A lanai-inspired outdoor lounge area conceived by Oxford Design. Photo: Nickolas Sargent
Show houses are always an exciting occasion on the design industry calendar—no two visits are the same, and each room becomes a vivid playground for designers to explore imaginative concepts in response to illustrious architecture and the culture of its destination. It’s also an opportunity for participants to push past their comfort zones to create thoughtful, deeply layered spaces that abound with stylish furniture, dazzling artwork, and inspired materials that all coalesce to challenge and deepen how we perceive the spaces we call home.
The Eighth Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House Palm Beach, which officially opens its doors today, February 21, is no different. The highly anticipated edition sees 23 distinguished designers and architects transform a palatial property in the Providencia Park neighborhood of West Palm Beach into a tropical fantasia of mind-bending design. A one-of-a-kind estate dating back to 1937, the lavish single-family home features more than 7,700 square feet of living space across five spacious bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and an expansive outdoor area featuring an in-ground pool. Further setting the scene are breathtaking views of the clear blue Intracoastal Waterway backdropped by glimmering Palm Beach Island.
The single-family home on North Flagler Drive was built in 1937. Louise W. Cronan Interior Decoration outfitted the porch with McGuire rattan butterfly chairs. Photo: Nickolas Sargent
The idyllic atmosphere affords designers carte blanche to muse on themes, materials, and styles with precious few parameters. Clear trends unfolded across the home, many recalling the South Florida city’s glamorous heyday. Decidedly demure lounges—Caroline Gidiere’s pink-hued Ladies Club and a cottage-esque upstairs getaway dreamed up by Nellie Howard Ossi—provide restful sanctuaries for the modern woman. Ditto for a colorful homage to Lilly Pulitzer envisioned by Amanda Reynal Interiors, who was commissioned by Lee Jofa to create a fabric and wall covering collection in homage to the late entrepreneur and socialite’s coastal flair. It blankets the lounge in blissful verdant shades complemented by tortoiseshell wall sculptures by Lilly’s daughter, Minnie, and underwater photography by Lilly’s grandson, Chris Leidy.
Wellness also took center stage. Many rooms recast unsightly recreation equipment into dazzling showpieces of material ingenuity. Moniomi Design enveloped a game room in spirited mauve and burgundy tones, lending depth and intrigue to a breathtaking marble-and-onyx ping-pong table, pair of basketball hoops, and gaming station accented with sumptuous Kyle Bunting hides. There’s also pinkish faux bois ping-pong table anchoring Meg Lonergan’s indoor-outdoor ode to Persephone, which she nestled under a scenic loggia. Indigo Pruitt Design’s guest-house getaway practically glows as it calms all five senses, its soothing sage-like palette inviting repose on a pair of lounge chairs or the tranquil reflection nook’s whimsical Kelly Wearstler stone benches illuminated by a wall of blue-veined Primestones quartzite.
A guesthouse getaway lounge by Nellie Howard Ossi Interiors features a Palm Beach–inspired palette. Photo: Nickolas Sargent
“Every room in this home tells a story,” says James Druckman, president of the board of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club. “This event showcases the best of design while directly benefiting the young people we serve, and we’re grateful to be able to make such an impact together. The community’s continued support and enthusiasm year after year plays a pivotal role in helping us raise funds for the Kips Bay Boys & girls Club and the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach County.”
The ticketed occasion is among the year’s most anticipated design events and helps raise crucial funds for the two organizations, which aim to provide educational and developmental programs to more than 40,000 children, especially youngsters who come from disadvantaged or disenfranchised circumstances. The show houses have raised more than $30 million over nearly half a century, made possible thanks to the support of sponsors Arca, Armina Stone, Artistic Tile, Benjamin Moore, Botanica Landscaping, CoCollect, the Colony Hotel, Colwright Designer Delivery, Cosentino, Currey & Company, Fabuwood, Harlequin, Hector Finch, JennAir, Kohler, Kravet, Land Rover Palm Beach, Made Goods, New York Design Center, Pioneer Linens, Primestones, Related Ross, the Romo Group, Sciame Homes, Mr. & Mrs. Howard for Sherrill Furniture, Susan’s Jewelry, the Shade Store, Vaughan, and Zwilling Flammkraft.
Indigo Pruitt Design Studio’s wellness sanctuary is designed to calm the senses. Photo: Nickolas Sargent
“Each year, the Kips Bay Decorator Show House Palm beach inspires our community with its extraordinary creativity and generosity,” Jaene Miranda, President and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, said in a statement. “The funds raised through this event directly impact the lives of over 30,000 children we serve, empowering them to dream big and achieve their full potential. We are deeply grateful to the designers, sponsors, and visitors who make this remarkable event possible.”
The Kips Bay Decorator Show House Palm Beach will be open at 1125 North Flagler Drive until Sunday, March 16. Below, explore more rooms from the residence.
