Eye-Catching Color and Pattern in the 2017 Kips Bay Show House
See how interior designers push the envelope in a 1905 brick neo-Georgian townhouse in New York City
A nature-inspired custom wallcovering, a moon gate made of pussy willow branches, and a whimsical hand-carved wood swing are just a few of the highlights of this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Showcase. Eighteen designers decorated four stories of a townhouse in Lenox Hill, a neighborhood on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, transforming each room in the neo-Georgian home in about six weeks.
The mansion was designed by classical architect, artist and landscape architect Charles A. Platt as a private home in 1905 and is on the market. After the show house event, the new owners may keep the renovations that have been made but often redecorate to personalize the space. The organizers of the showcase event walk through with the current homeowners to decide which features or changes they want to keep or restore.
The wallcoverings go back to the designers, and the walls get painted white. “It changes every year; some owners want it back to the original condition of the house, and some decide to keep the changes the designer made,” says Nazira Handal, director of special events and corporate partnerships at The Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. “This particular year, the homeowner wants to keep the renovations that were made.”
The mansion was designed by classical architect, artist and landscape architect Charles A. Platt as a private home in 1905 and is on the market. After the show house event, the new owners may keep the renovations that have been made but often redecorate to personalize the space. The organizers of the showcase event walk through with the current homeowners to decide which features or changes they want to keep or restore.
The wallcoverings go back to the designers, and the walls get painted white. “It changes every year; some owners want it back to the original condition of the house, and some decide to keep the changes the designer made,” says Nazira Handal, director of special events and corporate partnerships at The Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. “This particular year, the homeowner wants to keep the renovations that were made.”
The custom wallcovering features a menagerie of zoo animals in a spring garden. More than 30 panels were painted by hand by de Gournay’s in-house artisans, and each panel took up to 150 hours to complete.
Attic Sitting Room
Designer: Neal Beckstedt Studio
Neal Beckstedt’s global-inspired space harmoniously combines French and Scandinavian design, and is meant to be representative of a jet-setting collector.
A mix of colors, patterns, textures and materials play into the idea of raw versus refined materials in the space. A luxurious rust-orange curved sofa custom-designed by Beckstedt with fabric by Holly Hunt and Jim Thompson sits opposite the clean-lined Easy chair by Pierre Jeanneret to display the designer’s interest in mixing forms.
Floor and fireplace tile: Exquisite Surfaces; stone threshold: ABC Worldwide Stone
Designer: Neal Beckstedt Studio
Neal Beckstedt’s global-inspired space harmoniously combines French and Scandinavian design, and is meant to be representative of a jet-setting collector.
A mix of colors, patterns, textures and materials play into the idea of raw versus refined materials in the space. A luxurious rust-orange curved sofa custom-designed by Beckstedt with fabric by Holly Hunt and Jim Thompson sits opposite the clean-lined Easy chair by Pierre Jeanneret to display the designer’s interest in mixing forms.
Floor and fireplace tile: Exquisite Surfaces; stone threshold: ABC Worldwide Stone
Salon (this photo and next two)
Designer: Nick Olsen
Designer Nick Olsen’s space is inspired by French modernist salons of the 1930s and ’40s, taking special inspiration from Jean-Michel Frank’s interiors and the Paris apartment of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé.
Olsen played on different styles and textures, with a moody gray mirrored vestibule leading to an open and airy sitting room.
Designer: Nick Olsen
Designer Nick Olsen’s space is inspired by French modernist salons of the 1930s and ’40s, taking special inspiration from Jean-Michel Frank’s interiors and the Paris apartment of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé.
Olsen played on different styles and textures, with a moody gray mirrored vestibule leading to an open and airy sitting room.
Antique Donegal area rug: Bazar Oriental Rugs; rosewood armchair: Bernd Goeckler; velvet on multicolored pillow: Brunschwig & Fils; floral chintz on skirted club chair: Clarence House; curtains, valances and pillows: David Haag; wall-to-wall sisal carpet: Sacco Carpet; wood veneer wallcovering: Maya Romanoff; kuba cloth folding screen: The Work Room
Drawing Room (this photo and next)
Designer: Robert A.M. Stern Architects
In the drawing room, the original wood-paneled walls are juxtaposed with bold colors. The small settee is upholstered in a deep gardenia-leaf green velvet.
Custom mobile: Marco Mahler; red plates: Gio Ponti for Richard Ginori; rug: Crosby Street Studios; round coffee table: Barbarellahome; desk: Van Den Akker Antiques
Designer: Robert A.M. Stern Architects
In the drawing room, the original wood-paneled walls are juxtaposed with bold colors. The small settee is upholstered in a deep gardenia-leaf green velvet.
Custom mobile: Marco Mahler; red plates: Gio Ponti for Richard Ginori; rug: Crosby Street Studios; round coffee table: Barbarellahome; desk: Van Den Akker Antiques
One wall of yellow Venetian plaster features framed fragments of Andy Warhol’s 1966 fluorescent chartreuse-and-pink cow-head wallpaper from Stern’s personal collection. The 11-foot-long sofa is upholstered in a Dedar silk taffeta.
Bamboo Court (this photo and next two)
Design team: Janice Parker Landscape Architects
Janice Parker named the terrace garden Bamboo Court. The design intent is to honor the building’s history as the former headquarters for the China Institute of America while mindfully designing for the present and the future. Parker’s design team preserved and restored the existing handmade pebble mosaic paving and the wall details of the traditional Chinese garden.
The design mixes a range of horticultural elements to surround the existing mature ginkgo trees. Bamboo was planted to create a thick, lush grove. For a contemporary touch, natural and metal tropical plantings were added. The Chinese moon gate archetype is reinvented using pussy willow branches.
Compote bowl planter: Pennoyer Newman; moon gate and decorative fencing: Mahir Floral & Event Design; oversize zinc leaves: Bunny Williams for Ballard Designs
Design team: Janice Parker Landscape Architects
Janice Parker named the terrace garden Bamboo Court. The design intent is to honor the building’s history as the former headquarters for the China Institute of America while mindfully designing for the present and the future. Parker’s design team preserved and restored the existing handmade pebble mosaic paving and the wall details of the traditional Chinese garden.
The design mixes a range of horticultural elements to surround the existing mature ginkgo trees. Bamboo was planted to create a thick, lush grove. For a contemporary touch, natural and metal tropical plantings were added. The Chinese moon gate archetype is reinvented using pussy willow branches.
Compote bowl planter: Pennoyer Newman; moon gate and decorative fencing: Mahir Floral & Event Design; oversize zinc leaves: Bunny Williams for Ballard Designs
Pictured in the background and playing off the shape of the moon gate is Lunar Mantle, a sculpture by British artist David Harber.
Kitchen (this photo and next)
Designer: Bakes & Kropp
Robert Bakes and Paul Kropp are unveiling their new transitional-style collection, Revelane, in their kitchen. The cabinetry features modern silhouettes with an emphasis on clean lines and symmetry, but select parts are creatively finished in traditional farmhouse-style textures.
Island sink: Kohler; appliances: Miele USA; cabinet finish: Fossil Walnut, Bakes & Kropp; countertop: Neureise; cabinet hardware: Armac Martin; backsplash tile: Akdo
Designer: Bakes & Kropp
Robert Bakes and Paul Kropp are unveiling their new transitional-style collection, Revelane, in their kitchen. The cabinetry features modern silhouettes with an emphasis on clean lines and symmetry, but select parts are creatively finished in traditional farmhouse-style textures.
Island sink: Kohler; appliances: Miele USA; cabinet finish: Fossil Walnut, Bakes & Kropp; countertop: Neureise; cabinet hardware: Armac Martin; backsplash tile: Akdo
Garden Family Room
Designer: Kate Singer Home
Designer Kate Singer combined bold indigo blues and natural-tone linens for her family room. She was inspired by the courtyard and adjoining kitchen to create a room that invites rest and relaxation and that serves as the perfect spot for morning coffee.
Rug: Stark; window coverings: Mokum Textiles; sofa and round table: Hickory Chair
Designer: Kate Singer Home
Designer Kate Singer combined bold indigo blues and natural-tone linens for her family room. She was inspired by the courtyard and adjoining kitchen to create a room that invites rest and relaxation and that serves as the perfect spot for morning coffee.
Rug: Stark; window coverings: Mokum Textiles; sofa and round table: Hickory Chair
The Parlor Room (this photo and next)
Designer: Richard Mishaan Design
Fortuny fabrics, animal prints in silk velvet, and yards of gimps, cords and woven tape are the backdrop to designer Richard Mishaan’s layered decor in his parlor. Mishaan’s inspiration comes from Italian families in Venice and Florence who collected artisanal silks and fabrics and then layered them over time.
The wallcovering depicts a room from Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace and was printed in London. The featured art includes a contemporary Audubon painting by Walton Ford.
Fabric on sofas: Old World Weavers collection, Stark; custom pillows, custom parchment coffee tables and custom curtains: Richard Mishaan Furniture Collection; rug: FJ Hakimian; crystal lamps: Phoenix Gallery
Designer: Richard Mishaan Design
Fortuny fabrics, animal prints in silk velvet, and yards of gimps, cords and woven tape are the backdrop to designer Richard Mishaan’s layered decor in his parlor. Mishaan’s inspiration comes from Italian families in Venice and Florence who collected artisanal silks and fabrics and then layered them over time.
The wallcovering depicts a room from Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace and was printed in London. The featured art includes a contemporary Audubon painting by Walton Ford.
Fabric on sofas: Old World Weavers collection, Stark; custom pillows, custom parchment coffee tables and custom curtains: Richard Mishaan Furniture Collection; rug: FJ Hakimian; crystal lamps: Phoenix Gallery
Master Bedroom (this photo and next three)
Designer: Dineen Architecture + Design
This modern bedroom is inspired by terrazzo on a Havana sidewalk and the Christopher Kurtz whimsical carved wood swing. “This bedroom reflects our personal attitudes towards interiors where quirky playfulness is part of and integral to thoughtfully designed and crafted space, furniture and finishes,” says designer Joan Dineen.
Elegant fabrics and an Edward Fields silk area rug look extra refined next to concrete cubes, sisal carpet and hand-spliced hemp rope.
Designer: Dineen Architecture + Design
This modern bedroom is inspired by terrazzo on a Havana sidewalk and the Christopher Kurtz whimsical carved wood swing. “This bedroom reflects our personal attitudes towards interiors where quirky playfulness is part of and integral to thoughtfully designed and crafted space, furniture and finishes,” says designer Joan Dineen.
Elegant fabrics and an Edward Fields silk area rug look extra refined next to concrete cubes, sisal carpet and hand-spliced hemp rope.
Decorative wall treatment: Eva Buchmuller; sofa fabric: Nobilis; sofa: Christian Liaigre; drapery fabric: Pierre Frey; side chairs and lampshades: Lorin Marsh
Sconces and daybed: Donzella
Sitting Area (this photo and previous)
Designer: Timothy Brown Studio
Timothy Brown’s space was inspired by the photograph displayed in the stairway. In his storyline, Madame Amélie Beaumont grew up in Paris and New York City and then inherited her grandmother’s townhouse in New York City. Amélie redecorated the space with wallpaper that reminds her of summers in the south of France, plus influences from her studies in the States.
Carpet: Sacco Carpet; settee and small table: JED Design and Antiques; wallpaper: Adelphi Paper Hangings; drapery fabric and settee fabric: Rogers & Goffigon; console: C.J. Peters; mirror: Timothy Brown Studio
Designer: Timothy Brown Studio
Timothy Brown’s space was inspired by the photograph displayed in the stairway. In his storyline, Madame Amélie Beaumont grew up in Paris and New York City and then inherited her grandmother’s townhouse in New York City. Amélie redecorated the space with wallpaper that reminds her of summers in the south of France, plus influences from her studies in the States.
Carpet: Sacco Carpet; settee and small table: JED Design and Antiques; wallpaper: Adelphi Paper Hangings; drapery fabric and settee fabric: Rogers & Goffigon; console: C.J. Peters; mirror: Timothy Brown Studio
The Attic
Designer: Billy Cotton
Billy Cotton’s space is an interpretation capturing the final home of a woman who has seen much tragedy. The last stage of her life has been spent here in this top-floor, single-room-occupancy space, once a grand townhouse before its conversion after the war. Her cohort has sought to uplift her by redesigning the space and turning it into a joyful bazaar of pattern.
Wallpaper: Fromental; upholstery and coverlet fabric and curtains: Pierre Frey; carpet: Stark
Designer: Billy Cotton
Billy Cotton’s space is an interpretation capturing the final home of a woman who has seen much tragedy. The last stage of her life has been spent here in this top-floor, single-room-occupancy space, once a grand townhouse before its conversion after the war. Her cohort has sought to uplift her by redesigning the space and turning it into a joyful bazaar of pattern.
Wallpaper: Fromental; upholstery and coverlet fabric and curtains: Pierre Frey; carpet: Stark
Staircase and Bathroom (this photo and next two)
Designer: Scarpidis
Concrete-like wallpaper contrasts with a classic banister original to the townhouse in the second-floor staircase.
Wallpaper: Resource Furniture; carpet runner: Stark
Designer: Scarpidis
Concrete-like wallpaper contrasts with a classic banister original to the townhouse in the second-floor staircase.
Wallpaper: Resource Furniture; carpet runner: Stark
Ascending to the third-floor landing, the gallery area, with the redesigned custom chevron wood flooring with brass accents by Walking on Wood, is designed to open up the space. Scarpidis created an illuminating floating coffered ceiling, whose light glimmers on metallic paint.
The monochrome third-floor bathroom features a dark marble with dominant white veining that balances the wall’s sophisticated vertical marble dust striations. The bathtub includes double shower heads. A motorized curtain keeps the bathroom dry when showering.
Stone: ABC Worldwide Stone; plumbing fixtures: Kohler; motorized curtain: Crestron
Stone: ABC Worldwide Stone; plumbing fixtures: Kohler; motorized curtain: Crestron
Master Bedroom (this photo and next two)
Designer: Susan Ferrier of McAlpine
The master bedroom expresses a deeply personal and sensory appreciation for nature. Designer Susan Ferrier combined glamour and texture in choosing the color palette that is anchored by wall-to-wall forest-green silk and wool drapery panels. The area rug by Cavan Carpets creates a forest floor, and reflective surfaces in brass and gold reinforce the moonlit quality of the space.
Drapery: Holland & Sherry; chandelier: Jonathan Browning Studios; sheepskin throw: Ralph Lauren
Designer: Susan Ferrier of McAlpine
The master bedroom expresses a deeply personal and sensory appreciation for nature. Designer Susan Ferrier combined glamour and texture in choosing the color palette that is anchored by wall-to-wall forest-green silk and wool drapery panels. The area rug by Cavan Carpets creates a forest floor, and reflective surfaces in brass and gold reinforce the moonlit quality of the space.
Drapery: Holland & Sherry; chandelier: Jonathan Browning Studios; sheepskin throw: Ralph Lauren
A tiled assortment of framed archaeological prints surround the fireplace, creating a decorative architecture through scale and gestures.
Coffee table: David Iatesta; chaise: Bungalow Classic
Coffee table: David Iatesta; chaise: Bungalow Classic
An oversize vintage ammonite museum banner anchors the back wall.
Living Room (this photo and next two)
Designer: Robert Stilin
Designer Robert Stilin’s living space is inspired by contemporary European salons but is meant to be a luxuriously comfortable place for modern New Yorkers to unwind in. The room is set against a backdrop of dry and subtle marmorino plaster, and layered with collections of vintage furniture and an impressive collection of art, books and objects. Cashmere and alpaca fabrics and layered carpets set a luxe tone in this functional yet relaxing space.
Late Georgian cut chandelier: Mascheroni; aluminum table: Gerald Bland; pair of lounge chairs by Franco Albini and Franca Helg: Donzella; mantel: Chesney’s; jute-and-sisal rug: Stark; vintage Moroccan rug: Nazmiyal Antique Rugs; Swedish rya rug: F.J. Hakimian
Designer: Robert Stilin
Designer Robert Stilin’s living space is inspired by contemporary European salons but is meant to be a luxuriously comfortable place for modern New Yorkers to unwind in. The room is set against a backdrop of dry and subtle marmorino plaster, and layered with collections of vintage furniture and an impressive collection of art, books and objects. Cashmere and alpaca fabrics and layered carpets set a luxe tone in this functional yet relaxing space.
Late Georgian cut chandelier: Mascheroni; aluminum table: Gerald Bland; pair of lounge chairs by Franco Albini and Franca Helg: Donzella; mantel: Chesney’s; jute-and-sisal rug: Stark; vintage Moroccan rug: Nazmiyal Antique Rugs; Swedish rya rug: F.J. Hakimian
The 18th-century Georgian chandelier was modified by artist Eve Kaplan.
Stairway to SAVAGE (this photo and previous)
Designer: SAVAGE Interior Design
Jonathan Savage designed the grand staircase and landing, taking inspiration from his native Tennessee and the musings of Christian Dior’s soft color palettes. As you enter the foyer, your eyes are drawn upward to the dramatic custom black-and-white modern chinoiserie wallcovering by MJ Atelier. The wallcovering with hand-applied plaster motifs is inspired by Savage’s Southern roots. The mirrored niche insets along with Ice Crystals sconces by William Haines illuminate and reflect the neo-Georgian ironwork accenting the staircase.
Plaster console: Stephen Antonson; custom sofa by Michael Bagley: Wood, Spring & Down; custom sofa fabric: Jerry Pair; sconces: Profiles
Designer: SAVAGE Interior Design
Jonathan Savage designed the grand staircase and landing, taking inspiration from his native Tennessee and the musings of Christian Dior’s soft color palettes. As you enter the foyer, your eyes are drawn upward to the dramatic custom black-and-white modern chinoiserie wallcovering by MJ Atelier. The wallcovering with hand-applied plaster motifs is inspired by Savage’s Southern roots. The mirrored niche insets along with Ice Crystals sconces by William Haines illuminate and reflect the neo-Georgian ironwork accenting the staircase.
Plaster console: Stephen Antonson; custom sofa by Michael Bagley: Wood, Spring & Down; custom sofa fabric: Jerry Pair; sconces: Profiles
Drawing Room (this photo and next)
Designer: Kirsten Kelli
Designer Kirsten Kelli’s space features a light and happy vibe, thanks to a calming white palette with vivid color introduced through artwork on the walls, including pieces by Damien Hirst, Kurt Pio and Roy Lichtenstein. The room is meant to offer casual relaxation and an uncluttered oasis in a bustling city.
Ivory sofa: EJ Victor; brass demilunes: Bernd Goeckler; center table and table lamps: Lorin Marsh; modern armchairs, benches and brass animal sculptures: John Salibello; wallpaper: Phillip Jeffries; rugs: Stark
Designer: Kirsten Kelli
Designer Kirsten Kelli’s space features a light and happy vibe, thanks to a calming white palette with vivid color introduced through artwork on the walls, including pieces by Damien Hirst, Kurt Pio and Roy Lichtenstein. The room is meant to offer casual relaxation and an uncluttered oasis in a bustling city.
Ivory sofa: EJ Victor; brass demilunes: Bernd Goeckler; center table and table lamps: Lorin Marsh; modern armchairs, benches and brass animal sculptures: John Salibello; wallpaper: Phillip Jeffries; rugs: Stark
Entryway Gallery
Designer: Powell & Bonnell
Designers David Powell and Fenwick Bonnell added energy to the entry area, which features original wood wall details, by using an eclectic mix of contemporary details like tortoiseshell replicas and an abstract hanging sculpture.
Criss-Cross hanging sculpture: Ridgely Studio Works; Spartacus sculpture: Harley Valentine Studio; tortoiseshell replicas: Powell & Bonnell; bronze deer, side table, mirror and Kudu chairs: Dennis Miller Associates
Designer: Powell & Bonnell
Designers David Powell and Fenwick Bonnell added energy to the entry area, which features original wood wall details, by using an eclectic mix of contemporary details like tortoiseshell replicas and an abstract hanging sculpture.
Criss-Cross hanging sculpture: Ridgely Studio Works; Spartacus sculpture: Harley Valentine Studio; tortoiseshell replicas: Powell & Bonnell; bronze deer, side table, mirror and Kudu chairs: Dennis Miller Associates
Lounge and Bar
Designer: Lichten Craig
Designers Kevin Lichten and Joan Craig embraced the dim and intimate qualities of their windowless space to create a bar and lounge. Warm charcoal de Gournay silk wall panels outlined in bronze; carefully calibrated lighting; a burgundy Italian marble bar; and Anne Harris’ mural, inspired by 17th-century Dutch paintings — they all work together to create a relaxed space. The design team created a seating area with a pair of Charles Ramos chairs, and displayed bottles and decanters behind bronze mesh doors.
Lounge chair fabric: Jim Thompson; bar stools: Créations Métaphores
See more photos from this year’s show house
More: See other designer showcases
Designer: Lichten Craig
Designers Kevin Lichten and Joan Craig embraced the dim and intimate qualities of their windowless space to create a bar and lounge. Warm charcoal de Gournay silk wall panels outlined in bronze; carefully calibrated lighting; a burgundy Italian marble bar; and Anne Harris’ mural, inspired by 17th-century Dutch paintings — they all work together to create a relaxed space. The design team created a seating area with a pair of Charles Ramos chairs, and displayed bottles and decanters behind bronze mesh doors.
Lounge chair fabric: Jim Thompson; bar stools: Créations Métaphores
See more photos from this year’s show house
More: See other designer showcases
Location: 125 E. 65th St., New York City
When: May 2 through June 6, 2017. Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.
Cost: $40 general admission. More info
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the annual show house event, which serves as a fundraiser to benefit The Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. The decorated rooms are not intended to create a unified interior but instead independently showcase each designer’s style, like a fashion show for interior design.
Dining Room (this photo and next two)
Designer: Ken Fulk
A vibrant green custom mural titled Mr. Fulk’s Secret Menagerie by de Gournay sets the scene in the dining room. The San Francisco-based designer imagined the 1960s dining area of an Upper East Side socialite who is known for colorful dinner parties.
Antique furnishings: Newel; silk and velvet fabric: Pierre Frey; passementerie: Samuel & Sons; rug: Stark; crystal stemware: Saint Louis; dinnerware: Hermès; tableware: Scully & Scully; drapery: Dawson Custom Workroom; wall paint: Farrow & Ball