Sherry and I have begun work on another new house. Before you gasp—no, we’re not moving into it, and it isn’t technically ours. In fact, it isn’t built yet.

Right now the lot looks like a blank slate: wooded, promising, and ready for a home to rise. Some readers might remember the Mega House Crashing we did last year, where we toured eight custom show homes built and styled by different teams as part of Homearama. Well, the organizers asked us to design one of the homes for next year’s Richmond Homearama, and we couldn’t be more excited.

We’re thrilled and a little overwhelmed. This opportunity stretches us in new ways: planning an entire home from scratch on a wooded lot, collaborating on new construction (which we haven’t done before), designing a house that will be sold after the show, and working within someone else’s budget. On top of that, we’ll be going up against experienced interior designers who produced some incredible rooms last year.

We couldn’t pass up the chance to jump in, especially because the event supports a great cause. Instead of keeping our design fee, we chose to donate the entire amount to Richmond’s Habitat for Humanity. The Homearama event also supports Habitat in other ways during the show, so the project has a meaningful charitable dimension in addition to the creative challenge.

This project aligns with our broader goal of taking on work beyond our own house to push our creative limits. We literally jumped at the chance to be involved. We’ve already been touring the lot and imagining how the house will sit in the landscape; the plan is for the roof to be on by Christmas, with the show taking place next May.

We’ve been sketching floor plans for several weeks. Of the seven custom builders participating in the show, we’re teaming up with Biringer Builders. They brought an initial plan to our first meeting, and we’ve been marking it up and iterating ever since. That back-and-forth has been one of the most rewarding parts of this project. Since the house exists only on paper for now, it’s been easy to propose changes: “What about a French door here?” “Could we build in a window seat or bookshelves there?” The builder, John, has been a fantastic collaborator—offering smart suggestions like adding a transom window above a door or adjusting a wall to improve flow. It’s far simpler to move walls on paper than after they’re framed.

John’s team will handle all construction, so it isn’t a DIY project for us—apart from any custom furniture or art pieces we might make for the finished rooms. Our responsibilities include refining the layout, selecting all finishes (flooring, countertops, appliances, sinks, cabinetry, and more), plus furnishing and accessorizing every space. With John’s skilled carpenters, masons, and electricians on board, we can dream bigger and include features that might be impractical in our own home. Since we’re aiming to raise as much as possible for Habitat, we’re committed to working hard to make this house special.

Between now and next May, we’ll share updates as the house takes shape. Expect to see final floor plans, finish selections, and decorating decisions room by room. One fun aspect is being able to execute design ideas that don’t fit into our current house—like finally including a generous walk-in pantry. It’s a chance to experiment and showcase some creative solutions on a larger scale.

We’ve been juggling this project along with life’s usual chaos since moving, so consider the cat out of the bag. We’re excited and nervous—many of the other designers have years of showhouse experience, so our first time feels like a rodeo. Some days we want to hide under the table, but shiny tile samples and design possibilities always lure us back out.

Update: Want to see the finished showhouse? We’ve posted a full showhouse tour with final photos of every room, the floor plan, budget details, a video walk-through, and information about the furniture and accessories used. Check our site’s photo gallery for the complete tour.