Right next to Kathy Abbott's room at the
Kips Bay Decorator Show House is a wonderfully chic sitting room and bedroom by
Lichten Craig. I know I sound like a broken record but I really loved this room too! I think the fact that
Lichten Craig is an architecture and design firm is the reason that their room is full of so many wonderful details, starting with the sitting room floor. When I was reading over their notes, I was amazed to find out that the custom oak floor in the radiating squares pattern was finished and cut off site! I guess they definitely measured twice and cut once since it looks beautiful and sets the stage for the dramatic double door entrance into the bedroom.
What I noticed about the door were not only the square polished nickel hardware that the doors were built around but also the sleek
Art Deco Olive Knuckle hinges from
Von Morris. I also appreciated that all the screws on the hinges lined up as well. It's that attention to detail that will set a great architect or designer apart from the rest!
I also love that in the land of McMansions and cavernous bedrooms that this one feels cozy when you close the doors. I think it would make a perfect guestroom. The 1950's abstract painting is second in the show by Steven Pace. The other is in Donald Schermerhorn's room. It works well with the art in the sitting room which includes another abstract painting not seen in these photos.
What I thought was wallpaper is actually a silk cut velvet in a faux bois pattern from Schumacher that was used to upholster the walls. I have to tell you that I normally do not like cut velvet or faux bois ("fake wood") but it looks great in this room. I'm also impressed when a designer can make me think twice about something I would have usually written off. The unglazed bisque double gourd lamps are by everyone's favorite potter,
Christopher Spitzmiller. I love the symmetry of the windows, lamps, bedside tables and benches at the end of the bed.
I think future Kips Bay Decorator Show Houses are going to have a lot to live up to since this one seems to be one of the best in many years. I am so happy that it introduced me to so many wonderful designers and I can't wait to check out the
Lichten Craig website to see what other chic homes they have created!
By the time I got down to the English Basement at the Kips Bay Decorator Show House, I was exhausted but I'm glad I didn't skip it. There are some great rooms down there! The kitchen that was designed by St. Charles of New York, is directly under Juan Montoya's room and is the same size. As you can imagine, most New York kitchens are pretty small so to have this much room would be amazing. It's actually almost too big! I'm not sure if you can tell in these photos but the cabinetry is a beautiful pale blue. The kitchen island also opens to reveal seating.
For a basement room, the kitchen was light and airy. Which probably has something to do with the outdoor area beyond. According to Karen Williams and Robert Schwartz of St. Charles the "goal was to design a fluid space with four multi-tasking lifestyle vignettes - a continuous breakfast bar featuring concealed appliance center, a cooking hearth, a 12-foot kitchen island that cleverly converts to a banquet for extra seating, and a designated wine area complete with fireplace and tasting table."
"The spectacular architecture of the mansion's limestone exteriors is echoed in the kitchen's cooking hearth and fireplace elevations, as well as the large floor-to-ceiling tiles."
My favorite area was the breakfast bar where you can conceal the appliances when they are not in use. There was also a large pull out drawer for cereal in special containers!
While you are waiting for something to cook or bake, you could go out and enjoy the greenery created by Plant Specialists including the huge palm trees!
As any New Yorker what they dream about and one of them would be a washer and dryer in their apartment! Of course, a house as large as the show house would require multiple laundry rooms but I'd gladly settle for one! It even includes the Kelly Ripa and Electrolux new limited edition 'kelly green' energy-saving washer and dryer.
Now, before you start leaving nasty comments about this final basement safe room designed by William T. Georgis, let me explain that it falls in the "fantasy room" category. A safe room could never contain a fireplace or windows or would ever look this chic! William T. Georgis designed the Safe Room as a "safe haven in a time of potential global wars, economic meltdown, ecological devastation, paranoia, and questionable human behavior."
" The room contains a combination of art, furniture and weapons. George Condo's Jesus on the Cross, a 19th-century Danish Eqyptian revival chaise, and Richard Dupont's haunting sculpture of distorted figures, Untitled (Lever House Study), animate a lair upholstered in gray ultrasuede, lined with weapons, and stocked with survival supplies. An Empire bureau plat allows for writing, while the surveillance camera and stainless steel commode provide comfort and accommodate relief. The disco ball spins to the endless party tracks." If you have to been cooped up in a safe room, you might as well be comfy and cozy!
William T. Georgis's partner, Richard Marshall, is the art advisor to art collector and real estate titan Aby Rosen who owns this building and generously donated it's use as the show house. Aby Rosen also owns Lever House where artist Richard Dupont recently showed his work. And his sister-in-law Serena Boardman works for Sotheby's International Real Estate and working on the sale of the $75 Million townhouse. Any takers? 
When I went to his website to learn a little more about him, I read this description that seemed especially apt for this room..."The exquisite juxtaposition of textures, colors and volumes, together with thoughtful attention to shadows, scale, and spatial quality, result in interiors that exude refinement and elegant simplicity. Through the careful placement of objects that often reflect his interest in a variety of cultures, Montoya enhances the inherent qualities of a room."
The furniture in this room includes many Swedish pieces including the side table above that sits next to a long custom designed sofa upholstered in a Juan Montoya fabric. You can see the texture of the wall treatment and the Willy Rizzo photograph displayed on a easel that all somehow work together.
The largest room extends the width of the townhouse and was designed by 
Maybe instead of separate bathrooms, the key to a happy marriage should be separate bedrooms but only if they look like the ones designed by 
When I visted the show house, the weather was grey and ready to rain and the light from large windows made the room feel as though it could have been in Paris. Considering what a Francophile Ms. Moss is, it seemed especially fitting. The color palette for her room is French blue, mauve, ivory, pale pink and celedon and even though there are a lot of colors, the room is quite soothing. "Drama is created with contrast - in the case of these rooms, a light blue is used in the sitting room and a dark blue in the bedroom. The depth of color suits the room's use - dark for sleeping, light for reading, relaxing and conversation."
The darker walls of midnight blue DeGournay Teapaper and canopied bed definitely add drama in the bedroom. 
