Carol Kurth of Carol Kurth Architecture/Interiors of Bedford, N.Y. with her installation, ‘You’ve Got Mail!’

The Ridgefield Guild of Artists has had a makeover. Its gallery barn at 34 Halpin Lane in Ridgefield is now a holiday marketplace for its eighth annual “Festive Home event,” a five-week holiday fund-raiser that is now open and features expanded shopping days and extended hours, through Sunday, December 23. It is open Tuesday through Sunday, 11-5 (Closed November 21 and 22 for Thanksgiving.)

This year’s theme is “Color Your Holidays.” The usually white walled gallery space has been magically converted into vibrant holiday home vignettes showcasing the variety of gift giving, decorating and entertaining items for sale by area artisans and decorators.

In the charming antique barn, shoppers will find an eclectic array of gift items for family and friends, as well as entertaining at home. The merchandise is all hand-selected, with many pieces handmade and reasonably priced, from ornaments, candles, cards, glassware and pottery, to jewelry, scarves, bags, toys, artwork, and much more.

Among the many volunteers who are helping with the event are the 12 designers who have donated their time and talents to create holiday vignettes that set the scene for the sale. They each have teamed up with a member artist, enhancing the space with artwork.

Exhibitors/designers

Of the “Designer Dozen,” nine area teams return this year, with three joining in for the first time.

Visitors will be drawn into the first gallery by the vibrant designs of Margaret Wilson, Andrea Anderson, Christy Kinsman, along with the team of Robin Curnan and Susan Buzaid.

Bedford’s Margaret Wilson of Margaret Wilson & Company joins Festive Home for the first time and approaches her vignette as she does for each room she designs. She considers volume and mass from floor to ceiling as an essential part of the design, as well as texture, color and furnishings. Sculptor Justin Perlman and photographer/artist Nancy Woodward contribute their talents to the installment as well.

After closing her Ridgefield brick and mortar boutique, Hazel & Sid, in 2011, artist and designer Andrea Anderson turned her focus toward her art (namely oil painting and photography), her blog and home design. She has been involved with the event for the past three years and this year’s installation is a pointed departure from her usual color-infused creations.

Christy Kinsman, owner of The Little House Shoppe in Ridgefield returns for her second year. Her vignette schematic color is gold, a color associated with abundance and prosperity, luxury, prestige and sophistication.

Rounding out the first gallery is a vignette by the Olley Court team of Robin Curnan and Susan Buzaid. They are celebrating their fifth year on Main Street in Ridgefield with an expansion next door to include the Olley Court Lifestyle boutique. This is their fourth year back at Festive Home. Using copper as their background, they are teaming up with painter Rachel Volpone, complementing her piece with natural elements.

Moving into the center gallery, shoppers will notice homey designs by Beth Rosenfield, Terri Reilly and Maggie Hudson Blau. With a vignette featuring soft gray tones with cozy, colored still life paintings by Dorothy Byers Lorenze, Rosenfield hopes visitors to the Guild feel a moment of peace and nostalgia for a simpler time during the hectic holiday season.

Terri Reilly of TR Design has been working in the industry for more than 30 years in Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts. She is collaborating with artist Lena Robinson, an old friend and new member to RGA. For her sixth turn at Festive Home and using purple as her backdrop color, Reilly’s vignette illustrates the “icing on the cake” when designing a home. “ It’s what makes a house a home and completes it, filling it with life, love and dreams,” she said.

Maggie Hudson Blau of Hudson Blau Designs of Westport returns for her second time. She and artist Amy Kaplan agreed on a theme of a relaxing holiday. With their color of aqua, they will strive to create a memorable yet frenzy-free holiday mood.

The main gallery space in the back houses more holiday designs by Carol Kurth, Jeanne Rowella and Lisa Casagrande, Molly Hirsch, Donna Von Holdt, and Lisa Bartro.

Bedford’s Kurth, (Carol Kurth Architecture/Interiors), is an architect and designer and new to the event this year. Her theme is “You’ve Got Mail!” and her installation transforms the humble mailbox into a fun, interactive and novel form of communication to bring cheer this holiday season. “Serving as a mudroom entry hall, our space invites visitors to write letters to Santa, U.S. Troops abroad and patients to local children’s hospitals — creating a colorful, layered vignette.” As Festive Home nears the holidays, the Kurth team will send the letters and spread holiday cheer, bringing the concept full circle. Mary Pat Devine contributes her colorful organic watercolors to the dark grey and bright orange space.

The Gilded Nest, a shop in the Branchville section of Ridgefield, specializes in vintage and new home furnishings, lighting and interior decorating, along with many gift items. Jeanne Rowella and Lisa Casagrande are celebrating their fifth year in business together and their fourth collaboration with the Guild of Artists. They feature the color red in their festive vignette and a piece of artwork by Tarol Samuelson.

Molly Hirsch Interiors was born in 2003 when she moved to Ridgefield with her family. For years, she has contributed her original designs to the event and this year her vignette is inspired by the sophisticated pallet and graceful lines of her partner artist, Kim Hanna.

Donna Von Holdt of Tables of Content is an artist, florist and stylist who brings her talents to creating a holiday table where close friends and family want to gather. Her table features the color fuchsia, nature and a touch of the season’s sparkle.

Lisa Barto of LB Interiors of Redding.

The final space is filled with vivid color. Newcomer Lisa Bartro of LB Interiors of Redding was inspired by a painting by member artist Jordan Acker Anderson and incorporates the piece into her bright green backdrop. She comes from a family of artists and enjoys incorporating artwork into her designs: “I believe that art and interior design go hand-in-hand and always keep that in the forefront of my mind when creating room plans.”

Festive Home is The guild’s largest fundraiser of the year, helping to bring in much needed operating and program funds.

More info: 203-438-8863, rgoa@sbcglobal.net, RGOA.org