study inspired by her grandmother’s artwork for this project.
Inside the Showhouse with Andrea Schumacher
aspire design and home: How much time did you have to complete this room, start to finish?
Andrea Schumacher: Over the course of four months.
aspire: What was your biggest challenge? Did you have a “Eureka!” moment during the process?
Andrea: The distance! Not being on site makes designing a space much more difficult and in our instance we did not realize the walls in our room were original tongue and groove. The room was designed around the wallpaper I created based on my grandmother’s artwork and initially was intended to be on all the walls. The wallcovering installer called us frantically about the situation, so we changed our plan and decided to have a screen fabricated to display the custom wallpaper. We also chose to paint the tongue and groove in high gloss Sherwin Williams Cayenne.
aspire: What did you and your team accomplish that you thought would not happen in time?
Andrea: Creating the wallpaper! It’s a long process from start to finish, but the whole room was designed around it, so we had to get it done.
Seeking Inspiration and Finding Cohesiveness
Seeking Inspiration and Finding Cohesivenessaspire: What was your inspiration for this room?
Andrea: The inspiration for this room was my grandmother’s art piece that she created from pressing botanicals onto rice paper and embellishing it with paintings. The room looks out onto the garden, as well, so we wanted to embrace the outdoors and have the space feel like a sunroom study.
aspire: Did you step out of your comfort zone for this project, and if so, why?
Andrea: Not really – pattern and color make me feel right at home!
aspire: Despite the fact that there were so many designers involved, there is an inherent cohesiveness to the home. Did you all converse/collaborate? Or was this a completely individual process?
Andrea: We received the renderings of the breakfast room and the butler’s pantry during our design process. Truly, everyone just went with what they wanted to do for each space, and it turned out to flow really well!
aspire: Is your preference for a showhouse a small space or a large space? Does one or the other provide a better opportunity to stretch your creativity?
Andrea: I am up for either a small or large space! Every room is different and every showhouse different, so no matter the room size, it will stretch my creativity.
aspire: Describe the town of High Point in one sentence.
Andrea: High Point is historic, charming and a dream for designers during Market.
“This or That?” with Andrea Schumacher
aspire: Paint or wallpaper?
Andrea: Wallpaper.
aspire: Hardwood or rug?
Andrea: Hardwood with a rug.
aspire: Beach or Mountains?
Andrea: Beach.
aspire: Saturated color or black and white?
Andrea: Saturated color.
aspire: Brunch or Dinner?
Andrea: Dinner.
aspire: Mid-Century or 18th Century?
Andrea: I like a combo of both.
aspire: Draperies, shades, or nothing?
Andrea: Draperies.
aspire: 2001: A Space Odyssey or The English Patient?
Andrea: The English Patient.
aspire: Week at the spa or week of Broadway shows?
Andrea: Spa.
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Photography by Dustin Peck.
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