The Fourth Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas officially opened to the public this past weekend in Old Preston Hollow’s Sunnybrook Estates neighborhood. The house showcases the creativity and design expertise of twenty-two of the nation’s most acclaimed interior designers and architects.
The Show House, which will be open to the public for two weeks closing on Tuesday, November 14th, doubles as the nation’s leading design event of the year and a major fundraiser for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club as well as local Dallas charities Dwell with Dignity, and The Crystal Charity Ball.
“The designers, architects and sponsors along with the entire Dallas design community have worked tirelessly to create this Show House and we’re eager for everyone to visit,” says James Druckman, President of the Board of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club.
Take a look at the spaces here:
“An Ode to Bunny Mellon” | Cathy Kincaid Interiors, Ltd.
“Having participated in several show houses over the years, the first challenge I give myself is to conjure a room that will tell a story that I’ve never told before. In the case of this bedroom, I drew inspiration from Bunny Mellon’s library in Virginia. I wanted to create this space as an ode to Bunny Mellon and display her magical studio where she thinks, creates, reads, and finds gardening inspiration.”
“A Nostalgic Reverie: The Fox Den Suite” | Chad James Group
Step into a world where the echoes of cherished childhood memories collide with contemporary elegance: the enchanting realm of “The Fox Den” Suite. A living homage to interior designer Chad James’ cherished recollections of his sister’s mid-1980’s teenage bedroom, the suite is transformed into an exclusive sanctuary — a tapestry of comfort and cheerfulness, with a touch of irreverence.
“Unfolding Elegance” | Darren Henault
For this space, Darren Henault masterminded a luxurious oasis, meditating on the use of texture and dressmaker details, juxtaposed by bold flourishes. The result is an elevated bedroom suite for elegant living. With an eye for the international, Henault found inspiration in the folly at Chateau de Groussay and tented the bedroom with miles of Cowtan & Tout fabric, finished with trim by Colefax and Fowler. A hand-painted and embroidered silk Fromental wallcovering wraps the room, and custom pleat drapery by The Shade Store, incorporating a newly introduced Gracie fabric, beautifully billows alongside the windows, with every stitch carefully considered by Henault for its emotional effect.
“Traditional Today Room” | Dodson Interiors
“We transformed the Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas space with an eye to the past and present, with inspiration from David Hicks and Suzanne Rheinstein, as well as a commitment to antiques and objects with beautiful forms and unexpected applications. The goal was to create a salon that brought a sense of luxury to everyday living, where adults could unwind and enjoy a cocktail and conversations while enveloped in a sumptuous setting.”
“A Preston Hollow Shire” | From The Ground Up
Welcome to “A Preston Hollow Shire” by Dan Houchard with From the Ground Up Landscape. Designed to transport visitors to another realm, Houchard visualized a faraway wooded garden set among mature trees, bringing to life a series of lush, magical spaces for living outside. Beginning with a terrace accented by custom iron railing and majestic furniture, visitors move through spaces underscored by a soft organic palette, sumptuous plantings, and a 19th-century Belgian limestone water feature as they meander toward a stunning dining pergola.
Jase Jones & Associates
Step into this captivating bar, where a fusion of Art Deco opulence and French elegance unfolds. The Pierre Frey French mural adorns the walls, transporting you to a romantic Parisian Garden. Above, an antique mirrored ceiling reflects the room’s splendor, amplifying the sense of grandeur. Artistic Tile’s Calacatta Picasso marble slab counters, with their mesmerizing veining, double as functional works of art, while the black marble deco tiles (Empire by Artistic Tile) with brass inlay behind the bar create a striking contrast that exudes refinement.
“Sumptuous Sanctuary” | Kirsten Kelli, LLC
“Imbued with our signature approach to creating elevated, modern, and eclectic settings, we designed the family room to truly serve as the ‘heart of the home,’ blending comfort with high style. To foster an intimate and intriguing atmosphere, we used Phillip Jeffries wallcoverings, adorning the ceiling in Embossed Crocodile and walls in Sailor Stripe Canvas. The overhead pattern play is echoed below by a rich Stark Carpet and overlay Indian rug. A custom sofa from OFF THE FLOOR invites a restorative moment to be enjoyed while drenched in the room’s natural light, flooding through The Shade Store’s soft plaid window treatments, or in front of the glow of a warm fire.”
“Memoir of Marrakech” | KMNelson Design, LLC
Kristi Nelson’s “Memoir of Marrakech” en suite bedroom encapsulates the designer’s vision of the feel and imagery of Marrakech in the early ’70s; a seductive period defined by bohemian decadence in a city that entranced the likes of Yves Saint Laurent, Paul and Talitha Getty, Marcello Mastroiani, Francis Ford Coppola, and more.
Laura Lee Clark Interior Design
The Living Room was inspired by the much sought after Gracie wallcovering mural, “Kano Garden”, which was derived from the Kano school and based on an antique Japanese screen featuring flowering cherry trees, gold leaf applied clouds and breathtaking, colorful peacocks on a neutral, antiqued background. The scattered pools of deep cobalt blue anchor the room as the high gloss ceiling lifts the intimate space. This sophisticated and dramatic backdrop was the catalyst in developing the design. In contrast to its traditional surroundings, a pair of Hans Wegner mid-century modern Queen Chairs flank the shimmering cast glass fireplace mantle by Stephen Cavallo.
“Villa Windowpane” | Mark D. Sikes Interiors
Welcome to Villa Windowpane: a new and fresh take on the classics. A dining room, a library, an office, or a retreat… Swathed from top to bottom in a timeless blue and white windowpane, it’s a comfortable and inviting room that is à la mode because it can be whatever you need it to be, whenever you need it to be. Inspired by the great rooms and the elegant lifestyles of Bunny Mellon, Billy Baldwin and Hubert de Givenchy, the multifunctional space is curated with beautiful fabrics and furniture designed by Mark D. Sikes and special pieces acquired from Givenchy’s country retreat outside Paris, Le Jonchet, and his seaside villa, Le Clos Fiorentina, on Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat. Rarely is there a space that has it all. Villa Windowpane is a bonafide classic that’s also modern, because it can do it all.
“The Garden Arrival” | Melissa Gerstle Design
Melissa Gerstle designed the front landscape to encompass three designated areas. The central garden features Gone a sculpture by New York artist Carolyn Salas. The laser-cut, powder-coated artwork shows a figure leaving a scene of domesticity. Gerstle designed the entrance of the property to embody the space where she envisions the character in Salas’ sculpture is heading. Hence the title, The Garden Arrival. In a second area, nestled under the canopy of a massive tree, Gerstle provides a shade garden which serves as a second place for gathering. This more intimate, circular space is enclosed by massed plantings that provide textured layers of greens with a bed of sedges, ferns, Liguria and Flax Lilies. The third area features an edited palette of plants along the foundation of the black-painted brick facade focuses on geometry and texture. The space welcomes guests and sets the tone for the beauty that awaits inside.
“The Gloucestershire: A Cook’s Kitchen & Scullery” | MORE+ Kurt Bielawski
As you enter the vaulted chef’s kitchen and adjoining scullery, find yourself transported to a meticulously restored European estate kitchen. After a trip to the town butcher and through your kitchen garden, you have the makings for an incredible, impromptu dinner with friends. Never fear, your suite of modern appliances allows for the perfect storage and preparation of your bounty. Underfoot, original tile floors from Artistic Tile bear the patina of their years, akin to marble countertops at European bistros. Warm wood cabinetry (also preserved from the antique estate) features glass paneling to highlight its contents, reminiscent of a vintage apothecary.
“Stevie’s Passage” | Morgan Madison Design
A shapeshifter of a space, Stevie’s Passage is a visceral journey through a sophisticated, mystical and inspiring corridor. With juxtapositions of the ethereal and the substantial, one should expect metamorphoses at every turn. A legendary singer and songwriter is the central muse, underpinned by Annie Dillard and her ruminations on the natural world. It is an environment altogether inspired by the verdant intensity of nature – the ethereal dancing of light in leafed, canopied spaces, the dreamlike possibilities of the skies, all augmented by an arty modernity.
“An Enchanted Passage” | MLK Studio + Jackson Paige Interiors
In crafting the formal entry and powder room of this timeless home, interior visionaries Meg Joannides of MLK Studio and Kristine Paige of Jackson Paige Interiors embarked on transformative journey. Their mission? To conjure a grand and inviting threshold that would seamlessly blend with the newly enhanced charcoal-colored exterior of the home. The result is a seamless and captivating journey that begins at the threshold and unfolds with every step, inviting guests to immerse themselves in a world of refined beauty and design.
“A Breath of Fresh Air” | Pursley Dixon Ford Interior Design
“It was our motivation when we designed this space to create a room that is a palate cleanser, a restful space that evokes a feeling of calm and relaxation to start and end your day. In accordance with our vision of softness, the high gloss Benjamin Moore paint color on the walls, trim, and ceiling is called ‘Cotton Balls OC-122’. Generally, homeowners eschew white interiors. But there’s a movement in the home furnishings industry to allow us to have life’s challenges AND white sofas. When there are fewer objects fighting for attention in a room, the individual elements have the ability to speak and be heard. The overall composition of A Breath of Fresh Air reflects this belief; that the coming together of distinct pieces in quiet balance can yield an environment greater than the sum of its parts.
Reverie Interior Design
As a beautifully designed space, the Primary Closet or Dressing Room can act to elevate the everyday act of getting dressed. Whether this is getting prepared for the day ahead or unwinding in the evening. Not just a space for functionality in emlimating clutter from your bedroom and allowing you to be more organized. A dressing room can be a private space to add a sense of luxury and impart your own sense of style. This room speaks quiet luxury in its neutral color palette, minimal wardrobe design but has some more dramatic elements, that work to bring a sense of heritage and luxury to the space, blending the old with the new.
“Les Fleurs du Marécage” | Rivers Spencer Interiors
“Les Fleurs du Marécage”, or the Flowers of the Bayou, refers to the first bedroom and bathroom located on the second floor of the house immediately to the right at the top of the stairs. ‘Les Fleurs du Marécage’ should be interpreted as a guest suite paying homage to New Orleans and the geographic areas surrounding it—which is where Rivers Spencer’s design firm is located.
“Tea for Two” | Sara Hillery Interior Design
“‘Tea for Two’ is a nod to 18th-century English and colonial tearooms dedicated to people socializing and engaging in philosophical discussions with a chic twist. I sought to design a space that intentionally promotes personal relationships over screen time and wanted to establish a place for guests to gather in person and foster meaningful conversation.”
“Fern Returns” | Simms Hayes Design
“‘Fern Returns’ first and foremost is all about freshness! This space is intended for a grown daughter, perhaps returning home from school. In my early childhood I vividly remember loving a fern adorned garden room; therefore, I decided to revamp a classic.”
“Sharon’s Terrace” | Todd Events
The design aesthetic for the outdoor terrace and pool folly spaces in the Kips Bay Show House in Dallas is the embodiment of enjoyment. A space where friends and family are meant to savor the season and enjoy all that outdoor entertainment has to offer. If guests are hosted on the terrace, guests can access the terrace by the newly constructed stairs that have been painted in Benjamin Moore “Midnight Oil 1631”. Flanking these stairs are two Belgian Bluestone Sphinx sculptures from Pettit Architecturals. As guests exit the home, they’re greeted by an antique French limestone fountain from Pettit Architecturals.
“Quatre Saisons” | Urbanology Designs
“Welcome to Quatre Saisons, our primary bathroom suite, a space where the bold blend of modern and traditional design unfolds in delightful yet unexpected ways. As you step inside, you’ll find yourself immersed in a graceful dance between two distinct design paradigms, creating an enigmatic equilibrium that captivates all your senses. At the heart of the throne room is a stone of unparalleled magnificence, aptly named “Quatre Saisons,” which translates to Four Seasons in French. This incredible stone from Aria Stone Gallery marble is a testament to the wild untamed beauty of mother nature. Hidden Circles floor by Artistic Tile.”
VERANDA serves as the Dallas Show House’s national media partner. PaperCity serves as the regional media partner.
Photography by Nickolas Sargent Photography.
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