Our Favorite Moments from the Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York 2024
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The 49th Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York has once again opened its doors to the public. This year, 24 designers and architects have overtaken a five-story 1904 neo-Georgian townhouse at 125 East 65th Street in New York’s Upper East Side. Every corner of the 12,000-square-foot building, designed by architect Charles A. Platt, has been graced with the designer’s touch, with lowly lit lounge rooms made for swirling smoke plumes, glamorous azure blue bedrooms (do we spot an original Renoir?), and jewel box dining rooms with more pattern play than most people know what to do with (aptly, Kit Kemp does).
“This year’s New York Show House is a testament to the extraordinary talent and professionalism of our participating designers, who have worked tirelessly these past 10 weeks to construct their spaces,” James Druckman, president of the board of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, said in a statement. The show house, which raises money for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, is now open for in-person visits through May 28. But if you, like us, couldn’t wait to see it IRL, read on for 10 of our favorite design moments.
An Interplay of Masculine and Feminine Energies
“Steel Sanctuary” was conceived by ELLE DECOR A-List decorator Shawn Henderson as an urban oasis inspired by Betty Catroux, the longtime muse of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent. The bedroom succeeds in creating a tension between its steel accents and warm rose tones. The upholstered ceiling and custom-fringed crown detail envelop outré furniture pieces such as a Paul Evans cabinet and a sculptural steel piece by the Campana Brothers, as well as a showstopping custom bed with a porthole motif across the headboard inspired by both Jean Prouvé and Pierre Chareau.
A Light-and-Bright Escape
An audible gasp escaped the lips of many attendees upon entrance into Patrick Mele’s room, which he coined “On a Clear Day.” Its stark modernist scheme is complemented by bold botanical prints that make up the room’s statement canopy bed (which the designer says is a nod to Albert Hadley). “This bedroom is dedicated to the many intelligent, strong, and inspiring women in my life,” Mele said in a statement. “I designed this room with your collective beauty in mind. My hope is for the room to feel strong, glamorous, fresh, clear, and vibrant: timeless, yet of this time.”
A Room Drenched in Luxury
Everyone loves an Aman & Meeks’s living room almost as much as they love the designers themselves. “The Tailored Edge” is an example of the collective imagination of longtime ELLE DECOR A-Listers Jim Aman and John Meeks, one whose cream-colored walls let the art and furniture make the statements.
A Room Fit for an Egyptian Goddess
It seems to be the name on everyone’s lips in the design world as of late, Jeremiah Brent, who is officially replacing Bobby Berk on Queer Eye joined the Kips Bay crew this year. His room, titled “Study of Art and Beauty,” takes inspiration from the ancient Egyptian goddess of beauty, acting as a modern interpretation of Hathor’s Sanctuary. Historic Egyptian details are paired with contemporary furnishings. Our favorite detail? The walls and ceiling are upholstered in Philip Jeffries white and black suede.
A Jewel Box Dining Room
“A Dining Room of One’s Own,” by Britain’s master of the loud, ebullient interior designer Kit Kemp, transports you to the English countryside with its layered charm and joyful medley of bold pattern. Adorned with tapestries, vibrant wood paneling, and Kemp’s own furniture designs, this grand room is a stately dining room with a great sense of humor.
A High-Gloss Scene for Libations
Michelle Gerson’s “The Watering Hole” is a moody gem of glamorous black and white stone. The kitchen concept is decked out with Calacatta Viola and Nero Marquina flooring, alongside Arabescato Corchia and Breccia Vino slab materials. The main event is overhead in the room’s three custom horoscope light fixtures by David Duncan in high-gloss white lacquer.
A Late-Night Lounge
Workshop/APD’s interpretation of this room in the Upper East Side townhouse is that of a retreat for the lady of the house. “Le Fumoir Féminin,” as they called it, is “an enveloping cocoon for her private passions, artful collections, and little vices,” the team explained in a statement. The room’s modern architecture is a feast of the senses, featuring a textured Marc Phillips rug, an expressive Fromental wallpaper–lined ceiling, and a hot Lutron natural light system.
A Colorful Andes-Inspired Retreat
Interior designer Phillip Thomas was inspired by childhood memories of gatherings among a group that his parents dubbed “The Andes Club,” a group of people from Chile who would dine, dance, and converse together into the long hours of the night. This windowless room was thus transformed into a dramatic after-dinner salon space that is swathed in fabric inspired by the Andes mountain range designed by the artists of Brochier in Como, Italy.
An Escape to the Cotswalds
Inspired by his recent stay in the Cotswolds, designer Mikel Welch (yes, you know him from Hack My Home) created a guest room that is inspired by the timeless allure of a quaint English inn, complete with a rustic, wood-beamed ceiling and seemingly timeworn walls (thanks to a clever mixture of Benjamin Moore’s Rainy Afternoon and Intrigue, we could be fooled). An oversize wall tapestry and Shea McGee chandelier add interest to the space, beside more modern furnishings like the Lulu and Georgia bouclé bed.
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