It’s a new year, and there is much work to be done! I am straying a bit from my original format in order to share some dynamic design ideas I discovered while touring the first annual Kips Bay Showhouse in Palm Beach. The organization has raised millions of dollars to help underserved youth in the New York area. A Palm Beach chapter has been formed, and this inaugural event helped raise awareness for the cause.

I took the tour in December and was blown away by the talent that came together to spruce up a 1925 El Cid neighborhood home in West Palm Beach. There were so many great ideas, I had to share some of them with you!dog spa
 Who doesn’t want to pamper their pet? This ‘Den Domestique’ designed by the New York firm Foley and Cox gave new meaning to ‘dog house.’ Its Chinese export-inspired blue and white dog bowl with faucet is only one of the amenities for your four-legged friends in this charming, colorful space.

eyes up
A simple idea to cover a uniquely shaped ceiling medallion was super effective—the color up above caught my eye immediately! The tape streaming from the medallion added to the ambiance of a tented breakfast room.

lattice entertain you
In the same breakfast room, the clever use of lattice delivered an ‘old Palm Beach’ tropical feel. Christopher Maya of New York added dimension and pattern to achieve an exotic feel.

clever culinary 
The kitchen designed by Matthew Quinn of Atlanta had more bells and whistles than a train yard! One of the most ingenious ideas was a deep, square, corner prep sink. Quinn placed it there so people could engage in conversation across the sink. Brilliant!

 

the fifth wall
As my readers know, I love to treat ceilings with respect. The family space designed by Philip Gorrivan from New York added geometrical interest to the ceiling, which complemented the hand-painted walls that flowed with images of flora and fauna.

check your petticoat
The mirrored wainscoting was a hit in this ladies’ retreat interpreted by Palm Beach and Boston firm Bierly Drake Associates. The mirrors lightened up the area enough so it could handle the black grass cloth above the chair rail. Simple and elegant.

be brassy
I love new uses for things. Ellen Kavenaugh of Palm Beach found a wonderful application for brass rosettes. She added them to panels on a French door to not only dress it up, but also to make it architecturally important.

posh seating
Custom-designed ottomans from Caroline Rafferty Interiors of Palm Beach give the appearance of three separate cushions ‘tossed’ together. Au contraire! They are attached and have wheels, so they can be easily moved from one area to another. I tried them out, and they were most comfortable.

fear not
I must admit, the idea of allowing someone to take a paintbrush to a pricey, grass cloth wallcovering makes my heart skip a beat. However, an effective ‘splashing’ of color made the back hall so inviting. Not to be tried by the novice or faint of heart!