The Thanksgiving House, built by Definitive Homes, captured the people's spirit and the gold award for People's Choice Favorite Home at Tidewater Builders Association's 2009 Homearama at Culpepper Landing in Chesapeake.

The Thanksgiving House was the show's only EarthCraft certified home and featured 3 or 4 bedrooms with 3 baths in 2,502 square feet of space . It also won the silver award for Favorite Interior, which was decorated by Linda Federoff of Distinctive Designs by Linda, with furnishings by Amish Originals, Curious Cargo and Lemon Cabana. It took home the bronze award for Favorite Landscape by Tom Rozier of Dreamscape Designers.

The People's Choice Awards were determined by votes from those who attended Homearama 2009, TBA's annual display of custom showcase homes. More than 61,000 visitors toured the 12 newly built and decorated homes from Oct. 3-18.

William “Bill” Brice of WATAB Construction Corp., one of the original builders from the first Homearama in 1982, built The Elderberry: A Christmas Tradition, which won the silver award for Favorite House. It also won the bronze award for Favorite Interior by Cathy Tellefsen of Complete Interiors, with furnishings by Esprit Décor Home Furnishings . The Elderberry also won the silver award for Favorite Landscape by Tom Rozier of Dreamscape Designers.

Mary-Dolph Simpson of Simpson Builders Inc. took home the bronze award for Favorite House for her 2,542 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 2½ bath Bright Idea House. The Bright Idea House, aka the Chickadee House, also garnered attention because it was designed, decorated and built by women who strived to make every inch of space count.

The Walnut Cottage, built by Stephen Alexander Homes, took home the remaining gold awards for Favorite Interior Design and Favorite Landscape. The 5 bedroom, 4½ bath, 3,444-square-foot home was sponsored by Virginia Living magazine and was the show's green home. It was decorated by Susan Cox of Goodwin Interiors and furnished by Goodwin Interiors and Esprit Décor Home Furnishings. Robert Nye of Renaissance Outdoor Contracting Inc. did the landscaping and Aegean Pools built the pool.

And congratulations to Kat Hensley and Deja Lyles who have won a gift certificate to a restaurant of their choice!

The event was deemed a resounding success by exhibitors and builders alike, who reported that guests were more likely than those in years past to be seriously shopping for a home or a product for their home.

In fact, 75 percent of those who voted in The People's Choice survey at the event answered “yes” when asked if they saw or heard anything at the show that influenced them to make improvements to their home. Thirty-three percent of the 3,658 respondents indicated they are planning to purchase a new home within the next three years. 

Six of the 12 Homearama homes had sold before the start of the show and negotiations were under way on several other homes in Homearama and in other locations when the show ended.