Design Inspo from the 2025 Kips Bay Show House in NY

Touring a designer show house is always enlightening—both to discover things you love and to learn what you don’t like in a room’s design. The latter can be equally valuable! The 2025 Kips Bay Show House in Manhattan was delayed until October (it’s usually in May), due to the difficulty in finding a suitable property. A show house must be: 1) huge; 2) on the market or about to be listed; and 3) have owners amenable to a couple dozen designers creating wildly different rooms, including hallways, stairways, bathrooms and closets! Furnishings can be removed, but paint and paper generally stay with the house.

This year was the 50th anniversary of the Kips Bay Show House. The 21 chosen interior designers transformed this 9,000 square foot Greenwich Village town house, built in 1847. Just 26 feet wide, it even has an original Otis elevator from the Gilded Age, still in working order! There are seven wood-burning fireplaces, eight bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and many rooms have 13-foot ceilings.

Calico’s Jan Jessup visited the five-story show house with camera in hand, along with friends from WithIt, a professional networking group for women (and men) in the home furnishings industry. Here is what caught her eye, with a special focus on decorative fabrics and fabrication:

WINDOW TREATMENTS! BEAUTIFUL BEDS!
Alexa Hampton for Mark Hampton, LLC

An Oscar de la Renta dress, printed with orchids, inspired Alexa Hampton to create this garden bower bedroom. The antique canopy bed belonged to her parents for 40 years—but originally was owned by the Duchess of Marlborough in England! Alexa’s father was the legendary interior designer, Mark Hampton, and her design firm still carries his name.

Close-ups of the interior of the bed show the contrast print fabric that lines the bed hangings and the top of the canopy. A green velvet tufted headboard supports wool plaid shams and smaller pillows with leafy appliqués.

Alexa chats with furniture and lighting designer Nathaniel Pearson—and shares a laugh with her former employees who came to call during the opening weekend of the Kips Bay Show House.

Close-ups of the drapery panels that flank the two windows in the room: note the fan pleats, the contrast print lining, the solid fuchsia fabric banding along the leading edges and atop the pleats. Unseen is the interlining that gives these window treatments a lush look! Calico can replicate window treatments just like these.

Alessandra Branca

“The New Drawing Room” is designer Alessandra Branca’s upscale version of a multi-use room, with drapery panels made from Fortuny fabrics, swagged from decorative hooks in the ceiling.

Alessandra’s high-low mix includes a sofa slipcover made from a cotton pinstripe and woven wood shades at the bank of windows.

You might be tempted to admire the wood paneling in this room—however, it’s all a custom hand-painted Gracie wallpaper, including the paintings and frames—a trompe l’oeil triumph!

Ben Pentreath Studio

This eclectic drawing room featured a newly issued William Morris wallpaper that married all the art and British antiques. The caramel-color draperies are accented with a braid on the leading edges that picked up teal colors from the wallcovering. A Relaxed Roman Shade in a sheer linen filtered light from the over-sized windows. Calico can replicate window treatments just like these.

A side chair near the sofa is covered in moss-green velvet, with the cushion welted in red. The art is hung salon style to keep the eye moving upward in this room with a 13-foot ceiling.

Corey Damon Jenkins

In a room with no architectural detail, designer Corey Damen Jenkins added a boatload of paneling, moldings, friezes, columns and rosettes. The digital design painted on the ceiling is a blown-out enlargement of the floral wallpaper!

With just one window in the room, it had to be spectacular! Teal silk draperies hang from beneath a valance with box pleats in the same silk, both banded in a peach silk. A woven wood shade bridges the gap between top of window and valance. Calico can replicate window treatments just like these.

Although it has nothing to do with fabric or wallcovering, the “Le Roi Soleil” Chandelier is a stunning design by Baccarat. Crystals form the “shades” and arms of this sparkling light fixture, an effect multiplied by two mirrors on either side of the round dining table.

Pavarini Design

Pavarini Design created a Zoom Room to make the most of online video meetings, calls and classes. Charles and Randall Pavarini (waving here) specified pleated fan-pleated draperies with a separate, center valance panel in a contemporary print that echoes all the colors in the other furnishings. Calico can replicate window treatments just like these.

ROMAN SHADES & RIPPLEFOLD DRAPERIES

Roman shades are a great choice for a kitchen and dining area—whether on a window over a sink or flanking a dining table. In “The Kitchen at Kips” by Christopher Peacock, the shades hang inside handsome moldings and allow room for window boxes on the deep sills.

Note that the same fabric was used in the Roman shades and in the Ripplefold drapery panels for consistency. Let the needs of the room and the window determine individual treatments.

What is Ripplefold? It’s a special tape with embedded snaps stitched to the inside top of the drapery panel. The snaps attach to pendant carriers in the rod to create a more contemporary, curvaceous fullness. Many types of rods can work with Ripplefold panels: smooth wood, fluted wood, metal finishes and more. Calico can create Ripplefold window treatments just like these.

Jim Dove’s “Sanctuary of Thoughts”

Designer Jim Dove turned a narrow room into an office and study for an art lover. There was just one window in the room—so he made it look stunning! A silk dupioni was chosen for a relaxed Roman shade, accented with beaded trim. Calico can create Roman shades just like these.

BANQUETTES!
Vicente Wolf Associates

Designers loved banquettes this year! They were in dining spaces, outdoor gardens—even a long sofa variation in a living room. Above, designer Vicente Wolf was inspired by the rich gold and teal hues of artist James McNeill Whistler’s famous Peacock Room, created for a wealthy British patron in 1908. Note the back cushions of a contrasting fabric, permanently attached to the base cushions.

Jamie Drake

With a garden space large enough for an entire family to lounge and dine, Jamie Drake created banquette seating with continuous cushions covered in a coral outdoor performance fabric. He accented this with pillows and bolster pillows—a nice way to break up a seating space. Calico can create custom cushions and pillows just like these.

Huniford Design Studio

Designer James Huniford created a loft living room with cork wallcovering and a custom sofa as long as the window. It’s upholstered in a sky blue short-pile velvet, with accent pillows in a different texture, similar color.

CURVY FURNITURE!

Chairs with soft curves were ubiquitous at Kips Bay—including the cushy arm chair at left in Jim Huniford’s loft living room. At right, designer Olivia Williams found antique chairs in Paris that were cleverly paired around a coffee table. The chairs are covered in a slubbed tweed. Calico carries fabrics that are similar to all of these.

Designer Jennifer Cohler Mason made a sensuous sofa even more so, robing it in a plush mocha velvet. Calico carries an extensive selection of velvets and performance velvets.

Hi.

Oct 31 Design Inspo from the 2025 Kips Bay Show House in NY

Photo courtesy of Elle Decor

Close-ups of the interior of the bed show the contrast print fabric that lines the bed hangings and the top of the canopy. A green velvet tufted headboard supports wool plaid shams and smaller pillows with leafy appliqués.

Alexa chats with furniture and lighting designer Nathaniel Pearson—and shares a laugh with her former employees who came to call during the opening weekend of the Kips Bay Show House.

“The New Drawing Room” is designer Alessandra Branca’s upscale version of a multi-use room, with drapery panels made from Fortuny fabrics, swagged from decorative hooks in the ceiling.

Alessandra’s high-low mix includes a sofa slipcover made from a cotton pinstripe and woven wood shades at the bank of windows.

You might be tempted to admire the wood paneling in this room—however, it’s all a custom hand-painted Gracie wallpaper, including the paintings and frames—a trompe l’oeil triumph!

A side chair near the sofa is covered in moss-green velvet, with the cushion welted in red. The art is hung salon style to keep the eye moving upward in this room with a 13-foot ceiling.

In a room with no architectural detail, designer Corey Damen Jenkins added a boatload of paneling, moldings, friezes, columns and rosettes. The digital design painted on the ceiling is a blown-out enlargement of the floral wallpaper!

With just one window in the room, it had to be spectacular! Teal silk draperies hang from beneath a valance with box pleats in the same silk, both banded in a peach silk. A woven wood shade bridges the gap between top of window and valance. Calico can replicate window treatments just like these.

Although it has nothing to do with fabric or wallcovering, the “Le Roi Soleil” Chandelier is a stunning design by Baccarat. Crystals form the “shades” and arms of this sparkling light fixture, an effect multiplied by two mirrors on either side of the round dining table.

Roman shades are a great choice for a kitchen and dining area—whether on a window over a sink or flanking a dining table. In “The Kitchen at Kips” by Christopher Peacock, the shades hang inside handsome moldings and allow room for window boxes on the deep sills.

Designer Jim Dove turned a narrow room into an office and study for an art lover. There was just one window in the room—so he made it look stunning! A silk dupioni was chosen for a relaxed Roman shade, accented with beaded trim. Calico can create Roman shades just like these.

Designer James Huniford created a loft living room with cork wallcovering and a custom sofa as long as the window. It’s upholstered in a sky blue short-pile velvet, with accent pillows in a different texture, similar color.

Designer Jennifer Cohler Mason made a sensuous sofa even more so, robing it in a plush mocha velvet. Calico carries an extensive selection of velvets and performance velvets.

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Hi.

Oct 31 Design Inspo from the 2025 Kips Bay Show House in NY

Photo courtesy of Elle Decor

Close-ups of the interior of the bed show the contrast print fabric that lines the bed hangings and the top of the canopy. A green velvet tufted headboard supports wool plaid shams and smaller pillows with leafy appliqués.

Alexa chats with furniture and lighting designer Nathaniel Pearson—and shares a laugh with her former employees who came to call during the opening weekend of the Kips Bay Show House.

“The New Drawing Room” is designer Alessandra Branca’s upscale version of a multi-use room, with drapery panels made from Fortuny fabrics, swagged from decorative hooks in the ceiling.

Alessandra’s high-low mix includes a sofa slipcover made from a cotton pinstripe and woven wood shades at the bank of windows.

You might be tempted to admire the wood paneling in this room—however, it’s all a custom hand-painted Gracie wallpaper, including the paintings and frames—a trompe l’oeil triumph!

A side chair near the sofa is covered in moss-green velvet, with the cushion welted in red. The art is hung salon style to keep the eye moving upward in this room with a 13-foot ceiling.

In a room with no architectural detail, designer Corey Damen Jenkins added a boatload of paneling, moldings, friezes, columns and rosettes. The digital design painted on the ceiling is a blown-out enlargement of the floral wallpaper!

With just one window in the room, it had to be spectacular! Teal silk draperies hang from beneath a valance with box pleats in the same silk, both banded in a peach silk. A woven wood shade bridges the gap between top of window and valance. Calico can replicate window treatments just like these.

Although it has nothing to do with fabric or wallcovering, the “Le Roi Soleil” Chandelier is a stunning design by Baccarat. Crystals form the “shades” and arms of this sparkling light fixture, an effect multiplied by two mirrors on either side of the round dining table.

Roman shades are a great choice for a kitchen and dining area—whether on a window over a sink or flanking a dining table. In “The Kitchen at Kips” by Christopher Peacock, the shades hang inside handsome moldings and allow room for window boxes on the deep sills.

Designer Jim Dove turned a narrow room into an office and study for an art lover. There was just one window in the room—so he made it look stunning! A silk dupioni was chosen for a relaxed Roman shade, accented with beaded trim. Calico can create Roman shades just like these.

Designer James Huniford created a loft living room with cork wallcovering and a custom sofa as long as the window. It’s upholstered in a sky blue short-pile velvet, with accent pillows in a different texture, similar color.

Designer Jennifer Cohler Mason made a sensuous sofa even more so, robing it in a plush mocha velvet. Calico carries an extensive selection of velvets and performance velvets.

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