By Town Crier Staff

Los Altos interior designers are adding their creative touches to a masterful new Atherton home, the subject of a resurrected designer showcase event from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

The event, scheduled for Sept. 11 to Oct. 5, benefits the Peninsula and East Bay chapters of Habitat for Humanity and the educational and community service efforts of the ASID California Peninsula Chapter.

Kim Kaneshiro of Los Altos is among nearly 30 designers applying the finishing touches to 26 rooms and more than 13,000 square feet of living space in the Tudor-style estate at 1 Ridgeview Drive. Her makeover of a large bedroom and master bathroom, labeled space No. 21, is titled “An Elegant Space for Renewal.” She said she designed the rooms with the needs of a working professional woman in mind.

“The lady of the house is a hard-working doctor,” she imagines. “She uses this space to relax and to take care of calls when she’s ‘on call.’ This space is uniquely hers, and she enjoys the rich, neutral textures and warm woods. A more elegant and refined sanctuary is a reward for her senses. Classic and soft details bring her happiness in her environment. “

To achieve these goals, Kaneshiro offers an “Old World, European” feel with hand-painted stencil designs on the walls and a mural of an Italian landscape in the bathroom. She achieves an overall elegant yet understated look with a minimum of furniture and use of aged, golden-colored surfaces such as the bed frame and draperies.

“What I love about this room - everything is so soothing here,” said Sam Benzacar, a physician-turned-builder whose Creative Habitat built the Tudor estate.

Kaneshiro, a former Hewlett-Packard marketing manager, put her design degree from Canada College to work on her own home as well, as she and her husband transformed a Los Altos ranch house into a Spanish-Mediterranean spread.

Other Los Altos designers involved in the designer showcase are Linda Newton of Linda Newton and Associates, who worked on designing a 21st century home office; Marcia Miller, Steven Stein and Janice Marcus of the design firm Miller Stein, who decorated the family room; and Barry Johnson of the design firm Barry Johnson Design, who furnished the sitting room, pantry, bathroom and patio off the kitchen.

The Old World European theme extends throughout the house. Benzacar said that virtually every room “invites” the outside space, with windows and doors opening to beautiful gardens created from scratch.

Miller Stein of Los Altos and the Miller/Dolezal Design Group of Portola Valley are co-chairing the ASID showcase, back after a six-year hiatus. The Miller/Dolezal group transformed a narrow basement room into a comfortable guest bedroom employing two queen-size beds with tasteful fabrics and fixtures such as a “found-object” lamp that blends right onto the wall.

The house, by the way, is for sale. “It’s amazing they’re only asking $16 (million),” one designer said.

Kim Kaneshiro can be reached at www.kaneshirodesign.com. Miller Stein can be reached at www.millerstein.com. Barry Johnson Design can be reached at 559-7505. Linda Newton and Associates can be reached at www.lindanewtonassociates.com.

Showcase hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursdays; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Fridays through Sundays.

Tickets for the showcase are $30 in advance, $35 at the door. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 468-9090 or logon to www.asidcap.org