It’s the Kips Bay Decorator Show, my tasteful friends

The dining room would have been amazing, but the ceiling design negated that.

The problem with these design rooms is that budget always has to be considered. Some of these rooms cost well over $100,000 to design and furnish - some more than that.

You can buy a lot of unique and great looking stuff with that kind of money. But doing a complete room makeover that looks fantastic for $10,000 is a much bigger sign of talent.

Anyone can buy expensive shit.

So many objects bestrewn everywhere. Is on trend to imitate Buckingham Palace these days? Is it not okay for a room to have fewer focal points? I'm having seizures.

This is okay:

[quote] Some of these rooms cost well over $100,000 to design and furnish - some more than that.

Who pays for that?

The design firm pays for that, it’s very expensive to do one of these showhouses. Kip’s Bay is the most prestigious, both NY and Palm Beach, so designers just floor the bill. My contractor in Palm Beach did the build out for a room last year and the designer was doing everything she could to cut costs. You do it in hopes of gaining clients and prestige for your firm.

I of course meant foot, not floor.

[quote]The dining room would have been amazing, but the ceiling design negated that.

And I thought the pixelated ceiling was the only half interesting thing (had the pixelation been in something other than Kleenex box colors.)

Ben Pentreath's work I generally like, but here it is too polite, even more than usual. I blame the female designer for the forced organic attitude toward British fussiness and fear of scale.

Purple Cherry Architects should be hung, from a jacaranda tree I suppose. Infantile. And Andrea Schumacher's effort is amateur hour.

Is it any surprise that I woman named Alessandra Branca has a Muse? -- and that her muse appears to be the color of old ladies' pantyhose? Or that she comes from Chicago (and loves drag brunch!)

Leyden Lewis designed what at first looks like a dentist's waiting room in 1980s mauves; then you seen that hideous settee...

Mark Hampton really, really wants you to know that he's receiving inspiration from the Beyond from Mario Buatta. And that neither of them had a dick or even a little nubbin.

Vincent's Wolfe and Huniford Design are so-so.

Jamie Drake, always out his league, arranged some patio furniture to no particular advantage.

Nothing interesting, really.

R7 This is witty and interesting. You have something to say and know how to say it.

Finally, the design-world insider DL has been longing for.

Wow - first time there is nothing I like. They always tend to be overdone - but usually one with some coherent, livable, pretty design. Also dislike most of the colors this year. Maybe im just not keeping up with the times - I know these colors are on trend but not my palette at all.

Test

[quote]Also dislike most of the colors this year. Maybe im just not keeping up with the times - I know these colors are on trend but not my palette at all.

Agreed, R10. Very timid and7or muddy colors. I always take it as a bad sign when, at a prestigious showcase like Kips Bay, when the designers show off their knowledge of social media trends (played out at extravagent cost.) At that level, they should be saying, "Fuck your trends and your Pantone Color of the Year that matches your ceramic mug you bought at the museum store, I will show you something fucking brilliant, I will show you the future...not some tired shit 'on trend' shit."

It's a close run thing between Ben Pentreath and Mark Hampton for me, maybe the Ben Pentreath room wins for me but I love both.

Its nice to see that none of the others are truly hideous, some are a bit dull or not to my taste. I quite liked the Purple Cherry one too, neat colours

Show house trivia:

Because they have to foot the bill, the designers try to get manufacturers and trades (think painters, electricians, drapery workrooms, etc) to donate their products or time 'for the exposure". Most of the big name manufacturers however only want to donate their goods to the more established designers, hoping they can use the resulting photos as marketing. (And then only if there are no competitors' products in the same room.)

Few of the more established designers want to waste their time on show houses due to the time and cost. (And limited ROI.)

With most show houses the selection of designers and the rooms they are assigned is usually done by lottery. A designer might throw their name in the ring hoping to get the living room or primary bedroom only to end up with a windowless room in the attic.

Is the ceiling light fixture in R3 a stealth swastika?

Gotta love 1st dibs. No R15, although this ride has quite the surprise (and in Germany...of course!)