An eye on design at The Mansion on Madison
There”™s a definite Fairfield County presence within the walls of The Mansion on Madison, the Manhattan venue hosting the 42nd annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House through May 29.
Among the 20-plus interior designers participating in the prestigious showcase are Christopher Peacock and the firm Kirsten Kelli, both with Greenwich showrooms. In addition, John Douglas Eason, whose Fairfield projects have included the Merrywood show house, is a Kips Bay participant.
The show house, which not only serves to spotlight the worldӪs best in art, design and home d̩cor, also raises funds for its namesake, the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. Since its inception, the show house has raised more than $19 million to further the work of the nonprofit organization that serves the cityӪs disadvantaged children. Organizers said the event attracts some 15,000 visitors each year.
Designers from across the country were invited to decorate rooms, ranging from kitchens to salons, libraries to bedrooms. Touring the showcase not only gives homeowners the chance to gather ideas but also allows designers to raise their profiles as they offer room after room of design possibilities that go far beyond the routine.
Eason, of John Douglas Eason Interiors, for example, was assigned the mansion”™s grand staircase and has turned it into an artful study that balances a sense of history and grandeur (a Baroque console) with modern flair (a Barry X Ball sculpture).
Matthew Quinn”™s expansive kitchen features cabinetry with details that echo the spires of St. Patrick”™s Cathedral just across the street, while Alexa Hampton of Mark Hampton L.L.C. was inspired by the design of a Spanish tile to create a fanciful, exotic retreat.
Kirsten Fitzgibbons and Kelli Ford, Dallas sisters with a Greenwich showroom, used the Jazz Series by French artist Henri Matisse as a jumping-off point for their trademark look ”“ traditional with a heavy dose of bold styling here seen in a bright-and-airy living room.
Also bold are the pink hues and vintage fashions and fabrics from Italian designer Emilio Pucci that gave a charmingly retro feel to the walk-in closet and vanity vignette designed by Peacock.
Colombian-born designer Juan Montoya”™s modern, spacious living room had the most eclectic touch, a sparkling, early 19th-century British chandelier. On the afternoon of a media tour, he spoke of proportion, scale and creating a room that is stylish and comfortable.
“It”™s like a good recipe,” he said. “You have it. You taste it, and then you want more of it.”
The show house remains open daily through May 29 at 457 Madison Ave. (adjacent to The New York Palace hotel), with special events including salon evenings scheduled throughout the month.