Special Report - 2009 Kips Bay Decorator Show House
The annual 2009 Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York was held this year in a neo-Italian Renaissance mansion. The show house is organized by the charity group, Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club, and its proceeds help the underprivileged young children of the New York area. Every year, top designers are chosen to decorate one room in a chosen building — an Upper East Side townhouse that was once owned by a wealthy wool merchant, Julius Forstmann, and designed by architect Charles P.H. Gilbert in 1922.
Mr. Gilbert was trained at France's premier school of architecture, L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and the school's influence permeates through the construction details of the Forstmann mansion. A mansard roof tops the townhouse and a classical cornice and carved molding grace the façade. Inside coffered ceilings, iron and brass doors and balustrades, and a beautiful staircase can be found.
This year, several of the designers share a common element – they created multi-functional rooms. Families these days engage in many activities at home — from work to entertainment to relaxing – and the following designers have responded with aplomb.
Bunny Williams is a long-time pro in the interior design world. Previously, she had worked with the famous design firm of Parish Hadley before striking out on her own. Her design for a combination living room - dining room Tous Dans Un or "All in One" is evocative of a bright spring day. Tiffany-blue walls with white molding provide the backdrop for an eclectic room. Garden artwork flanking the fireplace, Artichoke I and II by Sarah Graham, continue the spring motif. The dining area is lined by an antique bookcase by George Smith and a screen made of 1920's mirrors by Larrea Studio. Ms. Williams is also introducing for the first time her own furniture collection, Beeline Home. Included in the Kips Bay room are some of the collection such as the Eclipse and Regale chairs.
For a completely unique look, designers Ike Kligerman Barkley created a Nordic-style bedroom, called the "Sublime Sanctuary". The focal point of the room is the oversized headboard over the bed called "La Bocca della Verita" or Mouth of Truth, a takeoff on the famous Roman sculpture. Playing up the Nordic theme, natural Danish woods make up the furniture and a fur bedspread covers the bed. A bark texture wall covering lines the walls and sisal carpeting covers the floors. To complete the sanctuary, a lounging area with a shell-studded armoire by Gallery BAC is also added.
Charles Pavarini has again created a dramatic masterpiece. His present creation is dubbed "The Lounge". Famous stars of the Rat Pack era like Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin would feel at home entertaining society in this combination living room and music lounge. A cream-patterned Steinway grand piano takes center stage. A back-lit fireplace with a star-burst bronze sculpture by Kurtis Jeng dominates one end of the living room. Unifying the long room is a starburst diamond pattern molded ceiling with LED lighting to add sparkle.
Charlotte Moss is a veteran of the Kips Bay Show House, having designed several rooms in previous show houses. In her latest creation, Moss envisioned a romantic tribute to the past. She combines a bedroom with a sitting room into a master suite. The highlight is a canopied Louis XVI daybed with floral rose patterns. Matching the daybed is a Louis XVI chaise lounge in a spring-green velvet fabric by Custom Interiors Shop.
The latest word on the street is the collaborative work of interior designer Christopher Coleman and fashion designer Angel Sanchez. Together they created a combo lounge and recreation room, called the "Youthful Loft Lounge". Outfitted with the latest materials and gadgets as well as fashion artwork, the lounge will feel home to both the fashionista and the technophile. The floor is covered in recycled plastic blue carpet, a green-friendly choice. The lounge is filled with all the toys from plasma tvs, audio systems, and of course the requisite ping pong table, made of mirror-polished stainless steel and glass.
Jamie Drake, another veteran of the Kips Bay Show House, merged a library with a living room area. A majestic oversized blue-green lounge chair presides over the library area. The bookcase dominating one wall is from the Holly Hunt collection. Hand-painted geometric wallpaper by Alpha Workshops gives the whole room warmth and a touch of vibrancy.
As our increasingly rapid culture is now demanding multi-tasking and as work, home and play functions have started to merge, room design is also evolving to meet these changes. These designers are up to the challenge and show that creative style can harmonize disparate functions.
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