Trends emerge with charity auction

NEW YORK--Eight interior designers, seven weeks and one Manhattan townhouse to be redecorated and refurnished, were necessary for completing the eBay Second Annual Showhouse challenge this past June. The designers purchased all their supplies via eBay, the online marketplace for the sale of millions of items across thousands of categories, and ended up with more than 460 items for the home, totaling $110,000.

After the rooms were finished, the furnishings were available for a charity auction, benefiting The Alpha Workshops. This design studio is a nonprofit organization that trains people with HIV/AIDs in artistry skills. It began in order to improve the quality of life for those sick with the disease. The rooms can be viewed at www.ebay.com/showhouse.> Several trends were expressed within the final Showhouse. First, several artists within the challenge used everyday collections to demonstrate how they can be used as artful displays, including Katie Ridder who used sea urchins to decorate a coffee table, and Sheila Bridges who used dishes to design a wall. Second, some designers intermixed prints, patterns and time periods within the room as opposed to sticking to a single theme. David Netto and Lulu deKwiatkowski thought the variety of elements in the room brought life to the space. Lastly, colors of every hue and shade made a strong statement for this year; the bolder the color, the better, according to the artists in the event.