From patterned ceilings and floors to luxe fabrics and the finest of furnishings, the 2023 Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas has made its big debut. Design professionals from North Texas and beyond transformed the Old Preston Hollow residence for the internationally recognized event, which welcomes the public to tour the home and grounds to benefit charity.
This year’s Show House in the Sunnybrook Estates neighborhood has five bedrooms and four living areas on 1.7 acres; the property includes a pool and pavilion as well as a three-car garage. This year — the fourth annual Dallas event, although the Show House began in 1973 in Manhattan — an all-star roster of 22 design experts have each curated a room or space.
You can take in the designs through Tuesday, Nov. 14 (the home will be closed Monday, Nov. 6, and Monday, Nov. 13). Tickets are required, and you can purchase them here.
The Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas benefits Dwell with Dignity, a nonprofit agency dedicated to creating homes for families facing homelessness and poverty, and the Crystal Charity Ball, which supports and make contributions to children’s charities in Dallas County.
Want a sneak peek before you go? Here, three local designers share their thoughts about the beautiful spaces they created.
A room to encourage family time: Kirsten Kelli
For this space, sisters Kelli Ford and Kirsten Fitzgibbons of Kirsten Kelli (a design firm with offices in Dallas and Greenwich, Connecticut) wanted to create a peaceful and comforting spot that encourages family time. “We intentionally did not put a TV in the room in hopes it would be a place to disconnect from devices and reconnect with loved ones,” Ford says. “The family room is the true heart of the home, and we wanted to create a space that reflected that.”
To anchor the room, Ford chose a 12-foot sofa from the duo’s Off the Floor store to create a comfy spot for a family to land. “Bigger is not always better when it comes to design, but in this case it is,” says Ford. “The sofa truly makes the room.”
A custom leather octagonal coffee table, sized perfectly for the vignette, is a trademark of the firm’s design. “The tables are made to order in the Kirsten Kelli workroom, and each piece is unique,” Ford explains. To make the ceiling height feel taller, she added stripes to elongate the walls, and painted the trim and beams black so that the boundaries of the room recede. Drapes from The Shade Store add a pop of plaid.
Ford’s favorite feature of the cozy family room is the mantel. “It is something we dreamed up in our heads and then [put] on paper,” she says. “Seeing it come to life has been an actual dream. The patinaed copper and burnished wood work in unison to create a brutalist effect on the entire wall. This serves as a visual focal point no matter where you stand in the room.” A fireplace screen from David Sutherland Showroom completes the look.
Kitchen that blends old and new: More Design + Build
Kurt Bielawski, owner of More Design + Build in Dallas, concepted this kitchen with a restored European estate in mind. “I aimed to create a space that felt like it was salvaged from an Old European home, combining elements from places in England and Tuscany, with a touch of chic countryside charm,” he says. Take, for instance, the mix of warm and original cabinetry; the patterned Artistic Tile flooring, which mimics an antique wood-floor pattern; and vaulted ceiling. They all come together to create a perfect blend of vintage and modern aesthetics.
The kitchen is both beautiful and highly functional. Bielawski decided on a JennAir induction cooktop on the island that allows for interactive cooking, as well as multiple JennAir wall ovens in a quad-oven format that makes cooking convenient. “The root vegetable storage cabinet in the scullery, with lighting and glass shelves, adds a dramatic and wonderful element to the design,” he says.
Art-inspired living space: Laura Lee Clark
Laura Lee Clark, owner of Laura Lee Clark Interior Design in Dallas, took her cues for this living room design from a Gracie hand-painted mural wallcovering. “This mural, inspired by the Kano school and antique Japanese artistry, features enchanting scenes of flowering cherry trees, gilded clouds and vibrant peacocks set against a softly antiqued, neutral background,” she says.
In keeping with her “tasteful restraint” design philosophy, she was careful to select furniture and accessories that look effortlessly curated but still offer unexpected moments. Above it all is a high-gloss ceiling, which Clark describes as playing “a pivotal role in elevating the room’s intimacy and charm.”
She also mixed in stunning vintage and midcentury modern furniture with contemporary pieces; selections include the rare Philip and Kelvin LaVerne “Viola” table from 1970, Hans Wegner midcentury modern “Queen” chairs, a Julian Chichester bar cart and a Jan Showers “Marilyn” sofa. Modern artworks by Marcelyn McNeil, Justin Quinn and Andrea Rosenberg create interesting focal points. “Achieving a harmonious blend of various styles required careful consideration,” Clark shares.
