Indian Village Residence is Junior League of Detroit Designers’ Show House

A stately manor in historic Indian Village is the featured property for the annual Detroit Designers’ Show House event, staged by the Junior League of Detroit.
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Bingley Fales House
The exterior of the Bingley Fales House in Indian Village and the home’s re-imagined dining room. // Photos courtesy of the Junior League of Detroit

A stately manor in historic Indian Village is the featured property for the annual Detroit Designers’ Show House event, staged by the Junior League of Detroit.

The Bingley Fales House at 1771 Seminole St. in Indian Village will be available for public viewing Sept. 19-Oct. 4 and will follow strict safety protocols to ensure the health considerations of guests, designers, tradesmen, and volunteers.

“Planning for our 2020 Designers’ Show House has been underway for the past 16 months, and we are both honored and humbled that so many companies, groups, and individuals outside the League have donate products, money, and time to our effort,” says Anne Reese, co-chair of the 2020 Designers’ Show House.

“We believe we have an obligation to all of our supporters and to the mission of the JLD to see this Show House through. The Designers’ Show House has always been something the Detroit community looks forward to – now more than ever, we believe that will hold true.”

The Show House will be open to the public during the following times:

  • Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
  • Thursday and Friday, 6-8 p.m.
  • Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
  • Sunday, Noon-4 p.m.

Tickets may be purchased here.

Many new policies have been put in place to ensure the JLD’s largest fundraiser can safely operate during the COVID-19 pandemic including:

  • Safety Approvals from the Detroit Health Department’s environmental health general manager Online date and time-specific ticketing.
  • Health enhancements such as mandatory mask wearing and not touching interior surfaces.
  • A downloadable audio tour that will serve as a virtual docent.
  • A 2,000-square-foot open air hospitality tent on the property where guests can comfortably wait for their ride or friends, sit, and enjoy a quick bite, or purchase a raffle ticket.

The JLD says every design team has remained with the project through the pandemic. The 2020 Designers’ Show House will feature 33 interior spaces reimagined by 27 prominent local and national design firms, including a completely renovated kitchen, master bathroom, and two new guest bathrooms.

This year’s sponsors include Kohler Co., Kohler Signature Store in Birmingham, Benjamin Moore Paint, CIOT Tile, Divine Flooring, and KingsHaven, a national retailer and maker of artisan-quality lighting.

Five landscape contractors are working to beautify the expansive gardens, which contain formal flower beds, paved pathways, a trellis covered patio, and a Pewabic tile reflecting pond.

In light of social distancing and safety precautions, the Gala Preview Party, private events, and Marketplace have been canceled for this year. A ribbon-cutting is being planned for opening day.

“As the JLD’s primary fundraiser, the Designers’ Show House is a crucial component to ensuring our ability to continue supporting philanthropic efforts in the greater Detroit community and state of Michigan,” says Kayla Roney Smith, president of JLD. “We are confident that we have safety protocols that will keep our guests, volunteers, and partners safe, and are excited we can offer an enjoyable experience everyone can look forward to.”

Funds raised from the 2020 Designers’ Show House will support the JLD’s local philanthropic efforts, including its key community impact initiative Project EAT, which helps create a more food secure community by providing education, access, and tools to those in need.

Through Project EAT, the league recently launched the Empowered Pantry, which provides more than 25,000 annual meals, nutrition education, and cooking tools for employees of the Empowerment Plan. Future plans include the creation of additional pantries to serve food insecure families across metro Detroit.

For more information, visit here.