You’ll Never Believe the Jaw-Dropping Transformation of This Manhattan Mansion
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The Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York has finally returned after a four-year hiatus due to COVID-19, and exuberance around the return of this design community spring rite can be felt throughout the Beaux Arts townhouse.
Twenty-two designers were tapped to transform five floors of the historic mansion at 337 Riverside Drive, which is currently for sale by owner and was previously owned by actress Julia Marlowe. Tried-and-true alums like Georgis & Mirgorodsky and Sasha Bikoff have returned, while newcomers like editor turned designer Clinton Smith are making their debut. Visitors can tour some 10,000 square feet of sensory-rich glamour, from a playful plaid-and-yellow parlor to a sophisticated hookah lounge that takes a step into the dark side. But the biggest surprises upon entering the show house were the images each designer shared, revealing the unsightly blank canvas each was working with at the outset.
Read on to see some of our favorite before-and-afters, and be sure to go check out the show house for yourself while it’s open for viewing through June 6. Proceeds will go to the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club.
Before: Entryway
Elizabeth Graziolo of Yellow House Architects and her team had their work cut out for them with this dated entrance, complete with unprepossessing movie theater stair lights and unflattering fluorescent lighting.
After: Entryway by Yellow House Architects
Graziolo and her team looked to the home’s first occupant, actress Julia Marlow, for inspiration, creating a gallery wall near the left elevator entrance with photos of the star. Using a black Benjamin Moore paint with lacquered insets, they further set the tone for a moody, dramatic entrance with an otherworldly chandelier by Nacho Carbonell from Carpenters Workshop Gallery.
Before: Living Room
The living room on the second floor, which was given to Ghislaine Viñas to design, had a lot going on with a menacing chain-link gate over the windows, humdrum wooden flooring, and peach-colored walls gracelessly abutting a pale pink ceiling. To top it off, a lumbering yellow column greeted visitors as they entered the room—a visual reminder that some design decisions are objectively regrettable.
After: Living Room by Ghislaine Viñas
Viñas turned a dated living room into a modern artistic haven. She asked artist Mark Mulroney to decorate the plaid Wolf Gordon wallcovering with paint and gave the room some whimsy using custom designs like her yellow Again and Again cocktail table to add an extra pop that joyously anchors the room.
Before: Second-Floor Atrium
Set between two entertaining rooms, this atrium of sorts was entrusted to the capable hands of Halden Interiors’ Kesha Franklin. Regrettably, the yellow column makes another cameo in this transitional space that, at the moment, feels vainly impractical.
After: Second-Floor Atrium by Halden Interiors
Halden Interiors pulled out all the stops to transform this second-floor atrium into a beautiful sitting area. Kravet’s Gaston y Daniela Cuzco Verde fabric on the window shade pairs nicely with the rug designed by Kesha Franklin for the Rug Company. She was inspired by vine plants, and the various green hues used throughout harmonize to carry out that vision.
Before: Powder Room
With its unimaginative brown damask wallpaper and unsightly glass block window, the guest bathroom is an eyesore that is yearning for personality that Lindsey Coral Harper bestowed.
After: Powder Room by Lindsey Coral Harper
Harper decided to retain one element of the original powder room: the coral marble flooring, which she used as a kicking-off point for the overall design. A custom wallpaper by Gracie is paired with geometric wainscoting and brass-framed artwork.
Before: Living Room
The Riverside mansion houses additional living rooms and sitting areas, including this spacious room that was given to Timothy Corrigan to transform.
After: Living Room by Timothy Corrigan
With his expertise in restoring old homes, particularly châteaus, Corrigan was in his element with this elegant living space. He preserved the architectural bones of the room, updating it only with paint and custom wallpaper enhanced with charming little creepy-crawlies. He chose furniture upholstered with outdoor fabrics (also bedecked with bugs, of course) and a rug made of a stain-resistant hide for an elegant but livable space. The bamboo chandelier is by David Duncan Studio, and the drapery is one of Corrigan’s own fabrics from his line at Schumacher by the Shade Store.
Before: Kitchen
The kitchen was in a sad state to say the least when it was handed over to Wesley Moon. A cringeworthy rendition of yellow on yellow, this headache-inducing space is proof that a pop of color must be used judiciously, not aggressively. Bereft of the elegant millwork found throughout the home, this room’s most noticeable feature is a series of oafish appliances that are begging for an opportunity to be repurposed elsewhere.
After: Kitchen by Wesley Moon
The first interior designer to oversee a kitchen space for a Kips Bay Show House (it’s usually a kitchen appliance or cabinetry company), Moon and his team were the right people for the job. Bringing in textured tile by Ann Sacks for the island that paired nicely with the Cosentino countertops and custom cabinetry by Top Notch Millwork, this soulless yellow box was transformed into a cozy cooking space that is equally sophisticated and inviting.
Before: Bedroom
It’s anybody’s guess what this unsightly blue room formerly accomplished. It may have been another sitting area, a library, or even a bedroom. Whatever the case, after a wave of Mary McDonald’s magic wand, its past life disappeared into the recesses of a very blue memory.
After: Bedroom by Mary McDonald
McDonald cast her signature magic of pattern and color in this bedroom. She kept the original built-in bookshelves but used Schumacher fabric to create a canopy bed in front. The mural wallpaper (also from Schumacher) adds another layer of intrigue.
Before: Primary Bathroom
This former primary bathroom is awash in style sins, right up there with popcorn ceilings and beveled glass. The most obvious offense, color-block tile, brings us back to the retro vibes of our elementary-school days. The egregious mirrors and substandard sinks are daunting reminders of every cookie-cutter suburban home ever built. But fear not, designer Sergio Mercado knew what to do with it.
After: Primary Bathroom by Sergio Mercado Design
From zany to zen, Mercado turned the primary bathroom into a respite anyone would want to move into. He paired slatted wood with custom laser-carved marble to add texture to the walls. The soaking tub and brass fittings are by Kohler, and the vanity is by Salvatori.
Before: Library
With dark mahogany built-ins, the office at the Riverside mansion was very heavy feeling, but Jay Jeffers was the perfect designer to cheer it right up (and he didn’t need to keep any of the yellow paint to do so).
After: Library by Jay Jeffers
By choosing two tones from Benjamin Moore for the walls, Rustique and Graystone, and covering the ceiling in a custom white oak–patterned design, Jeffers turned the library into a cozy, layered space where one could spend hours in the company of a book.
Before: Primary Bedroom
The primary bedroom was a lesson in being fearless with color, so Sasha Bikoff, whose colorful stairway a few years ago stole the show house, was the obvious candidate for redecorating this room. Thankfully, Bikoff isn’t scared off by a few decorating missteps.
After: Primary Bedroom by Sasha Bikoff
As usual, Bikoff went all out with her room. The custom Venus bed—designed by Bikoff with John Pomp Studios—is the star of the show, while the surrounding wallpapered walls and ceiling by Calico are meant to make one feel as though they’re floating on a cloud.
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