Hampton Designer Showhouse Foundation, Inc.

The Hampton Designer Showhouse Foundation, Inc. is led and operated by a dynamic team of experts from the worlds of marketing, public relations, fundraising and special events production. This is the eleventh year that they have combined their talents to produce what is now recognized as one of the country’s most successful showhouses. Hampton Designer Showhouse Foundation, Inc. is a 501 (c) (3) corporation.

Mario Buatta, Honorary Showhouse Chairman

Mario Buatta is one of America's foremost decorators. He was born in New York, studied architecture at Cooper Union and attended Parsons School of Design in Europe. After an apprenticeship in the decorating department of B. Altman & Co., Mr. Buatta became associated with several decorating firms including Elisabeth Draper, Inc. and then formed his own decorating company. Mr. Buatta holds Honorary Doctorates in the Fine Arts from Wagner College and Pratt Institute. He received the 1990 Augustus Saint Gaudens Award for Professional Achievement in Art and Architecture from the Cooper Union Alumni. He received the 1992 Cartier "Pasha" Award for outstanding professional achievement and distinguished public service and was recently named "Dean of Design" by the Chicago Merchandise Mart.

Jamie Drake, Honorary Design Co-Chairman

Launched in 1978 by Jamie Drake, Drake Design Associates (www.drakedesignassociates.com) creates residential and commercial interiors and products striking for bold washes of brilliant color, unexpected deployment of materials, and confident application of embellishment. Drake’s design signature is a joyous embrace of disparate periods and artistic movements into a harmonious, well-integrated present, and an uncompromising modernity in matters of function and comfort. Grounding each fantastic flight of ornament is a deep knowledge of historical periods and styles, as the firm’s renovation and restoration of Gracie Mansion (the official residence of the Mayor of New York City), the Prince George Ballroom (festooned with intricate neo-Renaissance detail), the century-old Vienna Secessionist-inspired premises of the New York Society for Ethical Culture, and the soaring public spaces and the Manhattan Marriage Bureau at New York’s City Hall attest. Residential clients of note include Michael Bloomberg and Madonna; commercial projects currently on the boards include headquarters for Sub-Zero, a private foundation in New York City, and two medical facilities in Florida (First Coast Oncology and La Villa II).

Alexa Hampton, Honorary Design Co-Chairman

Alexa Hampton is the President and featured designer of MARK HAMPTON, LLC.(www.markhampton.com), the world famous design firm founded in 1976 by her late father, Mark Hampton. Her work is classic, traditional and eclectic. Under her direction, the firm has completed a wide range of designs for domestic and international projects, including apartments and large residences, private airplanes and yachts. Alexa has designed a line of woven fabrics for Kravet Fabrics, under the label “Alexa Hampton for the Mark Hampton Signature Collection.” A more comprehensive line of fabrics, “Alexa Hampton Designs,” was launched in the summer of 2004, with new introductions in 2006 and 2010. Her own furniture line “The Alexa Hampton Collection” was launched by Hickory Chair Co. in spring, 2005. New additions were added in the spring of 2007 and the fall of 2009. 2007 saw the introduction of the Alexa Hampton Carpet Collection for Stark Carpet and the Alexa Hampton Lighting Collection for Visual Comfort & Co. These collections continue to grow annually. Alexa is also now a published author. Her book, “The Language of Interior Design,” was published by Random House in October 2010.

Showhouse Management

Tony Manning

Tony Manning is the Showhouse Marketing Chairman. He is also president of Mitchell Manning Associates, a full service public relations and marketing agency with a special focus on the home furnishings industry. His realm is the creation of the full scale public awareness campaign that has propelled the Hampton Designer Showhouse to national prominence in three short years, with phenomenal coverage in local and national newspaper media, home design magazines and television. He has also directed the packaging and sales of the various sponsorships that have linked the Showhouse with a variety of corporations in the publishing, banking, home design and related fields.

Mary Lynch

The administration of the thousand and one details that comprise the planning and the day to day management of the Showhouse are under the control of the highly talented Mary Lynch, whose background as the Director of Special Events at Southampton Hospital for twelve years makes her uniquely qualified to administer the myriad complexities involved in running a Showhouse. These range from supervising the rejuvenation of the house to coordinating the diverse needs of the designers creating their individual “fantasy space” within the Showhouse.