Pasadena Showcase House of Design Chair Matt McIntyre shown earlier this year at the Showcase ‘Empty House Party’ before redesign work began. [Monica Orozco / Pasadena Showcase House of Design]
For the first time in the organization’s 75-year history, a man will hold the position of chair, and McIntyre is determined to make the most of the opportunity.
The Stewart House has been in the same family for 40 years and was previously featured as the 19th Pasadena Showcase House of Design in 1983. This year, approximately 32 interior and exterior designers have been hand-picked to transform the estate for the showcase.
“To be able to showcase this kind of estate with two flat acres of land that’s been in the same family for 40 years is all really exciting,” McIntyre said.
McIntyre is excited to see what the designers will bring to the table.
“This is such a spectacular piece of architecture with such a graciousness about it,” he said. “The designers have considered this and are bringing cutting-edge design while honoring the house’s traditional roots. The style will be timeless.”
As chair, McIntyre is responsible for organizing the teams behind the benefit.
He also assists members of the interior team that coordinates with all the interior designers and the exterior team that work with the landscapers.
“My job is to kind of help steer the ship while these many functions of the benefit are getting done and assist where needed.”
Turning a private home into a Pasadena Showcase House of Design is a big challenge, McIntyre said.
“With that, comes a lot of logistical things like 20,000 people are going to walk through this private home, so how do you execute that?”
“And the home, we want it to be cohesive because we’re going to turn it back over to the homeowner and we want to turn it back over in better condition than we found it.”
One of the things he realized as a chair of the benefit is that many hands make light work. “The more volunteer members, the more people help out, the easier it is on everyone.”
For the 58th Pasadena Showcase House of Design, people can expect current designs, new and exciting materials and a broad spectrum of designers, said McIntyre. “We have designers that have been in the business for 30 plus years, and then we have newer designers that have worked for another firm and have gone out on their own. So I think it’s a really good broad group that we have this year.”
“I’m very excited about the 2023 Pasadena Showcase House of Design. I think we are very fortunate. We’re working with a spectacular property with very generous, gracious owners that are active members of our community. And that’s quite a privilege,” McIntyre said. “The same family has owned it ever since. So I love that and I hope that the community and that our guests really enjoy and appreciate that as well.”
The 58th Pasadena Showcase House of Design will be open from April 23 through May 21, 2023.
To get tickets, visit: https://tickets.pasadenashowcase.org/events.
