This year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House is a five-bedroom home in Old Preston Hollow at 9446 Hathaway Street on 1.7 acres in the Sunny Brook Estates neighborhood. The black-painted brick exterior of the 1940s home was a unanimous decision by all the participating designers from the U.S. to the UK. There are 22 of them. Co-chaired by Chad Dorsey and Jean Liu, and vice chairs Laura Lee Clark Falconer and Trish Sheets, in addition to benefiting the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, the fundraiser will also benefit Dwell with Dignity and The Crystal Charity Ball.
On our visit, we began with the outdoor areas before moving into the show house. Let’s take a tour.
The Garden Arrival: Melissa Gerstle Design
Landscape designer Melissa Gerstle designed the fetching entrance of the property she titled The Garden Arrival. Gone, a white laser-cut, powder-coated aluminum sculpture by Brooklyn-based artist Carolyn Salas, is the focal point of an oval-shaped garden placed on a bed of Ardisia encircled by stone. Gone, Gerstle says, sees a feminine figure fleeing a chaotic situation. This little sanctuary is just the right escape. Along with the resplendent tree above dappled with lanterns from E2 Illumination Designs, the 10-foot hedge surrounds the outdoor room with privacy.
Gerstle consulted advisor Lea Weingarten of Weingarten Art Group to find the perfect sculpture. “The story of Gone resonated with me strongly,” she says. Weingarten describes the theatrical sculpture as: “A modernist figure tiptoes toward a hanging curtain, as if furtively making a quick and quiet exit. She leaves behind a dense composition of figures and classical objects, evocative of the tumble of domesticity. One imagines her slipping away briefly for a quiet moment of respite.”
Steel seating by Sutherland, and lounge chairs and poufs from Brown Jordan invite visitors to linger. The designer had quiet moments in mind as well as entertaining by partnering up with Christopher Williams for the sound system.
Sharon’s Terrace: Todd Events
Speaking of entertaining, Todd Fiscus added to the garden respite with his savvy for the perfect outdoor terrace and pool pavilion complete with a fireplace and dining area. His flair for entertainment sequencing is apparent. Who wouldn’t want to sip mint julips on Brown Jordan lounge chairs on a crisp Dallas evening, before inviting family and guests to join them at the outdoor teak dining table with a blue Tibeten rug beneath? Here, Fiscus pays homage to his mother’s passion for blue-and-white Chinoiserie with garden stools, planters, and accents.
A Preston Hollow Shire: From The Ground Up Landscape / Dan Houchard
From Sharon’s Terrace the tour takes the path to the backyard to discover A Preston Hollow Shire. Dan Houchard with From the Ground Up Landscape captured the essence of J.R.R. Tolkien’s imaginings of The Shire through classic garden design, a 19th-century Belgian limestone water feature, a dining pergola, and a Hobbit-shaped moon gate which leads to a magical area he calls the “Woodland Garden,” furnished through David Sutherland
Wistful tour-goers will nearly forget they are just a short drive to the bustle of city life in this lush garden populated with mature trees. The pergola is adorned with a custom chandelier by Larry Whiteley (Whiteley Metal Works), a custom bar, and a Brown Jordan, dining set topped with Whiteley’s custom checkers. Christopher Williams sound and lighting design adds to the mystique/
We tore ourselves away from the open air and retreated to the back of the house, which features a custom iron railing leading to the terrace, where we entered to explore the interiors of the estate.
Here are a few of our favorite indoor spaces:
Quatre Saisons: Urbanology Designs / Ginger Curtis
The primary bathroom suite embraces modern and traditional design through Urbanology’s design ethos: “to create homes with longevity and lasting appeal that embody comfort and character.”
Firstly, the designer-specified stone is marvelous in this home, and this room is no exception. The handsome “Quatre Saisons” marble from Aria Stone Gallery in seasonal tones of Merlot, Aubergine, pine, blush, and peach, was used to create a custom curved vanity. It was once known as the king’s marble when discovered in a French quarry that became Louis XIV’s stone supplier. Curtis and her design team added contrast with a geometric mosaic floor from Artistic Tile in Hidden Circles Vanilla, a blend of marble and onyx. A crushed stone material applied in a plaster-like finish, adorns the spa shower.
Sumptuous Sanctuary: Kirsten Kelli, LLC. / Designers Kirsten Fitzgibbons and Kelli Ford
Sumptuous it is! As the heart of the house, designers Kirsten Fitzgibbons and Kelli Ford bring an intriguing sense of stylish comfort to the family room. This comfort oasis is surrounded by Phillip Jeffries embossed crocodile ceiling, Sailor Stripe Canvas walls, and black-lacquered Benjamin Moore trim and beams.
From David Sutherland Showroom’s Dutch convex art mirror, light is captured from a warm fire below to create the focal point of the room. The wall-to-wall mantle is a stunner made of cerused ash wood with a patinaed copper-banded plaid pattern which pairs beautifully with the The Shade Store’s plaid window treatments. A long custom sofa, purchased at Round Top for Off the Floor, the designer’s shop, is flanked by two sets of Macassar Ebony chairs. An octagon custom-designed leather coffee table is a signature of the duo. Beneath, Stark Carpet and a rug overlay invite you to take your slippers off. Kelli Ford’s Madison Dallas accessories bring an alluring lived-in feel.
Kano Garden: Living Room / Laura Lee Clark Falconer
Layers upon layers upon layers… This highly experienced and talented Dallas-based designer looked to Gracie for the perfect wallcovering mural to create the essence of the living room. Gracie’s Kano Garden, with its sophisticated elegance derived from the Kano school, is based on an antique Japanese screen featuring flowering cherry trees, gold leaf applied clouds, and peacocks on a neutral, antiqued background. Benjamin Moore’s Sea Froth high-gloss ceiling adds height to the intimate space punctuated by pools of cobalt blue throughout the room.
A prized circa 1970 Philip and Kelvin LaVerne “Viola” table, is an exquisite centerpiece of the room as it casts intricate, foliage shadows on the silk rug by J.D. Staron. A pair of Hans Wegner mid-century modern Queen Chairs flank the Steven Cavalo cast-glass fireplace mantle. Beneath, andirons by John Lyle and selenite logs add the finishing touches. The chairs are punctuated with a Robert Kuo cloisonne’ drum stool. A custom banquette is covered in Dedar Fabrics.
A “Marilyn” sofa from Jan Showers covered in rose mohair and a Julian Chichester premium-stocked bar cart is just the right touch to invite conversation.
Clark Falconer always adds dimension to her work with curated art selections. Here, perfectly placed artworks by Marcelyn McNeil and Justin Quinn represented by Conduit Gallery, and Andrea Rosenberg through Barry Whistler Gallery, complete the picture.
The Gloucestershire: A Cook’s Kitchen & Scullery / MORE + Kurt Bielawski
Old Europe meets Southern charm in this spaciously restored chef’s kitchen and adjoining scullery, designed by Kurt Bielawski that blends vintage hallmarks with contemporary convenience. Seeking “individual character” Bielawski retained the original tile flooring and original cabinetry augmented by glass paneling for viewing the contents inside. An in-house chef stocked the built-in produce compartments.
Artistic Tile’s Calacatta Rosa marble countertops sleek up the roomy island of natural-hewn wood featuring gas and induction burners, a griddle, and wok induction. From the vaulted ceiling, a large custom-designed industrial-style chandelier provides adjustable light for cooking.
Modern appliances from Jenn Air’s Rise collection are wrapped in cabinetry and painted warm khaki and terracotta hues with bold brass accents and diamond-etched handles. Benjamin Moore’s Lime White Flat and Brandy Cream Flat walls enhance the millwork throughout.
Following Kips Bay, Bielewski will turn his attention to the launch of his lifestyle brand, KD BIEL, which will focus on curated and custom items.
Unfolding Elegance: Darren Henault Designs / Darren Henault
Henault has his own shop called Tent in Amenia, New York, filled with bespoke upholstery, furniture, antique rugs, décor, and accessories which he used expertly and pleasingly in the guest bedroom.
For the ensuite bath Henault selected Arabescato D’Oro marble slabs and Groove dimensional tile from Artistic Tile. As a contrast he chose Belvedere, a black quartzite from South Africa veined with flourishes of white and gold, also from Artistic Tile. The designer had the Groove tile cut to serve as crown and base molding, and mirror frame.
The property has a pool and outdoor living spaces as well as a three-car garage with built-in storage. Tours are available November 7–12, and 14. For $50 there is a whole lot to be inspired by. For tickets visit https://www.kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org/dallasplanyourvisit