2018 Kips Bay Decorator Show House

This iconic annual event comes to celebrate the New York spring, the Kips Bay Decorator Show House, of which preview I have visited today. This year, it is taking place in a mansion house on 110 East 76th Street, a brilliant selection which provides the perfect backdrop to the glamour interiors, created by some of the leading talents in the territory of interior décor. The symphonies of shimmering spaces, textiles, textures, spring flowers, tableware, wall coverings, accessories, and furniture are overwhelming and provide an experience of fantasy, taking us into the extraordinary visions in interior design. My selects are typically those spaces where modern design is put on the pedestal and receiving new and intriguing interpretations. Dan Fink’s stunning space along the neoclassical staircase, is what you see as you enter the house; he has brought a sense of the gilded 20s, by wall covering in silver, inspired by Eileen Gray, and exquisite objects; David Netto’s space comes to evoke a memory of his first 80s visit to the Kips Bay, growing up in NY; the juxtaposition of a biomorphic coffee table by Charlotte Perriand with a Louis XV armchair is exactly what charges interiors with narratives and makes them intriguing and interesting to live in; I didn’t want to leave the magnificent space in gold and black created by Caleb Anderson of Drake/Anderson, where luxury, style, and sophistication are merged into a superb ensemble; revisiting the Wiener Werkstatte and Vienna 1900 is the theme selected by Juan Montoya for his Moonlight Room; numerous elements borrowed from the interiors which Josef Hoffmann created in Vienna for Jewish patrons of progressive taste provide the layers to this interior; B. A. Torrey’s lounge is clearly inspired by the 70s, with walls covered with dark gold-foil cork which comes to absorb the sound; loved the bathroom which Marcia Tucker designed with Brazilian flavor; You cannot ignore the colorful staircase which Sasha Bikoff created in zig-zags, polka dots, and other patterns, paying homage to Memphis Design, because it dominates the house, bringing so much joy and fun to the house; Sellish Interiors’ room pays another homage to the 80s, but this time to the memorable film A Room with a View; and enjoyed meeting Wesley Moon in his butler pantry and bar, which have so many layers and creative imagination, that they make you think differently about the potential of these marginal spots to become the highlight of a house. The Showhouse will be open from May 1st through May 31st. Above: Drake/Anderson; photo Marco Ricca.