Cashiers – For nine days, starting with an opening night party on Thursday, August 24th, the residents of Cashiers and neighboring areas will be able to choose from a whole array of wonderful events surrounding the Cashiers Designer Showhouse. Practically every day and many evenings, there is something of interest to attend—-designer panels, seminars, art demonstrations, a high tea, and even a vendor village at the Village Green. This will be the 26th Annual Showhouse put together to benefit the Cashiers Historical Society. This year, the Cashiers Historical Society has chosen a classic mountain retreat to be enhanced by decorators in the Chimney Top neighborhood of the Club at High Hampton.
Stacie Platt and Ellen Turner are the co-chairs of this event. They have been working closely with the many volunteers and decorators who are needed to bring this event to life. Designers from all over the area—Atlanta, Charlotte, Birmingham, Gainesville, Ga.—as well as more local designers from Highlands, Brevard, and Cashiers—all picked a space to showcase their talents in this picturesque house with 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths. There are many spaces to be adorned, such as a mudroom and laundry room, an art room, a fire pit, an office and yoga room, as well as bedrooms and living rooms. This year’s theme is “Historically, Cashiers.” 2023 designers include Heather McKeown of Land and Sky Designs, Lisa Wester Interiors, Stacie Platt of Rusticks, Abbi Williams of Red Door Design Studio, Melanie Couch and Nancy Dyleski of Spruce Interiors, Lynn Monday, Douglas Hilton of DWH Interiors, Nellie Jane Ossi with Mrs. Howard, Holly Watson of Acorns Boutique & Old Edwards Inn, Platt Home, Eric Ross Interiors, Maggie Griffin, Janice Dietz, and Lauren Robbins.
Tickets are now available, with the event running from August 25th to September 2. Tickets are $40 online and at ticket outlets, or $50 at the door. This classic showhouse itself was designed and built by Jim Robinson of Design South Builders, who is also a presenting sponsor of the show together with Allen Tate Real Estate. For many years, The Cashiers Designer Showhouse has been held in various locations as this is the Historical Society’s largest annual fundraiser, providing vital funds for operations, educational programming, and the preservation of its historical buildings and grounds. The first house in 1998 had Anne McKee, Windy Dowden, and Ann Austin as the chairmen, and it was held at the Hooper House on Cashiers Lake. The funds from these showhouses have enabled the Cashiers Historical Society to maintain and preserve many buildings in the Cashiers Valley area, such as the Zackary-Tolbert House, the School House, which was once on the property of the southern stateman, Wade Hampton III, and Colonel John’s Cabin, one of the oldest extant structures in the area. The society also offers a full schedule of educational events throughout the year for children and adults. For more information or to join, go to CashiersHistoricalSociety.org.
This year’s showhouse will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and transportation is provided from The Village Green’s Lewis Hall. Shuttles will run approximately every 25 minutes from 10:00 a.m. to 3:50 p.m., with the last patron pick-up from the Showhouse at 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person and available at cashiershistoricalsociety.org/showhouse and at the following ticket locations: Cashiers Chamber of Commerce, Rusticks, and Acorns Boutique in Highlands, N.C.
Festive events are currently planned, all ticketed separately. The Opening Night Party, August 24th, at the Halsted House at High Hampton will celebrate the wonderful and rich Scottish heritage with a “Touch of Tartan.” It is a perfect opportunity to dance a reel with friends and hear renowned musicians. Tickets are available through sponsorship and benefactor packages only.
On Friday, the 25th, a designer panel will be held at the Chattoga Club at 2:00 p.m. Renowned interior designers Suzanne Kasler and Francie Hargrove and celebrated architects Norman Askins and Mark Paullin unveil the design blueprint for elevated mountain living with a compelling panel discussion at The Chattooga Club. Tickets are available at www.cashiershistoricalsociety.org/cds-tickets.
On Saturday, the 26th, Mary Palmer Dargan will hold a landscape seminar at 1:00 p.m. at the Pavilion at The Village Green. Learn how to maximize the use of your land by using five long-term landscape design techniques and the four-part master plan. Mary Palmer’s work has been published in many national publications, featured on HGTV, and received innumerable awards. This is a free event open to the public.
On Tuesday, the 29th, you can experience the Showhouse at Twilight with an evening tour featuring specialty cocktails curated by Carlton Chamblin, founder of Farm2Cocktail. On Wednesday, August 30th, Moss Mountain Farm comes to Cashiers with P. Allen Smith, an award-winning garden designer, at The Flag House, the home of Linda and Mark Quick, at 6:30 p.m. On Thursday, August 31st, P. Allen Smith will hold a luncheon and presentation at 11:00 a.m. at Canyon Kitchen in Lonesome Valley. Friday, September 1st A High Tea will be at the Inn at High Hampton at 3:00 p.m., which will include delicious pastries and a wide choice of exotic teas. Then on Saturday, September 2nd, artist Sue Fazio (wife of renowned golf course architect Tom Fazio) will give an art demonstration at the Pavilion at The Village Green at 11:00 a.m. This is a free event open to the public. To attend some of these events, find more information, and purchase tickets, please visit cashiershistoricalsociety.org or call 828-743-7710.