A Kansas City – Inspired Escape

Story by Mollie Pfeifer / Photography by Matt Kocourek

With each step down the staircase of the 2025 Symphony Designers’ Showhouse, the present fades. The lights grow dimmer, the colors richer, and the air takes on a secretive hush. Designer Meg Hilburn of Circa Interior Design envisioned the remodel of this lower level as a journey into Kansas City’s Prohibition past. “Kansas City has such a rich history,” she says. “Making the speakeasy feel true to that era was our way of honoring it.”

Hilburn set the tone through color. Two historic Sherwin-Williams greens, Rookwood Shutter for the cabinetry and slightly brighter Dard Hunter for the walls, create the enveloping calm of a hidden lounge. “I love a deep green,” Meg says. The greens ground the room, while gold accents add warmth and polish. “Unlacquered brass reigned in that era, so I wanted to embrace that warmth,” she says.

From the hand-painted faux wood floors to the ceiling overhead, painted in a deep tone called Black Fox, every surface feels intentionally aged. The brick and stone walls, original to the home, still bear the marks of time.

At the heart of the speakeasy is its showstopping bar. The backlit mirrored display gleams with brass and glass shelving, drawing the eye the moment guests enter. Builder Kyle Coelho constructed the feature from scratch based on Hilburn’s design, assembling each section in a careful sequence to achieve the perfect reveal. The original mahogany wood bar was deconstructed and rebuilt, giving it new functionality while retaining its history. “We created space for a dishwasher, ice maker & fridge,” Meg says, “I still don’t know how Kyle pulled it off!”

To introduce the time-travel illusion, Meg lined the stairwell with antique movie stills from the 1920s and 1930s. “Everything is intentional,” she says. “It’s meant to feel like you get to go back in time and discover. It sets the mood before you even reach the bottom step.”

At the base of the stairs, a salvaged oak door stands guard, a nod to the secrecy of the speakeasy era. It’s complete with a peephole made from an antique brass keyhole, repurposed from the homeowner’s grandmother’s house by specialty woodworker Brian Williams. “You see that door and immediately wonder what’s behind it,” Coelho says.

Through an arched brick opening, the energy shifts. The quiet intimacy of the speakeasy gives way to color, brightness, and a touch of theatrical flair in the adjoining game room.

“The concept for the game room started with the pool table, which was allegedly owned by P. T. Barnum,” Meg says. The ornate piece, with carved circus-tent details and rich woodwork, became the centerpiece and inspiration for the room’s design.

Hilburn layered the space with bold visual gestures that nod to the exuberance of the circus. “The red and white stripes came from the image of a circus tent,” she says. “It’s lighthearted and energetic.” The existing checkerboard concrete floor adds instant character. “It was a painted detail already in the space,” Coelho says. “It made sense to keep it because it fit perfectly with the game room feel.”

Art deco era lighting ties the room together, blending practicality and atmosphere. “The lighting highlights specific areas of the room in its own way,” Coelho says. “Every part of the room can have its own feel.” Hilburn adds, “I always put everything on dimmers. It lets you create the right mood for whatever’s happening.”

The walls display a series of whimsical, vintage-style prints, one a roaring Barnum & Bailey tiger head, another a circus-striped print piece that reads: Turns out, these are my monkeys and this is my circus. “That’s for the family,” Meg says. “I knew they’d have a blast down there!”

By combining contrasting moods, elegant and lively, refined and playful, Hilburn, Coelho, and their team turned two basement rooms into a single immersive experience. One invites cozy conversation, the other sparks laughter and play. “It means a lot to me that so many talented pros and friends in KC came together and helped each other on this,” Meg says. “Their passion shows in every detail.”