Meet the Kips Bay Designer: Eve Robinson
The designer with offices in New York and the Hamptons cultivates a bedroom and terrace at this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York
After studying art history at Vassar College, Eve Robinson first brought her discerning eye to Ralph Lauren. She went on to complete her interior design degree at Parsons School of Design, and shortly thereafter founded her namesake firm in New York City in 1990.
By using classical elements and infusing them with a modernist aesthetic, Eve Robinson Associates creates profoundly comfortable and sophisticated interiors reflecting the personal desires of their clients. The firm mixes visual styles, textures, and finishes to create clean-lined, interesting spaces.
The firm’s work has also been in several design books, including Rizzoli’s upcoming fall release, Interior Design Master Class: 100 Rooms. Robinson serves on the Kips Bay Show House Designer Committee, and this is her firm’s ninth time participating in the show house.
What was your inspiration for your room at this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York?
“I was most inspired by the terrace adjacent to my room and the quiet lush garden surrounding it. The space invited a great opportunity to create a bedroom retreat. The view of downtown framed by the greenery of the trees felt so romantic. Within the hustle and bustle of New York, finding these special moments are what make our city so unique. I wanted the room to be luxuriously layered but not overcomplicated. I like when a bedroom feels calm and restorative. It should be an oasis of peace. ”
Please tell us about a significant piece that helps shape the mood of your space.
“One of the first pieces I found for the room was the sculpted wood light fixture by the Scandinavian design studio Egeværk. The sculpture, which adorns the bedroom ceiling, was inspired by the natural forms and muted tones of the moons in our planetary system. The shape delicately echoes the undulations and curves found in other elements in the room. The work is exemplary not only for its master craftsmanship and artistic lines but also for the sensuousness it exudes.”
How does your work for this Kips Bay project exemplify your style as a designer—or is it just the opposite, something you have always wanted to try as a designer but haven’t found the client?
“This show house room is a part of my firm’s continued exploration to create timeless, comfortable, and sophisticated spaces for our clients. We use classic interior design principles like balance, proportion, and scale as a foundation for our modern fresh designs.”
What does it mean to you to be back at Kips Bay?
“This is my ninth time participating in the Kips Bay Show House. It is the most exhilarating, adrenaline-producing experience I have had as a designer. Creating a room in such a short time frame brings our community together in a very unique way. It produces a wonderful camaraderie and channels our energies to create a common good to meaningfully benefit the children in the south Bronx.”
What does it mean to you to be part of the 50th anniversary of Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York?
“I feel very fortunate to be a member of the Kips Bay Show House alumni. In 1998, I was invited to design my first Kips Bay room. It was the beginning of a wonderful and long relationship I have had with the organization. I am excited that this will be my ninth time participating. It is an incredible honor to be a part of this 50th anniversary show house. I am grateful to part of this tradition and to know that the funds generated by the show house are so meaningful to the children of Kips Bay in the Bronx.”