The Kips Bay Show House, located at 19 East 61st St (b/w Madison & 5th) is definitely a destination worth checking out. I attended for the first time in 2001 and it made such a lasting impression. Each year, I look forward to seeing some of the country’s brightest talents transform a space for this notable cause.
This year, I was struck by the creativity in design and the information the designers were happy to share while you visited their spaces. Instead of going room by room or listing everything a designer did…I’ll share with you some of the photos I took yesterday.
Assuming I was sending you on a scavenger hunt, here are a few of the things I’d want you to notice & collect.
- The soft pink ceiling that is actually Venetian plaster and polished with wax to a mirror finish
- The Lalique panels, inspired by the Orient Express, in the kitchen
- The room that used chalk to decorate the walls, as a nod to the temporary state of the space and to the man who inspired it
- Wall treatments….lots of texture and some beautiful Gracie wallpaper
- The view of Barneys from the top floor outdoor space
- The light fixtures throughout
- The smell (divine) in the guest room
- The original grafitti
- The peonies throughout
- The bar set ups & vignettes
There’s a little something for everyone! Take a friend and wander the 6th floors. You’ll definitely come away with an idea, or two or three. Ultimately, it’s a treat to experience up close what you otherwise might only see in a shelter magazine. And, it’s all to support more than 10,000 talented young people throughout the Bronx. So, you will have done a good thing!
Enjoy!
