A Room of Her Own
After a tour of the kips bay decorator show house, our New York editor shares the newest trends and hottest looks for 2002.
I hope that my favorite editor, Christine Allison, makes a habit of coming up to New York, because a couple of months ago we had a fabulous time at the 30th annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House, where 16 of New York’s most elite decorators came together to present the newest trends in home dcor. Each decorator was given a room, or a hall or even a landing to show off his or her best.
Christine and I joined my favorite architect/designer, Charles Muse of Manhattan, for a tour of the show house. As we made our way through the six floors (plus roof-top garden) of the 1871 limestone townhouse, our guide provided us with historical data on the house and pointed out specific room details, even listing the resources used by each decorator. While we were overwhelmed by the amount of information, we were not overpowered by any of the rooms. Most were sublime, easy to understand, and a pleasure to admire. Compared to past years, the 2002 Kips Bay Show House was a surprisingly consistent study in practical restraint and soothing luxury. The over-the-top glitz of the past was replaced by simpler, more thoughtful schemes.
We found something of interest in almost every room: an illuminated plexiglass fireplace mantle and surround by Celeste Cooper; a crackle-finished, mirrored wall by Kitty Hawks; T. Keller Donovan’s painted sisal carpet; oversized playing cards painted in the recesses of Barbara Ostrom’s beamed ceiling. And then there were the mirrors. They were everywhere layered on top of one another, over artwork, over doors, over windows, leaning against furniture. Mirror mirror on the wall was clearly the fairest designer trick of them all.
Amid all of the innovative designs, I did find a few missteps. The gorgeous, honed white Carrara marble kitchen by Christopher Peacock featured a stunning checkerboard island countertop created by alternating pieces of end-grain maple and walnut. But, alas, the Wolf touch-pad cooktop was installed at the new height (below countertop level), enabling you to gaze into your beurre blanc. I envisioned myself a giant stirring a volcano or having a rigatoni facial. No thanks. And one of the bland upper landings used a corrugated cornice to create architectural detail. I’d rather see my cardboard recycled.
But I found myself transfixed by one small space. Katie Ridder transformed what once might have been a maid’s room or a nursery into a jewel-box hideaway so serene that I didn’t want to leave. The walls oversized leaf stencils, which were inspired by 1930s textile wizard Josef Frank, complemented a trio of maple-leaf-shaped cushions on the perfectly proportioned daybed.
That would have been impressive enough, but then I saw Katie’s back-painted glass valances. Updating a centuries-old decorative technique, reverse painting on glass, she painted a wonderful organic design on glass and mounted it on plywood. It’s a brilliant and beautiful detail.
Katie got her start as an editor at various home magazines, opened a home furnishings store on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, and, in 1993, created Katie Ridder Design & Decoration. Her portfolio reveals a talent for balancing classic elements with unexpected accents. Katie can inspire you to look at your rooms with a more whimsical eye. Hers is a name you’ll hear more of in the future.
Until next time, ciao.
