An Insider’s Look at the Designer Showhouse of New Jersey 2017
Talented, handpicked designers have pooled their gifts to transform a New Jersey home into a dazzling display. Get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the Designer Showhouse of New Jersey 2017 and the effort that goes into it.
The annual Designer Showhouse of New Jersey is a design enthusiast’s dream, a showcase of the latest design trends and applications. Now in its 9th year, the Showhouse attracts thousands of visitors every year to benefit a worthy cause. This year, proceeds benefit the Department of Patient Care: Patient Experience at Hackensack University Medical Center.
More than 20 gifted designers work tirelessly to transform a Saddle River home into a dazzling display of today’s home fashions, open to the public for six spectacular weeks. The Showhouse debuted with an exclusive Preview Party on October 3, 2017 and remains open to the public from October 4 until November 12, 2017 (except Mondays).
In anticipation of our visit to the Showhouse, we connected with one of the designers for an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse of the House’s magical transformation.
Peter Salerno, CMKBD of Peter Salerno Inc. granted us a true insider’s look at the Designer Showhouse of New Jersey despite the chaos of the upcoming display. As founder and principal designer of his family-operated firm, Peter – along with his wife and children, who have joined the business – has earned dozens of National Awards and the respect of professionals and design aficionados nationwide.
How does one get the opportunity to participate in the Designer Showhouse of New Jersey?
For me, the opportunity presented itself. When the builder, Joe Di Staulo, built the Saddle River home, he contacted me to make the kitchen and bathrooms special; more recently, we reconnected and he offered me a space in the Showhouse. I chose the kitchen, though the master bathroom is truly a work of art; we created totally separate his-and-hers master baths, and his is a thoroughly masculine space complete with walnut cabinetry and incredible vanity door panels made of recycled leather belts, all black leather with silver details and heavy-duty buckles. It’s a room that’s truly his own.
But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to enhance the kitchen I’d already done, so my team took on that room. It’s incredible to watch a “finished” space come to life and transform entirely with a bit of dressing up; we took it from one level to an entirely new hyper-level of beauty. Anyone can sell cabinets, but a true designer breathes life into a room with the details that make all the difference: accessories, window treatments, even a $500 paint job have the power to complete a room.
I love to watch my clients’ reactions when I show them shots of “completed” kitchens before and after the designer treatment – and that’s what drove our creativity in the design of the Showhouse kitchen.
How long does it take you and your team to prepare and execute the design?
The project took about 3 weeks to complete, but it was a multi-stage process. We worked together with the team who designed the adjacent breakfast area, Diane Boyer and Scott Broadfoot, to create a cohesive environment.
Do you collaborate with the other designers in the Showhouse? Is there a central theme?
There is no central theme, but we did collaborate with Diane and Scott for good flow in the adjoining rooms. It was incredible to work with them as we share a similar design style and passion.
We started with the color of the year, a blue-green shade, and implemented hues in that color family throughout both areas. Diane used that color on her side of the room, and my kitchen includes backers on the glass door inserts in a similar (but more blue) shade as well as a painted chandelier soffit over the island.
What I love most about working on the Showhouse is that I am the client – it’s a chance for me to design the way I want to, a chance to showcase the extraordinary rather than the ordinary. If you want to see everyday design, you can go to your neighbor’s house – at the Showhouse it’s all about making a memorable statement beyond anyone else’s guidelines, using the imagination, and thinking out of the box.
Can you tell us a bit about what you will be doing for this year’s Showhouse?
It’s definitely not an ordinary kitchen! When decorating a breakfast area, your first inclination would be to place the table in the center of the room. So we didn’t do that. Instead, the middle of the room features a fountain with a bust of a woman; it’s flanked by two life-sized sculptures on either side of the room, complete with benches like those in art museums for diners to sit and admire the sculpture to the soothing sound of water.
Of course, there is a place to sit and eat – a table for four topped with a custom-made leaf-shaped slab of white granite that looks like a spearmint leaf. But 90% of the space is art over function; it’s more art gallery than dining area. The theme of the breakfast area is Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, with a strong emphasis on empowering women; it honors women in art form and sculpture.
My kitchen’s theme is culinary arts, and as a serious cook I appreciate that food is truly an art form that can be enjoyed with loved ones. It features two islands; one is set up as a pasta station (complete with Kitchen Aid, drying rack, rolling pin, flour, and fake eggs in a basket) and the other topped with a cheese platter and wine glasses. To me, it represents the perfect night with family and friends, enjoying wine and fine cheese as I roll out pasta. The kitchen is all about spending time together, but it’s also a place of beauty; the kitchen is the canvas on which beautiful art is created, served, and enjoyed.
And what’s a night of pasta-making and good company without the perfect bottle to uncork? Wine plays a central role in these moments—not just as a beverage, but as an experience that enhances the flavors of the meal and deepens the joy of connection. Whether it’s a bold red to pair with a rich ragu or a crisp white to balance the creamy notes of a truffle pasta, the right wine elevates the entire evening.
Over time, I’ve learned that curating a well-rounded collection matters just as much as the ingredients in the dish. While wine flows freely at these gatherings, I’ve also developed an appreciation for the nuances of carefully aged spirits and unique blends that bring depth to after-dinner conversations.
Tucked into a cabinet near the islands, a few bottles of top shelf liquor hold a special place—reserved for toasting the milestones, big and small, that naturally arise around the dinner table. These choices reflect the same care and artistry that define the kitchen itself, rounding out each occasion with warmth, celebration, and a hint of indulgence.
Of course, the kitchen harmonizes with the breakfast area, with art flowing from one room to the next – you’ll find busts and pieces of art on the islands and corner cabinets – and joining the spaces seamlessly.
The entire Showhouse is an experience for the senses; every room is spectacular. The rooms have been transformed from empty shells to beautiful displays of art, illustrating the talent of the designers who have pulled out all the stops.
Tell us a about your background and your firm outside of the Showhouse.
I’ve been a kitchen and bath designer for 35 years, certified for 25 years, and working for myself for 20. My wife, Tracy, has been with me from the beginning, managing the office and keeping the business end running smoothly. My children, Anthony and Gabrielle, were in grade school when I started out; today they’re irreplaceable parts of the business. Anthony does design work with me – I’m grooming him to earn his certification – and Gabrielle, who’s great with color, hardware, and surfaces, guides our clients’ projects to completion with her flair for “home jewelry,” creating a huge impact in every room.
We make a great team! In the past 20 years we’ve won 35 National Awards, which I believe is more than anyone else. We enter contests to keep our edges sharp; in this industry, you have to be on your A game at all times.
We’ve done work for actors, athletes, and other high-profile clients; we particularly enjoy working with business owners, who truly appreciate the value of a great result. We’ve worked in homes across the country and even around the world, and have done some really large-scale projects, like a house with three kitchens and 25 bathrooms!
When I started working at the age of 25, I met two different kitchen designers and asked them about their jobs. One answered that he “just sells boxes” – the other, that he creates masterpieces. It reminded me of the tale told of two men putting up a wall; when asked what they were doing, one answered that he was laying bricks; the other was building a cathedral. I decided that I don’t want to be a cabinetmaker – I want to be an artist. It’s that passion that drives every one of my projects to this day!
Do you have a favorite project from the many that you’ve done?
While I love every project and have completed about 7-8,000 of them – each one of which is special in its own way – there have been a few standouts. I once built a kitchen in California that featured two lifelike trees – 8’ high and 10’ wide! – on either side of the fridge and freezer. We found a carver who worked on it for a solid two months!
Another client visited a three-story timber lodge in Colorado and wanted to recreate the atmosphere. He proceeded to buy an entire mountain – several hundred acres – and build his dream house. His kitchen included mesquite wood that we scoured the country to find and concrete counters with chiseled edges; the 7”-thick island counter edge is embossed with a scene of deer running through a forest, specially forged for us by a concrete professional.
One of my very favorite projects is a recent one. An architect I work with was working on a house in Moscow (yes, in Russia!) and referred his client to me for kitchen design. They flew out to meet me, then decided to fly me out to Russia for a week to work on their project. It was a fantastic experience; the travel was incredible and the clients were like kids in a candy store, wanting eclectic features like a riveted-steel island that looks like it’s made of airplane parts, a refrigerator clad in old tin from the ceiling, and loads of unusual details. Working in foreign cities and countries is challenging but immensely satisfying and rewarding.