Kips Bay Show House 2012: Part Un

Bryant Keller gives us a dramatic, bold entrance in this year's Kips Bay show house, celebrating it's 40th year.  Those fashionable Scalamandré dancing zebras seem to be right on, right now!  I was reminded of Mary McDonald's "red moment" in last year's entrance, here .

Bunny Williams, Brian J. McCarthy, and David Kleinberg paid tribute to their recently deceased mentor Albert Hadley, with a throughly modern mix of old and new pieces, an all gin bar, and a strong dose of red; all Hadley signatures.

"Visitors come to a show house for the fantasy, the playfulness, the flair of artistry," says Bunny Williams, this year's chairwoman.  That's why I go.  I want to be wowed.  I want to see ingenuity and fantasy at its finest, and I am rarely disappointed!

Todd Romano's luxe aubergine and citrine dream of a dining room was a showstopper.  Since the 2 condos at the The Aldyn were devoid of any of the classic architectural details that are generally the signature of the town homes used in past Kips Bay show houses, the designers really needed a narrative, a strong grounding focal point.  Otherwise the rooms might have looked as if they could disappear into the water.

Brian de Toro's sitting room was a serene mix of modern classic incorporating a few trends we have been seeing a lot of ~ lacquer and green.  Some of the designers were in their rooms the day Blogfest visited.  Hi Brian, notice the beautiful appliquéd fabric sewn on the curtains, a nice detail.

Coffinier Ku chose the bedroom to showcase a selection of Missoni fabrics because that's a room made for dreaming.  With it's colorful clouds and butterflies, nature amid the organic elements that find their way into our dreams, the bedroom made perfect sense.  I am always excited to see what this duo will come up with.  The chevron fabric, lace-like in texture, was also set into the doors beautifully.

Neal Beckstedt took advantage of a stunning corner view of the city, the Hudson River and the private pool when creating this stylish urban lounge.  I caught him doing a little housekeeping.

Alexander Doherty also created a timeless, tactile space for relaxing and reflecting.  With an interior  room, he created a gallery-like space with a background of bleached wood paneling.

There is so much more.  Come back, won't you?

photos: CLI, Trevor Tondo for NYT

The Iconic Albert Hadley

It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the passing of design icon Albert Hadley.  The indelable Mr. Hadley, who passed away last month, was design royalty!  Mr. Hadley was an inductee into the Design Hall of Fame, a master of his craft, and an inspiring educator.  His unerring vision, ability to see past trends, and create timeless interiors with a nod to the past and a modernist bent has influenced many a designer.  He was a creative genius, and by all accounts, a wonderful mentor and gentleman.

Albert  Hadley, a humble Southern boy grew up studying fashion and design magazines.  After World War II and a formal education, he met and worked for Sister Parish.  They joined forces, and together formed the distinguished firm Parish Hadley.  They designed for socialites, celebrities, business titans, and a president.  Albert created Albert Hadley, Inc. many years after his longtime partner had died.  He, himself worked into his late eighties.

I could give you more facts and figures but Mr. Hadley was famously quotable  ~

"Flair is a primitive kind of style. It is innate and cannot be taught. It can be polished and refined. When a person has flair, a grounding in the principle of design, and self-discipline, that person has the potential of being an outstanding designer."

"The essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live. It is about the realities of what makes for an attractive, civilized, meaningful environment, not about fashion or what's in or what's out. This is not an easy job."

"...the designer must be able to see - make a concentrated effort to absorb the essence of the project. Seeing is a very difficult thing to do. Most people "look" at a lot of thing but never "see" anything. Looking is emotional; seeing is an intellectual process."

"Deep downy upholstery is absolutely what I've always been about."

"Decorating is not about making stage sets, it's not about making pretty pictures for the magazines; it's really about creating a quality of life, a beauty that nourishes the soul."

"Design is coming to grips with one's real lifestyle, one's real place in the world. Rooms should not be put together for show but to nourish one's well- being."

"The best rooms have history and meaning: photographs that remind you of someone, furniture that has a story.  Whatever you put in your house should be interesting.  I may not like it, but that doesn't make any difference.  And decorating is not about dollars and cents; it's an emotional thing, it's passion.  Buying a painting or a piece of furniture just because a famous name made it isn't passion."

"Ceilings must always be considered. They are the most neglected surface in a room."

"Beige is atmosphere. It's bisque, it's ivory, it's cream, it's stone, it's toast, it's cappuccino. It's, well, it's magic."

"Nothing comes cheap, though the educated eye will always spot very nice things for the least money."

"Decoration without risk leads to uninteresting rooms."

It has been said that, suitability, simplicity and a lack of ostentation define both the man and his work.  He will be missed.






To learn more see ~ Albert Hadley: The Story of America's Preeminent Interior Designer