Despite an abbreviated run, there was no shortage of grandeur throughout 2022’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House. Open for just a single weekend, this year’s group of 24 acclaimed designers pulled out all the stops, treating guests (those who managed to snag a ticket) to an exhilarating visual experience.
What always impresses is the diversity of design styles on display. Anything goes. And then there are unexpected treasures around every corner, like a gallery-worthy light installation, a 13-foot macrame sculpture, or an over-the-top Venetian glass mirror.
According to Ad Pro, the 12,470-square-foot Old Preston Hollow manse offers “a welcome escape from the minimalist, modern interiors that seem to be absorbing the moment’s design vernacular.”
Here is a look at some of this year’s most covetable spaces plus a few of our favorite things.
Project AZ ‘s “Southern Sanctuary”
“This home sanctuary is packed with bright and playful colors that inspire inner joy, peace, and highly personalized moments of refuge,” said Project AZ designer Ahmad AbouZanat. We love everything about it, from the Andy Warhol-inspired floral rug to the curvy pale pink DeMuro Das serpentine sofa.
As for the room’s soothing violet-based color scheme, AbouZanat is totally on point. Digital lavender just so happens to be trend forecaster WGSN’s 2023 color of the year.
The multi-sensory retreat also features a secluded meditation area, statement JennAir coffee bar, a quartz wall mural fabricated by Cambria, plus the aforementioned Luke Lamp Co. fixture.
Beauty Is Abundant’s “Intergalactic Superstar Bathroom”
A star-spangled motif makes this second-story bath a real showstopper. The handiwork of Atlanta- and Los Angeles-based designer Leah Alexander, a motivational neon script message takes the place of a mirror. “This bathroom aims to instill a knowingness that one’s beauty is abundant, without the need for excessive self-scrutiny,” according to the designer.
Adding to the allure: glistening gold star Serena & Lily wallpaper and Cambria custom quartz flooring. “I wanted to totally immerse guests in the stars,” Alexander added.
Schooler, Kellogg, and Company’s “Her Dressing Room and Closet”
We’re obsessed with this beyond chic space. For starters, the sheepskin rug is insane. But the pièce de résistance is the jewel box-like closet filled with swoon-worthy vintage Chanel and fabulous Michael Faircloth custom gowns.
We also loved…
The Views. This house has them—in spades. Our favorite is from the marble tub the primary bath.
The Kitchen Islands. That’s plural. Veteran Kips Bay designer Christopher Peacock installed a pair—one for prep, the other for entertaining. A cool feature of the latter is that the sink doubles as a beverage cooler.
Wallpaper. It’s everywhere. Baboon monkeys swing from trees in the kitchen. Deco ferns adorn the reading room. Tartan plaid graces the study. And in the living room, Chicago-based designer Alessandra Branca covered the sky-high ceilings with climbing tropical vines. “We found a great way to celebrate the height with Casa Branca’s Foglia wallpaper,” she said.
The Outdoor Areas. The grounds are truly spectacular. Kudos to Harold Leidner, who executed the property’s original driveways, perimeter walls, terraces, lighting, drainage, and landscaping. “Our starting point goes back to the 1990s when we worked on landscape design for the original owner of this house,” he said. This time around, there’s a “nature-focused concept,” including a rehab of the front yard’s natural creek.
Visit the home virtually (complete with insight from the designers) on the Kips Bay website. It’s free, although donations benefiting the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club are encouraged.
