Here’s an Exclusive Sneak Peek Inside the 2023 Kips Bay Dallas Show House
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Autumn has finally arrived, which means the 2023 Kips Bay Dallas Decorator Show House is just around the corner. While the temperatures haven't quite yet dipped for the season in this stylish city, the 22 creatives tapped to transform this elegant manse in Dallas's historic Old Preston Hollow have sourced inspiration from other parts of the globe—and garden—to create a one-of-a-kind dwelling for its owners, whether they are looking to recharge or entertain al fresco.
VERANDA has been granted an exclusive sneak peek at the designer renderings for each space in the show house that have sought to reimagine the home from the front landscape to powder rooms and lounge spaces. While many of the creatives have been inspired by Old World European grandeur from coast to countryside, others have relied on the timeless beauty of nature and the need to escape from screen time to create a stunning retreat in a highly sought-after corner in one of America's largest cities.
We can't wait to see these renderings come to life once the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Dallas opens to the public on November 3. The home will be open to tour for two weeks, with all proceeds going to support the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club in New York, along with local charities Dwell With Dignity and The Crystal Charity Ball. Tickets are available now for purchase, so it's time to plan your visit to see the gorgeous designs by this talented group of designers and architects.
Entry & Powder Room (MLK Studio and Jackson Paige Interiors)
Designers Meg Joannides of MLK Studio and Kristine Paige of Jackson Paige Interiors joined forces to design the home’s formal entry and powder room. The pair was inspired by the timeless design of the house and set out on a mission to “conjure a grand and inviting threshold that would seamlessly blend with the newly enhanced charcoal-colored exterior and emphasize the gracious double-height ceiling,” say Joannides and Paige.
Living Room (Laura Lee Clark Interior Design)
Dallas-based designer Laura Lee Clark Falconer was inspired by Gracie’s “Kano Garden” wallcovering mural, which was based on an antique Japanese screen, for the room’s design. It sets the tone for the space's color palette and evokes a sense of laid-back luxury that feels appropriate for a grand formal living room in this Preston Hollow manse.
“Every piece in this globally inspired living room feels like an heirloom collected over decades of travel,” she says.
Dining Room (Mark D. Sikes, Inc.)
Affectionately dubbed “Villa Windowpane,” Mark D. Sikes transformed this room into a multipurpose space fit for the modern age while inspired by the glamorous lifestyles of Bunny Williams, Hubert de Givenchy, and Billy Baldwin. Functioning as a dining area, library, office, and retreat, this room is swathed in Sikes’s signature blue-and-white palette that evokes modern classicism and a luxurious simplicity that could be right at home in the French countryside or along the Mediterranean Coast. The generous use of breezy fabrics creates a comfortable sense of luxury and privacy.
Family Room (KirstenKelli, LLC)
Kelli Ford and Kirsten Fitzgibbons of KirstenKelli reimagined the house’s family room as the true heart of the home, blending comfort with high style to create an elevated, modern, and eclectic retreat. The pair pulled from iconic prints and designs from around the world that will appeal to every member in the family.
“The ‘Inner Sanctum’ is designed to be both memorable and serve as the backdrop upon which memories can be made,” say Ford and Fitzgibbons. “We envision the room full of life, laughs, and good conversation, without which interiors are incomplete.”
Hall (Sara Hillery Interior Design)
This delightful hall space, called “Tea for Two,” was intentionally designed by Sara Hillery to foster personal relationships sans screen time by encouraging intimate conversation in a timeless and festive setting. The area was influenced by French Mansard roof dormers and features a swoon-worthy custom tea cart by Worthen that Hillery says helps the space feel “simultaneously fresh and historic.” Whimsical patterns and shapes ensure it feels a far cry from a stuffy tea room.
Kitchen & Pantry (More+ Kurt Bielawski)
The home’s kitchen was reimagined to emulate a European country house that has been restored with clean, contemporary design while ensuring the room’s key elements were salvaged, says MORE Design + Build’s Kurt Bielawski. He sourced products with traditional details and patinated design to make the space feel appropriate for gracious living in 2023 while offering nods to the Old World that feel luxurious yet lived-in.
“The idea was to incorporate handcrafted and bespoke custom products and materials that seem centuries old but have all the modern conveniences,” says Bielawski.
Bar (Jase Jones & Associates)
Jason Jones and his team at Jase Jones & Associates have transformed the home bar into a gathering space full of yesteryear glamour. Jones says this room is a “fusion of Art Deco opulence and French elegance” that will transport guests to a romantic Parisian garden, thanks to a stunning Pierre Frey mural on the walls. An antiqued mirrored ceiling, along with covet-worthy marble slab counters and deco tiles, bring a sense of refinement to the space.
Primary Bedroom (Pursley Dixon Ford Interior Design)
Charlotte-based design firm Pursley Dixon Ford was tasked with transforming the home’s primary bedroom into the ultimate retreat for its owners. Named “A Breath of Fresh Air,” Bronwyn Ford and Ken Pursley envision the space as a place to escape a busy world. It features a soothing all-white palette and an array of custom furniture created exclusively by North Carolina-based tradespeople to pay homage to their own roots.
“Each piece lends a unique voice but works in concert with our vision for timeless simplicity,” say Ford and Pursley.
Primary Bathroom (Urbanology Designs)
Similar to the primary bedroom, Urbanology Designs’s take on the en suite bathroom leans into the concept of organic luxury and modern simplicity to create a sophisticated retreat for the owners. However, there are touches of grandeur that hail from a bygone era to keep things visually interesting and offer just the right amount of decadence.
“The very form and structure of our vanity exudes a sense of modernity and sculptural elegance, yet it is in the choice of stone for the vanity where the true magic unfolds,” says Ginger Curtis, president of Urbanology Designs. “The marble selected for this masterpiece possesses a profound historic resonance, rooted deeply in the annals of time and hails from the Baroque era. It’s a space where the majesty of history meets the sleek allure of the present, all encapsulated with a single, harmonious design.”
Primary Closet (Reverie Interior Design)
Kate Kitchen of Reverie Interior Design says that this glamorous contemporary dressing room finds its design inception in the heritages of British and Continental European styles. She found inspiration in the grand interior architecture and Art Deco design from some of her favorite British destinations, such as The Wolsely restaurant and The Ned members' club and hotel in London, as well as the historic-meets-contemporary flair of The Connaught—one of the city's most iconic hotels. Kitchen also ties in her love of exquisitely detailed gilded French antique doors and paneling throughout the space to further the luxurious feeling.
"This room speaks quiet luxury in its neutral color palette,
and minimal wardrobe design but has some more
dramatic elements, that work to bring a sense of heritage
and luxury to the space, blending the old with the new," says Kitchen.
Bedroom & Bathroom (Rivers Spencer Interiors)
This secondary bedroom and bathroom suite has been reimagined by design firm Rivers Spencer into “Les Fleurs du Marécage,” or, “Flowers of the Bayou.” It is a guest suite that pays homage to the firm’s New Orleans roots and the surrounding geographic areas. The star of the show is a custom Philip Jeffries mural wallpaper that depicts a panoramic scene reminiscent of the bayou and all its unique flora. Plus, it features pieces from an array of local artists and craftspeople to further infuse the space with a New Orleanian spirit.
“The guest bedroom and bath are meant to be laid out like a luxury hotel suite mixed with the hospitality of a Southerner’s home and replete with all the amenities a visitor would require,” says the Rivers Spencer team.
Bedroom & Bathroom (KMNelson Design, LLC)
Kristi Nelson of KMNelson Design drew inspiration for this en suite bedroom from early 1970s Marrakech and its iconic patrons of bohemian decadence and creativity (think: Yves Saint Laurent, Francis Ford Coppola, and Talitha Getty, she says). Nelson opted for layered, textural fabrics, brass fixtures, and a custom mohair screen upholstered in Perennials’s “Big Softy” to serve as the headboard and focal point of the space. However, the “Travertine” wallpaper by Fromental is equally show stopping, reminiscent of sand dunes sparkling at golden hour, says Nelson.
Bedroom & Closet (Simms Hayes Design)
The Simms Hayes Design team envisioned this bedroom as a space for a grown daughter to flourish and recharge. The centerpiece and focal point of the space is a striking treillage wall, which is appropriately flanked by fern-striped wallpaper on either side to create a fresh, lively, and reinvigorating room that will have the daughter emerging with a clear mind and renewed perspective. Touches of pink and gold bring pops of feminine glamour.
Bedroom & Bathroom (Darren Hennault Interiors)
This decadent bedroom by Darren Hennault takes its design from the iconic folly at the opulent Chateau de Groussay outside of Paris. Striped tenting envelops the bedroom to feel like a luxurious oasis, while Hennault says the ensuite bathroom is “a study of stone and form.” Sumptuous fabrics are used throughout to bring a more sensory element of luxury.
“With the precision of a couturier, I adorned the space to charm the senses and achieve an air of timeless elegance,” says Hennault.
Landing, Hall Bathroom & Back Staircase (Morgan Madison Design)
For this multipurpose space, designers Tanner Morgan and Jennifer Laouari of Morgan Madison Design found inspiration in nature through the lyrics of Stevie Nicks and the words of Annie Dillard. The result is a blend of earthy, organic elegance and a clean, cool aesthetic fit for modern dwellers.
“We drew inspiration from the verdant intensity of nature, the enchanting choreography of light, and the limitless sky, all kissed by contemporary artistic measures,” says Morgan and Laouari. “The resulting design is an ode to the seamless convergence of earthly and celestial influences.”
Den (Dodson Interiors)
Julie Dodson of Dodson Interiors found inspiration from design legends David Hicks and Suzanne Rheinstein to embody her “Traditional Today” aesthetic for the home’s den space. She brought the vision to life with the help of globally sourced antiques, modern art, and a lavish tented ceiling to create an elevated yet comfortable place to foster meaningful conversation.
“The goal was to create a salon that brought a sense of luxury to everyday living, where adults could unwind and enjoy cocktails and conversations while enveloped in a sumptuous setting,” says Dodson.
Bedroom & Bathroom (Cathy Kincaid Interiors, Ltd.)
Kips Bay Dallas design veteran Cathy Kincaid Hudson reinvented this guest bedroom space into a library inspired by the one in Bunny Mellon's iconic Virginia home. An ode to the doyenne of design, gardening, and entertaining herself, this library offers an idyllic escape for the woman of the house, as it features a desk for working, a daybed for resting, a window seat for perching, and a bed for a favorite furry companion to join in on the creative reset.
“The room is meant to be a place for personal refuge, reflection, and inspiration—a space I personally dream of every day,” says Kincaid Hudson. “We hope to have created a room of one’s own for today that will stand the test of time and be smiled upon by its inspiration: Bunny Mellon.”
Bedroom (Chad James Group)
Designer Chad James of Chad James Group continues the theme of being inspired by a leading lady in his life; this time, his sister. His aim was to recreate this secondary bedroom space to feel appropriate across multiple decades, pulling from styles popular in the 1980s and updating them for the modern age.
"My 'Fox Den Suite' is an immersive haven that pays homage to the past," James says. "Inspired by my sister's circa-1985 teenage bedroom, I’ve created a space that transcends time, an exclusive sanctuary that is a tapestry of comfort and cheerfulness, with just the right touch of irreverence."
Terrace & Pool Pavilion (Todd Events)
The team at Todd Events imagined the home’s incredible back patio and terrace as “the embodiment of enjoyment.” It was designed with outdoor entertaining in mind, helping the family make the most of this space whenever the weather calls for gathering al fresco with loved ones. The upper terrace is designed for effortless yet elegant hosting and features a newly constructed fireplace that will cement its role for parties in the chillier months. The pool terrace and folly are intended for relaxation and lounging, offering plenty of space to soak up the Texas sun as well as a retreat from the intense summer rays in well-collected digs.
Front Landscape (Melissa Gerstle Design)
Melissa Gerstle has returned to the Kips Bay Dallas Decorator Show House for a second time and was tasked with redesigning the front landscape. The space features an elliptical central garden with the sculpture "Gone” by artist Carolyn Salas as the pièce de résistance, along with a front porch and seating area.
“I believe our space shows how form and function can work beautifully together in the landscape to create stunning forms that complement the architecture while also serving the people who use it,” says Gerstle. “Being able to showcase art will be the highlight of that area with seating to view the sculpture from several angles, enclosed within a hedge to create a private sanctuary for the viewer and heroine of the art.”
Back Landscape (From the Ground Up)
Named “A Preston Hollow Shire,” the home’s back landscape by another show house veteran, From the Ground Up, features a stunning 19th-century Belgian limestone trough that is transformed into a water feature, along with a circular stone moon gate that leads into an enchanting woodland garden seating area. Plus, there’s a custom chandelier floating in the steel pergola to add to the whimsy.
“Each element grabs your immediate attention and creates a sense of space,” says From the Ground Up’s Dan Houchard. “They also provide key focal points that pull you in further outside to explore the expansive garden, bringing you to another realm.”
You Might Also Like
