While in NYC last month, I had the opportunity to attend the Kips Bay Show House.

The Show House is a fundraiser that supports the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club whose mission is to enhance the live of disadvantaged youth through developmental and educational programs.

Kips Bay is probably the most prestigious and best known show house in the country. It more recently expanded adding two other show houses (in Palm Beach and Dallas), but NYC is the granddaddy of them all and now in its 49th year.  

As a designer, I have been DYING to go for years and, as luck would have it, I was invited to NYC for a Designhounds Tour that coincided with the run of the show house!  The tour was Fan-TAS-tic and you can read all about that in the posts linked below, but here I want to share some of the creativity I witnessed in this show house.

I know from my experience years ago working on a couple of local show houses that show houses are high stress, expensive propositions for the designers costing tens of thousands to do a room even with the myriad of vendor donated products and labor. 

And the stress comes into play with executing the custom design and installation on a VERY tight timeline. This house had to come together in just 6 weeks from the time designers were notified to opening day. 😳

And, because unique and splashy is what gets noticed and photographed, and receives press, show house rooms at this level tend to be wildly creative and a little over the top from what one might normally want to live with.

Additionally, show house rooms are an opportunity for designers to design without any client requirements, so they often push boundaries and experiment with new ideas a bit. 

The result of all that is that there are always new inspiring and interesting choices to file away for future reference, making attending them one of my favorite pastimes - it’s like stepping into the pages of a design magazine, or down Alice’s rabbit hole…

Images hardly do it justice, and disclaimer- these are not ideal as I was working around piles of people and some unfortunate lighting conditions for pictures.  But hopefully I can give you a taste of what I saw.

We drove up the 4.4 miles from Tribeca to the Upper East Side, which took nearly an hour because it’s NYC…We pretty much could have walked almost as fast LOL, but it was hot. 

The house itself was spectacular; a 12,000 sq ft, 5 level Federal style brownstone in the Upper East Side that was designed by architect Charles Platt and built in 1904.  Interestingly, this has been the site of the Kips Bay Decorator Show House once before as well. 

Here’s the obligatory shots of my friend Judith (of Judith Taylor Designs) and I on the front steps of the house.

All of the spaces were given titles by the decorator, which gives us a clue as to the inspiration they were working from. 

I wish there were writeups for each room with more exposition on each space, and before pictures to help understand the transformation, but alas, the thick show house book does not include that, only a title and resource list.

The entrance, “Reframed Foyer” by Bennet Leifer Interiors was highlighted by fascinating draped strands of ceiling lights and cords and tassels hung from a reflective metallic papered ceiling.  My pictures are not as dramatic and moody as the space actually feels, but you can see the ceiling well at least.  

The first room you enter from the foyer is a front room by McMillen Inc which they titled “Old Guard/Avant-Garde”.  It was an eclectic mix of new and old styles and a riot of colors, patterns, and textures.  The stunning Gracie wall covering was my favorite part of this space.

From there we headed up the stairs to the top floor to work our way down.  There are two staircases - a grand one that connects the first and second floors and a second staircase that connects all five levels.

The grand staircase and upper hall and powder bath were designed by Lucinda Loya Interiors.  Titled “It’s Enchanted Roots” - with inspiration from the stunning existing wrought iron railing, the stairs and hall are a study in graphic neutrals.

The powder bath included this intriguing bat sculpture/sconce thing…not sure I’d want to encounter THAT in the middle of the night LOL.

And the lower hall with its handpainted walls, stunning florals, and adjacent bar alcove by M.Naeve is titled “Modern Romance”. The stone floor has round accent pieces rather than the expected square shape.

The back winding staircase by Swati Goorha Designs is titled “Metamorphosis: A Journey of Transformation”.  This quick video will give you a glimpse of the progressive color change on the walls.

It spans all the levels in a rainbow of color gradations, from the graphic carpet to the ombre walls with LED wallpaper. The wallcovering, by Meystyle, has integrated LED lights that studded the walls like fireflies.  The dramatic chandelier with its crystal drops spans the entire height! 

On the upper floors are a series of bedrooms, baths and sitting rooms

I don’t have pictures or info on all of them, but here are most of them:

This pink room by Shawn Henderson was titled “Steel Sanctuary”…in addition to a lot of metal elements there was an abundance of fringe represented here.

This room, by Mikel Welch Designs, Inc entitled “A Night in the Cotswold” included deep green limewashed walls and ceiling with wood beams, a tapestry, and a cushy sherpa sofa.

The adjoining charming little bath features House of Hackney’s Plantasia wallcovering and pretty sage Kohler plumbing fixtures.

The lighting makes for terrible photos and turning them off would have been frowned upon LOL. There are waaaay better pictures of these spaces on Mikel’s IG account!

This blue and white “On a Clear Day” bedroom by Patrick Mele Inc features a fresh take on the classic blue and white bedroom. A white canopied bed is lined in a navy floral.  Matching carpet covers the floor.

This “Smoke and Mirrors” bathroom by Vanessa Deleon Associates was the rockstar of sexy bathrooms.  From the intricate marble floor, to the gilded ceiling, every detail oozed luxury and intrigue.

“The Andes Club” sitting room, bar and hall by Phillip Thomas was layered and nuanced with wallpaper, wall upholstery, art, custom furnishings, marble, and creative use of lighting and AV effects. 

The overall effect was breathtaking!

While they were in fact custom made for the space, it is one of the only instances I’ve ever seen of grommet curtains in a designer space.  

The “Fumoir Féminin” by Workshop/APD is a sanctuary in the primary suite envisioned as a retreat for the lady of the house to enjoy her collections and little vices in private. With its wallpapered ceiling, lighted curvaceous display shelves, and elegant furnishings it is the essence of quiet luxury.

“Chez Benjamin” is Benjamin Vandiver Interiors take on a Paris loft full of curiosities.

And a few other notable spaces from the upper floors…

A black ceiling in a serene sitting room called “Study of Art and Beauty” by Jeremiah Brent,

And an elegant black marble bath with a mix of textured and smooth marble by Justin Scott Interiors,

This is getting reeeeeeeaaaalllly long, so I’ll be back soon with Part 2 soon to share the garden level and main level rooms! 

Ciao for Now…

UPDATE: Part 2 can be read HERE

Other posts from the NYC adventures you might like:

Designhounds take NYC and Dinner with FreePower, the elegant wireless charging solution

Whats new in furniture?  Current trends from the ICFF show

A Day of Indulgences with Mr. Steam

Design for the Senses with SKS Appliances