Fall is just around the corner, and with it comes the annual feast for the senses: the Kingston Design Showhouse. For its seventh iteration, the event, which is put on by Kingston Design Connection (KDC), will return October 10–26 with a lovingly reimagined historic home in Esopus. Design enthusiasts, builders, and curious locals alike will be drawn to a remarkable transformation of the c.1865 brick beauty.
Last year, KDC founder Maryline Damour told Chronogram, “The Hudson Valley is huge. Since 2019, a number of Upstate New York towns have reached out to KDC to ask us to develop a showhouse in their area as a way to further activate their town centers.” Last year, the showhouse was in Stone Ridge, and the trend continues this year with a home in Esopus.
Tucked across Roundout Creek from downtown Kingston in the old Sleightsburgh neighborhood, the Second Empire–style brick house—with its signature mansard roof and deep roots in local history—provides a rich architectural backdrop for a creative showcase. Inside, designers will reinterpret the home’s layout—three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a receiving room, and an eat-in kitchen—infusing fresh, contemporary designs while respecting its enduring character.
The Showhouse remains one of the most accessible opportunities for design professionals in the country. The application deadline for interior and landscape designers was August 1, while local makers and artists may participate by donating or lending items at no fee. Participants benefit from professional photography, press inclusion in magazines like House Beautiful and Architectural Digest, inclusion in KDC’s guidebook, and social media promotion to thousands within and beyond the Hudson Valley.
Significant corporate and regional sponsors—including Benjamin Moore, California Closets, and Fromental—join hands this year with local makers and artists in a demonstration of creative collaboration and regional pride. More than a showhouse, the event doubles as a philanthropic engine: Since 2022, proceeds have supported KDC’s programs with Ulster Habitat for Humanity, including the signature Kingston Design Habitat House built each year. At the close of the Showhouse, the homeowner receives all permanently installed items—custom cabinetry, wallpaper, bathrooms, and more—as a lasting legacy aligned with KDC’s environmental and community-driven mission.
Behind this event is KDC’s broader mission: to knit together Hudson Valley creatives—designers, builders, artists, contractors—into a collective force that boosts local economies and elevates the region’s design narrative. The Showhouse exemplifies this mission, offering both public inspiration and professional opportunity, all while breathing new life into a storied home.
As October approaches, the Kingston Showhouse promises not just individual styled rooms, but an immersive journey across beauty, history, and community.
This article appears in August 2025.
