By Margo Washburne
For the fifth year in Dallas, the Kips Bay Decorator Show House is being held until November 13. This event is hosted in multiple cities across the US and highlights talented interior designers from each respective area. Every year, a home is selected and each participating designer is assigned a room to decorate, ranging from bedrooms to living rooms. Then, the designer has full creative control and can decorate their assigned rooms as they see fit. Certain designers make their rooms more outlandish while others stick to a more classic, traditional aesthetic. Through this Show House, designers put their work on display for hundreds of people to see. This year, 25 designers were put to the test in Dallas.
Located across from the Mansion on Turtle Creek, the “house” for 2024 was formerly an office. Because of this, many designers noted the challenge this brought, including the popcorn ceilings and a strange layout. For example, the bedrooms did not have connected bathrooms to decorate. Instead, there were two communal bathrooms on either side of the house and one smaller one towards the back.
Since each room has a different designer, you never know what will come next. Gracie Wallpaper sponsored this year’s event, so almost every room had a unique wallpaper. Gracie Wallpapers are known for their landscape and floral prints, so this added a bold element that keeps you guessing. It was one element that stayed consistent throughout the house.
Due to the challenge with popcorn ceilings mentioned earlier, designers had to get creative. Many opted to cover their ceilings with elaborate fabrics that matched other aspects of the room. One of the smaller living spaces I visited installed a whole new baby pink lacquered ceiling on top of the old one. The way these designers are able to handle tricky situations and unleash their creativity shows why they are so highly respected in the business.
As I continued stepping into the beautiful spaces, I was transported from Dallas to France. The home utilizes French architecture, so many rooms are inspired by it. One of my personal favorites was the large living room overlooking the balcony, which the decorator nicknamed “salon de champagne.” Outside, musicians serenaded the guests with jazz. This room was meant to take you on a trip to Paris, and that is exactly what it did.
A few rooms over, the decorator tasked with the kitchen took inspiration from Limoncello. They took this room to the next level by fully stocking the fridge, freezer, and wine cabinet. The fridge was complete with lemons, limes, oranges, limoncello-flavored La Croix and even a cake. This reminded me of the fridge-scaping trend I have seen all over my TikTok feed. The freezer was full from top to bottom with custom-packaged ice cream. The green cabinets and yellow walls made this room a total vortex to Italy. By simply walking down a hall, I could travel from France to Italy in just a few steps.
Other notable and unique rooms included a cigar bar, a lounge inspired by the 1970s, and an adorable children’s room.
Visiting this house inspired me as a student living off campus for the first time. I was able to draw ideas from many of the rooms I explored. I encourage anyone, even if you are living in the dorms, to visit this house and find new ways to express yourself through your space.
When you buy your ticket for this event, you are supporting the Kips Bay Boys & Girls club, which provides children with much needed educational and developmental programs.
Below, I have included some pictures of my favorite rooms from this year’s house:
General admission tickets start at $50, and the Show House is open daily from 10 am to 4 pm through November 13th. You can purchase your tickets here!
