Inside The 49th Kips Bay Decorator Show House’s Opening Night

The 49^th The opening party of the Kips Bay Decorator Show House on Wednesday night was packed with design enthusiasts, eager to see what had come of this year's 'Oscars of the design world'. The four-story house at 125 East 65th^th The street was abuzz as Andrew Torrey, Cecily Ward, Cynthia Frank, and Jamie Drake made their way through four floors of magically recreated rooms, some classic, some traditional, and many mixed genres. Over $3oo,ooo was raised, with proceeds from the evening benefiting the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club.

Designer Alan Tanksley's brief was the family room, but he envisioned the space more like a club room. Anchored by hand-leafed gold Fromental wallpaper, the room is filled with beautifully crafted objects and furniture, creating a space where the most discerning traveler can relax; as Tanksley said, “It's like the Players Club in Gramercy Park.”

“This is the pre-eminent of all the show houses — it's the mothership,” Tanksley said. “A lot of people of my generation don't do that anymore, and I think it's a great reference to my career. It gave me the opportunity to do a project just for me. The idea of ​​having six weeks to create it, putting everything else aside and being online in the middle of the night and not resenting it, has been a great experience. And of course Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club is a wonderful cause.”

Ann Pyne and Elizabeth Pyne Singer of McMillen were responsible for designing the first floor parlor. “Our room is called Old Guard, Avant Garde,” Singer said. “Old Guard is a reference to McMillen's 100 years in business and to some of our clients, like Babe Paley and Marjorie Merriweather Post. This room was inspired by the Blair House renovation in 1964. McMillen bought the 18^th Century Wallpaper for Charles R. Gracie's Lee Drawing Room, where it remains to this day. Gracie painted it specifically for us for the show house – it's called the Blair House and it's going into Gracie's collection.

The room was interspersed with contemporary, hence Avant Garde, pieces such as a Peter Lane fireplace, a Mark Brazier-Jones chandelier and an Anthony Lawrence-Belfair sofa.

Downstairs, downstairs, Beth Diana Smith held court.

“Technically, this is a winery, but I wanted to create a space that was also a place where people could be entertained,” Smith said. “I ordered a custom banquette that is very plush and very comfortable, soft against the skin. The wallpaper is oyster shell, it looks like tile, and I paired it with gold and blue cork-like wallpaper in the entryway.”

Finally, Danielle Rollins, Jamie Druckman, Dolores Catania and Jonathan Savage made their way to the garden, where Ed Hollander and Stephen Eich of Hollander Design had created a relaxing oasis in the middle of the city, and where the rosé wine was flowing.

“The inspiration for any outdoor space in Manhattan is the ability to go outside,” Hollander said. “Stephen did a fabulous job taking it from what can only be described as a disaster to where it is today. The whole building was part of a Chinese cultural institute. The garden was Asian-inspired, with many layers and a lot of bamboo, covered and abandoned. We've created something that looks good all year, all day and all night. It's a big space, a rarity in Manhattan, and you have space to rest and dine”.

On the second floor, Kit Kemp's dining room was a spectacle.

“The dining room is like a jewel box,” said Kemp, who designed the Whitby and Crosby hotels. “We're very well known for our craft and thought the best way to bring craftsmanship to Kips Bay would be to start with this fireplace from Duncan Grant's studio.”

Jeremiah Brent's room was especially popular as Kathy Prounis, Lance Scott, Lauren Rottet and Sunny Hostin took to the third floor.

“Supporting the Boys and Girls Club of Kips Bays is a cause that is close to our hearts – I was actually a member of the Boys and Girls Club,” said Jeremiah Brent Design Director Holly Hayden Taylor. “Jeremiah was very honored to be asked to participate.”

“This room is the study,” Taylor continued. “Jeremiah was inspired by an ancient Egyptian makeup palette, with an image of a cow representing Hathor, the goddess of beauty and cosmetics. This is Hathor's dressing room, where we explore the evolution of beauty. The objects are from a wide range of eras, but they are all in the same soft palette.”

A few steps away, Phillip Thomas' space was called The Andes Club, a reference to the designer's childhood growing up between New York and Chile.

“The showhouse is a charity that gives back a lot,” Thomas said. “I've been to the clubhouse, and it's amazing what these kids are doing, what they're learning. Being able to support them is great. At the same time, this is a wonderful opportunity to share my perspective on design with an audience so broad. I came to this showhouse when I was six, growing up in New York. It's part of my history.”

Kips Bay Decorator Show House runs until May 28^th.