Like many older New York buildings, the Arthur Sachs Mansion has quite a few unusual rooms and spaces. For this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House, the interior designers assigned to those particular areas were faced with a challenge. We got their exclusive advice on how to minimize awkward angles and open up cramped quarters.
Jamie Drake’s dramatic foyer is the first thing visitors see when they enter the house, so he had one shot to make a statement. In an octagonal room with an entry door, a passage to the stairwell, and four doors in the corners, it was no easy feat.
Photo by Marco Ricca
Jamie’s tip: “When dealing with an awkward space such as a room with tricky columns or uneven walls, wrapping the room in a strong statement can make these challenges disappear. I used dramatic and rich Bordeaux paint (Farrow and Ball Brinjal) coated with a dusting of Japanese silver mica flakes on the walls and carried it right onto the closet doors, thus making them visually vanish.”
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The heart of the Arthur Sachs Mansion is a stunning staircase spanning all five floors, and designer Philip Mitchell chose to use the space to display a vast art collection. The neutral, densely-patterned toile from Mulberry Home wallpaper reads as a texture behind the pieces.
Photos by Rafael Quirindongo and DecoratorsBest
Philip’s tip: “I wanted to treat every area as a micro-gallery and imbue the sense of a passionate collector.”
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Designer Bennett Leifer was presented with a small space under the staircase. Adjacent to the kitchen, he chose to transform it into an elegant seating area.
Photo by DecoratorsBest
Bennett’s tip: “A great tip for adding luxury to a space while not overwhelming it is to select a featured wall to have a custom patterned wallpaper while coordinating the remaining walls with just the ground paper.”
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Michael Herold designed one of the smallest spaces in the house – the former laundry room – but his goal was not to be confined by it. With the large, open pattern and dark color of the Cole & Son wallpaper, the corners of the rooms blend together and create the illusion of wider walls.
Photo by DecoratorsBest
Michael’s tip: “In a small space, you don’t have to hold back from using dark colors. The most prominent color in this room is black, and it opens it up.”
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2015 Kips Bay Decorator Show House
The Arthur Sachs Mansion
58 East 66th Street New York City, 10065
Open May 14 – June 11, 2015
Monday through Saturday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tuesday & Thursday evenings: until 8 p.m.
Sunday: Noon – 5 p.m.
Tickets: $35
2015 Kips Bay Decorator Show House Designers:
Alan Tanksley, Inc. | Bennett Leifer Interiors | Branca | Cathy Kincaid Interiors | Christopher Peacock | Clive Christian | David Phoenix, Inc. | Drake Design Associates | Gail Green Interiors | Greener by Design | Janice Parker Landscape Architects | Mark D. Sikes Inc. | McMillen Inc. | Michael Herold Design | Paula + Martha | Pavarini Design | Peter J. Sinnott/ Home Works | Philip Mitchell Design | Ronald Bricke & Associates, Inc. | Rottet Studio | Thom Filicia Inc. | Tilton Fenwick
2015 Kips Bay Decorator Show Advertisers:
Decor | Susan Zises Green | New York’s Little Elves | Back Bay Shutter Co. Inc. | Mckinnon and Harris | Silver Lining Interiors | Ferguson & Shamamian | Geoffrey Bradfield | Stark Thomas P. Richmond Inc. | Keepitup | Kholer | Hearst | Eve Robinson Associates Inc. | Bilotta | Scott Salvator | Beauvais | Coffinier Kuu Design | The Shade Store | Penn & Fletcher John B. Murray Architect | Gold Coast Metal Works Inc. | Calder Design Group | Elizabeth Bradley Home | AKDO | Park Monceau | 1stdibs | Charlotte Moss | Design NJ | Silestone Interior Design | Didier Aaron | Two Worlds Arts | New York Design Center | Martin Printing Inc. | H.M. Luther | James Rixner | Bernd Goeckler Antiques | Manhattan Renovations St. Charles of New York | Objets Plus New York Inc. | Bunny Williams | Daniel Barney Antiques | Visiting Nurse Service | The Decorators Club Inc. | Christopher Peacock | Drake Design Associates | Ike Kligerman Barkley | Architectural Digest | Jean Karajian | LOM Property Consulting | Maison Gerard | Flower Magazine | Farrow & Ball | Kravet HousePad | Myron | Interior Management Inc. | David Scott Interiors | Vermon
2015 Kips Bay Decorator Show Sponsors:
Kholer | Interior Management Inc. | Hearst | Dacor | Architectural Digest | New York Design Center | Kravet | Elizabeth Bradley Home Farrow & Ball | Housepad | Silestone | Dekton | AKDO | 1stdibs | Christopher Guy | Pirch | The Shade Store | Polyphase
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