Hey friends, and happy Tuesday! I hope you had a glorious long weekend, full of laughs, family, friends, and great food. We started our weekend with a quick 24-hours in Seattle, before embarking for Alaska.
Yesterday was spent at sea, so we’re excited for today’s stop in Ketchikan…which I think involves helicopters! #thebachelorcalled If you’re following along on InstaGram, then you’ve seen a few peeks, but I can’t wait to share more details with you. It’s certainly not like anything we’ve experienced before.
Today I wanted to give you a big dose of new inspiration that can’t be found on Pinterest! Last weekend I was in New York City to celebrate my sister’s bachelorette party, and my stepmom and I had a few hours to burn before the rest of the girls arrived. As luck would have it, it was opening day for the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse, and a short walk from our hotel.
The townhouse was originally built in 1909 for Arthur Sachs…yep, of Goldman Sachs…and boasts 9,600 square feet over five floors. The 43rd annual show house features the work of 22 top interior designers, each leaving his or her stamp on their given space. The result is so chic and jaw-dropping, I can’t even imagine the people who could actually live in it.
Since it was opening day, many of the designers were there and so excited to talk about their spaces. My stepmom was such a good sport to go with me and sit through my asinine questions, but it was fascinating to hear their perspective and behind-the-scenes details.
The home is 5-stories tall and narrow, with a center spiral staircase featuring stunning gallery walls the whole way up, and on every landing. Ticket sales actually go to the Boys and Girls Club, so this was one of my favorites.
I want you to gaze at this bathroom for a minute….the walls are sheets of mother-of-pearl!! My photo doesn’t come close to capturing the sheen and texture.
So here’s the deal….once selected as a featured designer (a hard-to-get invitation), they are each assigned a space and given FIVE WEEKS to complete them!!!! And I don’t mean a little paint and some furniture…these rooms were practically down to the studs when they started. (See the before shots here.)
I can’t even fathom that! I almost had a breakdown during the six weeks of {One Room Challenge}, and that was just a little paint and some furniture!
In most cases, the designer can choose the room’s purpose (bedroom, study, etc), without regards to the rooms around it, but they have to agree to put it back to it’s ‘intended purpose’ once the show is wrapped. For instance, this ‘closet’ was designed as a bar…but it’s location in the house wouldn’t work for actual people living there. The designers also don’t collaborate with each other, yet somehow the entire house flowed.
Each designer used their own contractors, painters, upholsterers, and movers…so imagine 22 full teams of people in that house working to get it done! And on a busy New York street…where were they all parking and unloading?! (These were the asinine hard-hitting questions I was asking.)
Designer Alan Tanksley could not have been any nicer or more charming…and his room was cozy, chic, perfection.
{Observations & Take Aways}
*Lacquer finishes everywhere / walls, cabinets, and ceilings
*Ceilings / all had color, pattern, or some sort of treatment
*Wallpaper / hanging everywhere from walls, ceilings, and backs of shelves
*Upholstered Walls
*Colored Trim | very few rooms had white trim
*Gallery Walls | even the smallest nooks were covered floor-to-ceiling with a mix of art and objects
*Light Fixtures / always the room’s showstopper & each likely more expensive than my car
*Large Scale / the objects and furniture really filled the space…especially lamps, many were the size of me
Oh, and did I forget to mention that the home is currently for sale? Yes, it can be yours for the cool price of $35 million. So let’s chat….what’s your favorite space or detail?
