An old estate’s new look

SHOW houses are often more show than house -- a place to spot trends, get ideas and watch designers go wild. At the annual Beverly Hills Garden & Design Showcase opening Friday at the historic Greystone Mansion, visitors will see enough animal prints, arresting artworks and hand-painted wall treatments to make the 55-room, 1928 English Gothic estate feel absolutely contemporary.

Los Angeles interior and landscape designers have teamed with Style Network personalities such as Thom Filicia to transform the house and grounds. When it’s time to leave, you may find yourself contemplating an absinthe bar for your bohemian lounge, a wooden crocodile for your bathroom or, at the very least, an aquarium for the kitchen.

The show house will be open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily through Nov. 11. Tickets are $30. Proceeds will go toward the landmark’s restoration. The mansion is at 905 Loma Vista Drive in Beverly Hills. For information, call (310) 550-4753 or go to www.beverlyhillsgardenshowcase.org.

-- Lisa Boone