Flower Wallpapers Charm at Kips Bay Palm Beach Show House
By Jill Brooke
Oh what fun it is to look at life through flowers.
The Seventh Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House Palm Beach opened with an array of 23 of the nation’s most acclaimed interior designers and architects showcasing their talents and tropical vibes.
The Show House, which will be open to the public for three weeks until March 17th, doubles as the nation’s leading design event of the year and a major fundraiser for Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club and Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County.
This event began in 1973 when several dedicated supporters of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club launched the Decorator Show House to raise critical funds for much-needed after-school and enrichment programs for New York City children. Since Palm Beach is an epicenter now for art and design and also a mecca for New Yorkers in the winter months, this idea has rooted and become a popular event.
Here are the flower trends that emerged from the show that also are part of the design zeigeist.
1) Ocean Blue Colors
When you are near the ocean, not surprising that the soothing colors of the sea can inspire. But it’s more than that. It’s the cobalt ocean blue that seems to be popping everywhere. Actually Ralph Lauren had an iconic room with these colors in the 80’s. Jodie Foster loved the Bloomingdales display so much that she ordered every item to replicate it for her own room. Now we’re seeing that color emerge as a trend.
Phoebe Howard is known for designing bedrooms and used the color. This bedroom, however, was a daunting size, with very high ceilings. Howard felt the room needed to be a bold color, with a large-scale pattern. She found Gracie Studio’s Navy Lily which was a good choice. This is Gracie’s first foray into digital wallpapers and we just love the vibe. Taking inspiration from boxwood parterre gardens, Howard worked closely with David Fuller Architectural Panels to create a custom lattice ceiling and cornice. The ceiling is painted Ben Moore Van Deusen Blue, with the lattice in Ben Moore Simply White, to create a crisp contrast on the ceiling. The bed is dressed in gorgeous custom bedding from Pioneer Linens, in a custom cane embroidery pattern with monograms, of course. The window treatments are white linen from Cowtan and Tout, with blue Samuels & Sons embroidered trim, all fabricated with stunning custom cornice boards and panels from The Shade Store. All of the other fabrics in the room are from Howard’s favorite company, Cowtan and Tout.
It was the de Gournay scenic wallcovering that served as Tristan Harstan & Company’s inspiration for this dining room. Blues are so part of de Gournay repetoire. In this room, the play of light on gleaming surfaces and the use of a hand-painted silk wallcovering create the sense of a more intimate and elegant dining space. Here, a wallcovering with historical references has been transformed into one that is fresh and modern in its monochromatic, bold, and refreshing palette of blues and white which plays off the flame stitch pattern of the Scalamandre fabric on the dining chair backs. The jungle canopy reaches to the ceiling to play up the volume of space below, countered by the shimmer of Thibaut’s modern tea leaf silver wallpaper above which I have framed by a simple and modern glossy molding detail. The reflective quality and exuberant style of the silver gilt and crystal Paul Ferrante Palm Chandelier draws your eye from the entrance to the center of the dining room. This is a room for the traditionalists among us.
With its palm tree wallpaper that screams modern and fun, Jim Dove’s kitchen stands as a testament to the celebration of hospitality and the art of cooking. His inspiration came from the legendary Dorothy Draper, an icon known for her fearless embrace of colors that defied convention. As she said, be classic with a dash of daring. Jim Dove Design’s kitchen has a vibrant canvas, a symphony of hues that dance together in harmony. Love this kitchen.
2) Ceiling Flourishes
This bathroom introduces Jessica Jubelirer’s wallpaper collaboration with Fromental, cladding the walls and ceiling of the room in raw silk hand painted and hand embroidered with raffia. Inspired by the art of 20th-century French artist Christian Bérard – the hand-painted and embroidered paper consists of stylized floral and fauna motifs executed in a mid-century Italian color palette of terra-cotta, olive greens, wicker, and rattan. Terra cotta baseboard and cornice bring a hand-made warmth to the space, while timeless plumbing fixtures from Kohler, including the re-introduction of a heritage green tub, create a modern yet classic composition. A mix of both antique and new furnishings ensures the space is not only utilitarian and functional but also comforting and inviting.
We also liked how Ariel Okin’s Trellis Garden has botanicals to this Trellis Garden. Environmental Design Group provided color with textured boxwoods, fuchsia bougainvillea, terracotta pots and more, to add natural beauty to the space in quintessential Palm Beach style. Schuyler Samperton textiles add an anchoring color palette of blues and greens in a variety of patterns ranging from chintz to palms.
Redmond Aldrich also added fabric to the ceiling here. Chloe Warner, Redmond Aldrich Design calls this the “Peony Pavilion.” Inspired by Chloe’s grandmother Lucia and her life-long love of Palm Beach, chintz and card games, this room is also the debut of Redmond Aldrich’s fabric line. Say hello to Peony Chintz! More original designs coming throughout 2024.
This bedroom sanctuary by Rinfret Limited evokes the natural beauty of seashells, creating a peaceful and serene space with a historic grandeur inspired by Vizcaya. It’s a name that conveys tranquility and elegance. They say they envisioned a room that was perhaps lost to time behind a hidden grotto, mysteriously found. It feels like stepping inside your own shell and finding the pearl. What a nice idea to have the bed’s ceiling dotted with shells as well as some walls. And the silks and neutral shades do ooze calm.
3)Pinks Aren’t All Barbiesque
Pink is an eternal color and a fave of most people. Sure, the Barbie movie has dominated design but these pink colors burst with charm as well as durability. Not as much as we think for the true Barbie pink, which can we be honest, can be a bit garish.
“The Parlour” by Betsy Wentz Interior Design serves as a functional hallway to the primary suite. It is also a dreamy lounge area. Sanderson/Harlequin woodland fabrics and wallpaper served as the inspiration for this reimagined gathering space. A custom Rug & Kilim rug, drapery by The Shade Store, a seating area and a full bar with Jenn Air appliances, countertop and backsplash from Prime Stone and a Kohler sink, round out the interiors. We also loved the flower chandelier. Only in a true talent’s hands could so many textures and colors coalesce to create whimsy, fun, and high style.
Talk about charming. Oh my. I literally gasped in delight seeing this. Megan Gorelick Interiors named this room “Gimme a Minute.” It is a refuge for a woman to escape her family for just a minute. Such a great concept. Schumacher’s “Queen’s Flight” wallpaper creates this fairytale, dreamland feel.
After all, great design is supposed to transport you where you need to go.
Jill Brooke is a former CNN correspondent, Post columnist and editor-in-chief of Avenue and Travel Savvy magazine. She is an author and the editorial director of FPD and a contributor to Florists Review magazine. She also won the 2023 AIFD (American Institute of Floral Design.) Merit Award for showing how flowers impact history, news and culture
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