More than a Showhouse

Lauren Grimes
5 days ago
2 min read

The Community within Flower Magazine’s Nashville Showhouse

In October of 2025, a very special showhouse came to Nashville. Led by FLOWER Magazine, the home showcased twenty-three designers throughout twenty-three rooms. Each room became the designer’s canvas. From walls adorned in pink-and-caramel stripes to fabulous floral arrangements in every room, the house was nothing short of magnificent. However, the community behind the home was the real showstopper.

Margot Shaw, founder and editor-in-chief of FLOWER Magazine, knew that she wanted to do the publication’s fifth project in Nashville. The builder they were working with told them about a home under renovation. After looking at pictures of the house, Margot knew immediately that this house was from the show Nashville and decided it would be the perfect location.

The process began and Margot started calling people to help turn this 20,000-square-foot house into a masterpiece. With sixty-three sponsors, twenty-three designers, countless builders and architects, there was a lot to organize. Despite the size of the team, the whole project seemed to work in unison. FLOWER Magazine never required designers to rely on sponsorship, so everything could be authentically woven into their room. They believe the beauty of a showhouse is that it allows designers to be free to express their individual styles and voices.

When you gather twenty-three designers together, you never really know what will happen. In this case, the camaraderie was prevalent with the home having, as Margot mentioned, a “sweet spirit” to it. Alexandra Norwood, a former employee of FLOWER Magazine and a designer in the showhouse, shared that if she was not around, dead flowers would be removed, or the bed would be fluffed. There was a special level of community that poured out of the home.

The Nashville Showhouse brought another aspect of community to the home by donating a portion of ticket sales to The Next Door Recovery, a local nonprofit organization that provides expert care for women facing substance use and co-occurring disorders. They do this in a faith-based and compassionate setting to empower women for lifetime recovery.

As a woman given a second chance at life, Margot is passionate about giving back to the community and even calls it her “soul work.” The Next Door Recovery helped coordinate docent volunteers, who guided guests through the showhouse while assisting with watering flowers and upkeeping the space. Between befriending all of the designers and welcoming guests, the community volunteers quickly became a beloved staple throughout the event.

FLOWER Magazine is featuring the Nashville Showhouse in their Spring issue and, as a way to say thank you to the Nashville community, they have decided to gift a portion of subscriptions to their March/April issue back to the city. They will be working with United Way of Greater Nashville to help provide relief to people affected by the winter storm.

As Erica Mitchell, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Nashville, shared, “FLOWER Magazine is not only helping raise funds, but also shining a light on neighbors who are still rebuilding and inviting others to be part of the solution. That kind of collective effort has a real, lasting impact.”

To buy a copy of FLOWER Magazine's March/April issue or see a recap of the Nashville Showhouse, go to flowermag.com/recovery.