By: Scott Lumpkin
The 52nd annual St. Margaret’s Hospital Guild Decorators Show House and Gardens will be held at the historic Schnull-Rauch House at 3050 North Meridian Street . Located on the near northside of Indianapolis, the long-time home of the Junior League of Indianapolis, the house is now owned by The Children’s Museum, located directly to the south of the home. The Romanesque-style home was designed and built by local architect Bernard Vonnegut in 1902, in what was then the rural outskirts of the city. In addition to the majestic home, the property also includes a two-story carriage house that once kept the family’s horses and carriages.
For the fifteenth year Mark M. Holeman, Inc. has designed and constructed a garden for the Show House. This year’s space is in an intimate courtyard located on the north side of the carriage house. Surrounded by walls on all sides, and located in the shadows of the carriage house, this asphalt covered area was a gloomy afterthought on the site. Our landscape architects envisioned a major transformation for the space, from a troublesome eyesore to a casual, relaxing and eclectic patio garden, and our talented landscaping professionals brought it to life. Decorative paving replaces the decaying asphalt. New trees, shrubs and flowering perennials and annuals add needed softness, color and liveliness, while a bubbling boulder fountain adds a soothing sound to the space. Strings of bare-bulb lights overhead, and garden art that sways in the breeze complete the renovation.
We hope you are able to visit the Show House to enjoy our creation, and see the work of many other talented interior and landscape designers. The event raises funds for Wishard Health Services (soon to be Eskenazi Health) to provide much needed support to the hospital and the people they serve. The show is open to the public April 27-May 12. Further information is available at www.showhouseindy.org.