February 21, 2020

The Kips Bay Decorator Show House Palm Beach, the third-annual Florida iteration of the show house, is now open until March 1. Benefitting both Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club and Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County, the show house will feature 19 prominent design firms.

In just under three months, the group of designers completely transformed each room of the 8,751-sq.-ft. home inspired by South African and Dutch architecture. Named Bamboo Hill, the main home features four bedrooms, five bathrooms, a great room with vaulted ceilings and a spacious kitchen with an adjacent outdoor dining terrace. The estate also boasts two guest houses, a pool house and an expansive private garden with tropical flora. KBB spoke with the kitchen designer and master bath designer to find out more.

CLICK HERE for a gallery of kitchen and bath spaces in the Kips Bay Decorator Show House.

KITCHEN

Designed by Sarah Black, Sarah Blank Design Studio
Inspired by classical architecture, Greenwich, Conn.-based Blank created a timeless kitchen that offers a relaxing and refreshing gathering place. The space is anchored by a Thermador range and features Kohler’s Poise stainless-steel kitchen sink, Dekton by Cosentino countertops, a wine cellar and a large island that blends style with function.

Inspiration
SB: “I have studied and studied the classical language for many years. My inspiration is always to design a functional yet aesthetically beautiful kitchen that is integrated into the architecture of a home.”

Challenges
SB: “The timeline was an issue, however, my experience and my connections with great tradespeople enabled us to complete the project in a timely fashion. Collaboration is key in this industry. I am very lucky to have colleagues in the trade that all work together.”

Materials Used
SB: “Painted wood cabinets with a simple framing bead help maintain a transitional design. The blue color of the kitchen has a powerful effect, which is tied together around the room with the blue crown molding. The natural woven wallpaper adds softness to the room. We were excited to use Dekton for the countertops, which provided a warm, clean look. The antique tailor’s table that we found for the island is the proper scale for the room. The juxtaposition of the painted cabinets alongside this table adds contrast and great effect.”

Favorites:
SB: “The best part of the project for me is meeting all the designers and spending time with them. I really must say that I have made lasting friends here at Kips Bay Palm Beach. I know we will always be in touch. The design world and the people who make up the design world are very special and wonderful to be with.”

MASTER BATHROOM

Betsy Wentz and Tom Kirchhoff, Kirchhoff & Associates Architects

Bold color and patterns are on display in the master his-and-hers bathrooms and closets designed by Palm Beach-based Tom Kirchhoff of Kirchhoff & Associates Architects and Pittsburgh-based designer Betsy Wentz. In her bathroom, Kohler’s Abrazo freestanding bath encompassed by a mosaic tile wall by Ceramic Matrix takes center stage. Lime green vanities pair with Kohler’s Iron Plains undermount sink in gray lavender.

Inspirations
BW: “Tom and I wanted to keep the mid-century vibe of the house but add a modern, colorful twist. Functionally, we also wanted to achieve a better flow between the his-and-hers spaces while maintaining some autonomy for both.”

Challenges
BW: “Two of our three rooms did not have any windows, so we needed to add a lot of lighting. We also had quite a bit of demolition and construction to do in a very short time to update an older bathroom and two closets. We moved the toilets around to create open access from the bath into the men’s dressing area, reworked the shower, removed a built-in tub and redesigned both closets. It was a race to the finish!”

Materials Used:
BW: “To add more light, we reworked the large shared glass shower as a pass-through to the bath and dressing areas. Our lead in the bathroom was a custom vanity lacquered in Benjamin Moore Kiwi Green with lavender cast-iron sinks from Kohler. From there we added a lilac marble tile wall behind a freestanding Kohler tub. Final accents were custom-embroidered towels by Pioneer linens and custom-made travel and garment bags to match the wallpapers.”

Favorite Part
BW: “Doing Kips Bay is a great honor and a labor of love, so seeing such a positive outcome is definitely one of my favorite parts. It’s rewarding to see your own space come together, but it’s also so inspiring to see what other designers create. I really enjoyed being a part of the process and getting to know my fellow Kips Bay designers. It was also a joy to collaborate with Tom – he’s a master with space planning.”

Sponsors for the showhouse include Aston Martin; Benjamin Moore; Carlisle and Co.; Cosentino; Currey & Co.; Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa; Eleish Van Breems Home; Fabricut; Ferguson; Kohler; Marmi; New Moon Rugs; New York Design Center; Sean Rush Atelier; Serena & Lily; Susan’s Jewelry; Susan Zises Green; Perennials and Sutherland; Thermador; The Colony Hotel; The Container Store; The Grand Tour; The Shade Store; and Willoughby Construction.