Temp Tation Paper




Have you ever longed for DeGourney, Gracie, or Frontmental wallpaper, but the price prevented you from living within the gilded walls of this floral fantasy?  As luck would have it, your prayers have been answered, and in a very clever way.  Tempaper, the temporary wallpaper company has been able to reproduce the look of this popular chinoiserie pattern in a special order program on adhesive backed fabric that is scalable to your preferred size, and is TEMPORARY!  Not only can it be produced on several colored backgrounds, it is also available in silver, rose, or gold metallic.

I feel an accent wall project coming on.















I have mentioned Temporary wallpaper before.  It's kind of genius and perfect for the rental apartment dweller who wants to put a personal stamp on their place!





Kips Bay Show House 2016 ~ part 2



It was a tall order for Kati Curtis to design the behemoth stairway that included two landings.  Not only did she achieve that with a beautiful melange of styles and periods, but the colors played off the adjoining rooms perfectly!  DeGourney wallpaper with its jewel tones set the stage for the ethnic and eclectic furniture choices.






The Ladies Lair by Phillip Thomas was like a party waiting to happen with its colorful confetti like graffiti done by Andrew Tedesco Studio on upholstered walls.  Every inch was utilized with a dynamic mix of textiles and art.  The antiques are from Maison Gerard.






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Walking into Garrow Kedigian's room was like walking into a space from another time and place.  Rajiv Surendra's chalk trim renderings represented the impermanence of things.  Inspired by Napolean's love of "creature comfort" when he was on a battlefield and set up elaborate accommodations on the go, there was much thought behind the sitting room where everything had a story.


 






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I am always attracted to Eve Robinson's designs.  The Art of Modern Living room gave us a specific space to enjoy art and work in a beautifully curated room with a built in cerused wood bookcase/ desk that had leather inserts to keep everything in its place.  The mid century chairs were a beautiful counterpoint to the Vladimir Kagan sofa. Countless hours of play can be had from the brass side table that features a magnetic ball.  As the ball moves over the glass the metal pellets within create endless patterns from Twenty First Gallery.


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David Kleinberg's Library is a study in sophisticated elegance nuanced with rich details.  This whole room was built out.  It was not even a shell.  David said it was almost nothing but steel beams when he entered the space.  By the way, that was the case for most of the mansion.  It was completely raw.  Everything you see architecturally was done by the designers!  The room positively glowed in high gloss paint, mood lighting, and reflective surfaces.  This is another example of a beautiful outcome resulting from a modern mix of styles and periods.  The sandblasted pine fireplace surround was an unexpected surprise by ARS Antiqua Co.,











For their first official project since joining firms, Drake/Anderson created quite a buzz in the bedroom.  Custom furniture, elegant accoutrements, and bold choices in art and lighting create a conversation in refinement and a layered richness with the voice of both men well represented. Bringing a mosaic mirror under the canopy was the kind of delightful detail that makes Kips Bay so special!

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Le Jardin Secret is more than a closet or an intimate space to dress.  Created by the French Canadian design/build team  Les Ensembliers, it reflects a sophisticated world traveler.  Their motto is "building meaning into beauty," and they most certainly did.  From the shagreen in the interior of the closets to the Peacock feather inspired lacquered panels of the custom closet doors and everything trimmed with a thin brass band, no detail was overlooked.  The double sided vanity, custom pattern trim on the ceiling, and light fixture all brought the Art Deco period into clear view.  It was outstanding!



















But wait ~ there's more.  Believe it or not I still did not cover everything, so you are going to have to see it for yourself (if you can get there), which I highly recommend.  The show house runs through June 9th.





*photos Ricky Snyder, **Marco Ricca




Kips Bay Showhouse 2016 ~ part 1



If you have ever said to yourself, "I really must get to the Kips Bay Show House," this is the year to go!   While I always look forward to and enjoy it, like anything, some years are better than others, some rooms stronger than others ~ but this year every room checks every box!  The best year yet! Drool worthy design around every corner!  It doesn't hurt that the backdrop is Barney's and The Pierre, either.
The six bedroom limestone mansion on 61st Street, previously a parking garage, is home to the show house this year and is an international affair.  An extravaganza of magnificent design from several firms that came from across the country and across the pond, beginning the moment you walk thru the door.   David Collins Studio, who is headquartered in London, envelopes you in a moody Cook's Blue painted foyer by Farrow and Ball.  It has a European flair with a touch of modernity.




Alex Papachristidis's dining room features a fine balance in metallic.  From the custom Gracie wallpaper that was enlarged for greater dramatic effect to the exquisite dining table by Eve Kaplan,  Romanesque sculptures, 18th century antiques, and enough gilt to satisfy any king, juxtaposed with fine decorative art and accessories felt like I was in a jewel box so special it is only reserved for a special few.

ph: Phillip Ennis







Susanne Kasler's neutral living room held many of her signature pieces for Hickory Chair finely balanced with a cool mix of decorative pieces, antiques, a collection of sunburst mirrors in the vein of Line Vautrine, and flea market finds.  Every piece perfectly placed.












The kitchen by Clive Christian was inspired by a trip on the Orient Express.  A nod to Deco design and the opulence of a bygone era can be seen in the custom Lalique patterned glass panels like the ones in the classic pullman carriages on the iconic train.  Across the room, disguising a bar, is the same birds and grapes motif done in a variety of exotic woods.  AKDO tile continue to help realize the dream and LED lights change the mood.  Custom hardware and my favorite Cole and Son wallpaper help make it seem a little less precious.


ph: Clive Christian








Daniel Richards Designs outfitted the second floor terrace with a classical mix of  form and function. The vessels from Atelier Vierkant arrived just in the nick of time, and the Joe Weaton sculpture will soon grace his pool area in the Hamptons.  All was softened with a hydrangea boarder.






Victoria Hagan's second floor sitting room was also a study in neutrals, but with powerful artwork anchoring each side of the room.  The red lacquer focal point to the right of the room was actually a fire screen.  A perfect counterpoint to the DREAM photo, but what kind of stole the show was the window treatment with the sewn in LED light strips that I would have loved to see in the dark.  The topiary trees from David Monn were pretty spectacular too!










Sawyer/Berson created a very dramatic petit salon.  The obvious focal point as well as talking point was the terrazzo flooring.  The lacquer walls, furnishings and light fixture held their own in a room full of strong statements.


ph: Sawyer/Berson






This bathroom by Groves & Co. was equal mix elegant, utilitarian, yet simultaneously simple.  They put their stamp on this sometimes difficult to get noticed space and it left me rethinking my own bathroom choices.  I yearned to soak in that tub while soaking in that view!


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Each room flowed beautifully to the next as if each designer consulted with the other.  The connectivity is nice when you are moving through the mansion.   Lacquered, upholstered, and
papered walls set the stage for the always forward thinking design.






Stay tune for part 2 ~