Spring Showhouse Highlights

Published: 19 May 2023

Spring Showhouse Highlights

With Spring in full bloom, highly anticipated design showhouses across the US made their debut in early May. The Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens, San Francisco Decorator Showcase, Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts and Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse in New York City each offered a golden opportunity to reimagine a historic property with unbridled creativity. A demonstration of pushing design boundaries and experimenting with new concepts, a designer showhouse often hints to what is on the horizon for the industry. We spoke with our collaborating designers on their innovative visions and the inspiration that sparked these spectacular vignettes.

Kips Bay New York

Following a three-year hiatus, The Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse returned to New York City this past week and features the transforming work of 22 top tier designers on the Riverside Mansion, a historic property that overlooks Riverside Park and the Hudson River on New York’s Upper West Side. The 10,000 square foot home offered a unique challenge for the designers to bring a modern twist to this gilded age property. Attracting 15,000 visitors annually, the show house serves as a fundraiser for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club and its after-school enrichment programs for children in the Bronx. The Rug Company is a proud returning sponsor of Kips Bay.

“Designing a rug was the very first thing that we worked on when designing this gorgeous parlour that is flooded with light and old-world charm. Cream was our colour of choice. We started by dividing the generously proportioned room into two spaces - a sitting area around the fireplace and a dining space or game table.

The two rugs are separated with a curved cut out that runs through the centre of the room. Creating a narrative is always the most fun when designing a room, and The Rug Company helped us perfectly execute our vision.”

- Ghislaine Viñas

“In my room, dubbed The Hideaway, I wanted to create a jewel-box like space where someone could retreat and relax. A room for respite. A celestial-inspired wallpaper envelopes the room and creates an otherworldly vibe. I knew that I wanted a plush wall-to-wall carpet to ground the space. Getting to customise the Rhapsody design from The Rug Company let me create a striking, yet subtle, one-of-a-kind piece that adds another evocative element and a luxurious quality. Walking across the sumptuous carpet contributes to the room’s transportive sensibility.”

- Clinton Smith

“My design approach was to celebrate nature and artisans who create beautiful pieces with elements of nature. We started with the abstract leaf patterned rug brought to life by The Rug Company. Their team made the bespoke process unfold with great excitement and anticipation. The end result is amazing and has received so many compliments!”

- Kesha Franklin

Lake Forest

Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens presents the work of 40 interior and landscape designers who have reimagined the Georgian style home originally contrived by architect Walter Frazier in 1969. Set across nine acres, the newly transformed estate features exceptionally inspired and experimental design. The Rug Company is a proud returning sponsor of this highly anticipated and attended design event in the Chicago area, which benefits the Infant Welfare Society and its ability to provide healthcare to underserved families in the local chapter of Lake Forest, Illinois.

"The Center Retreat is designed as a place to unwind & relax. With inspiration taken from nature, lush plantings are punctuated by the sounds of trickling water. Woven wicker, gold-toned textiles & original works of art have been thoughtfully layered with shades of blue & white to create an atmosphere of tranquility & peace."

- Evan Millard

“We were instantly drawn to the Poppy border design, when it felt fresh and yet rooted in tradition. It’s a modern take on the classic floral - a timeless design I expect we will see more of with the renewed love of botanicals in fashion and home design. It elevates our room in ways we could not have imagined and complements the elements of the space while being a piece of art in its own right.”

- Jenny Brown
Animalia by Diane von Furstenberg | Project by Joy Williams for Joyful Designs Studio | Photography: Ryan McDonald

"An Afro-future Energy Room with celestial origins where the Dogon rode the cosmos with Nommos. Inspiration began with Ai generated art from Ed Maximus’ Shape Shifter series and referenced back to ancient times with our custom window panels of the Dog Star Deity, Anubis - designed by Joy Williams and made by Fuller Architectural Panels."

- Joy Williams

“The three zones of the room: one to rest, one to lounge, and one to dress, all display the design concept "Embodiment of a Woman". Notice the elements that balance strength and softness in each area. Custom furniture and cabinetry, a standout Vladimir Kagan sofa, incredible artwork and rugs, and rich fabrics and wallcoverings fill the room.”

- Lauren Collander

San Francisco

The San Francisco Decorator Showcase returned to the stunning Sea Cliff neighbourhood by way of a stunning 18th-century Mediterranean-style home. Featuring the work of 23 design firms, this year’s showcase embraces the coastal environment while elevating the California-cool aesthetic with luxe textures and intriguing contemporary forms. In its 44th year of existence, the San Francisco Decorator Showcase is proud to have raised over $17 million to benefit the San Francisco University High School in its commitment to diversity and supplying 20% of the student body with financial aid grants.
Avant Graphite by Kelly Wearstler | Project by Lizette Marie Interiors | Photography: Randall Shulman

“Warm and inviting are keywords to use when describing this design. We wanted to make it feel like you could be anywhere — Madrid, Paris, London, Milan, or indeed, San Francisco. Our goal was to reinterpret an old San Francisco mythic quality with a modern twist, sensual and sophisticated, yet cozy enough for a young family to feel at home.”

- Kimberly Denman

Pasadena

This year the 2023 Pasadena Showcase House of Design revisits an historic 1933 colonial estate that previously hosted the event in 1983 featuring a transformation of inspiring design with spectacular acreage in a storied Pasadena neighbourhood.

Featured Designs

Splendour by Guo Pei Flatshot
Splendour
€1790 - €16750
Alpaca by The Rug Company - flatshot image
Alpaca
€0 - €999999
Animalia by Diane Von Furstenberg flatshot
Animalia
€1590 - €14950
Monarch Fire - Flatshot
Monarch Fire
€0 - €999999
Gesture by The Rug Company - flatshot
Gesture
€0 - €999999
Avant Graphite by - Flatshot
Avant Graphite
€1590 - €14950
Mohair Border Emerald by The Rug Company - Flatshot
Mohair Border Emerald
€0 - €999999
Monarch Smoke by - Flatshot
Monarch Smoke
€0 - €999999
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