Kips Bay Decorator Show House 2010

by Leona Gaita

Today from New York, Leona Gaita—Interior Design Expert and Contributor—visits a tradition in design and fundraising. Leona shares with us her inspiring ideas and advice, to help us enrich our homes and lives with beauty and elegance.

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Kips Bay Decorator Show House 2010—a fundraiser for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, and this year a fall event—is chock full of original and inspiring design.

The big picture:

• Luxurious, user-friendly interiors,
• Strong use of neutrals,
• Enlivened with art, and
• Layers of texture.

This elegant yet serene sitting room by Coffinier Ku Design, Ltd, www.coffinierku.com is bejeweled with an ornate—yet consistently modern—oversized, turquoise-framed mirror. The variegated squares of the mirror’s frame, repeat the theme of the custom-made table and paneling.

This spare, earth-toned room by 2Michaels, www.2michaelsdesigns.com is all about art, and meditation.

A literal interpretation – a meditation chair before a Buddha Niche. This might be the best use of a too-small closet ever!

Again neutrals, with one gorgeous accent color—in this case a stunning turquoise blue—in the accessories. In this dining room titled “Dinner at 8″ by Cullman & Kravis, www.cullmankravis.com.

Layers and layers of texture and detail can keep an observant appreciator busy for hours. And yet it’s all beautifully modulated, and not at all overwhelming. The Venetian plaster walls are possibly the best I’ve ever seen! Note the seven foot sculpture of bronzed cooking pots, a foodie’s celebration of chefs everywhere.

Ample seating and a sleek modern sensibility (again, with a neutral palette) are the outstanding features of this modern rooftop lounge by Jennifer Post Design Inc., www.jenniferpostdesign.com.

The plantings add a splash of color and warmth, and neoclassical touches are reminders of the house’s traditional roots. I’d LOVE to be invited up for a martini!

This is just a tip of the iceberg! There’s inspiration around every corner at this year’s show house. I so enjoyed my tour there, and I highly recommend you pay a visit.

Have fun!

Leona Gaita has an infectious enthusiasm for interior design that she shares with us, with her clients and with the readers of her popular blog, Gaita Interiors.

With a lifelong involvement in the fine arts and design, Leona designs for Gaita Interiors, a staple of the local community for over 40 years, serving Larchmont, Westchester County and the New York metropolitan area.