Showcase home points of interest

If you visit this year's showcase home, here are a few notable design details to watch for:

Look up

There's a lot of ceiling interest throughout the home. The homeowners "really like ceilings with detail," said designer Karen McKay. Some are papered with grasscloth between the beams, while others are finished with distinctive wood treatments. Porch ceilings are blue, a Southern tradition believed to ward off evil spirits, and the dining room has silver-leaf wallcovering on the ceiling to lend a faint luster. Even the barrel-vault ceiling of the powder room, above, is covered in a handmade turquoise paper made from natural plant fibers, including banana leaves and water hyacinth (room designed by Jen Ziemer and Andrea Dixon, Fiddlehead Design Group).

Seaworthy lighting

Lighting carries out the coastal theme. You'll see coral-inspired fixtures, leaf-blade fans and a "driftwood orb." The master bedroom chandelier, above, features a cascade of seashells (room designed by Christine Frisk, Jessica Bliven, Kelsey Lahr and Angel Tilsen, Inunison Design).

Don't miss

The reading nook on the main floor, across the hall from homeowner Mark Lacek's testosterone-infused study. The cozy nook, partly concealed behind drapes, features upholstered bench seating on two sides, flanking a fireplace, and a built-in bookcase. Susan Lacek said she is looking forward to shared evenings in the nook with daughter Ally, who has a rigorous reading schedule at school this year. "Our plan is Mom can read Coastal Living magazine. We can snuggle and read every night," Susan said. (Room designed by Diane Lumpkin, Diane Lumpkin Design, and Jennifer Austin-McGrath, Fine House Interiors.)

KIM PALMER