Making its Dallas debut this month, the lauded Kips Bay Decorator Show House will highlight designs from some of the industry’s top talents. After working for weeks to transform a Preston Hollow manse into an artful exhibition, the handpicked crew of 27 creatives is ready for the big reveal. Here, four Texas-based tastemakers give us the scoop on what it’s like to participate in the state’s inaugural show house, as well as a sneak peek of their assigned rooms within the space.
New York-based designer Young Huh converted a fifth-floor loft into a vibrant artist’s studio for the 2019 Kips Bay Decorator Show House in NYC. The 2020 Dallas show house will be open to the public Sept. 25 to Oct. 25, with ticket proceeds benefiting Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club, Dwell with Dignity and Crystal Charity Ball. 5828 Woodland Drive, kipsbaydecoratorshowhouse.org
Cathy Kincaid
A mainstay in the Dallas design scene, Cathy Kincaid has been tasked with the show house’s dining room. “We’ve partnered with Soane Britain for the textiles, which are an array of sunny yellows,” shares Kincaid. “We will debut dining chair slipcovers from the new embroidery collection we’re launching with Penn & Fletcher, and we’re working with Julia B. to design custom linens for the table,” she continues. “We have some beautiful antique pieces coming from Gerald Bland and Newel Gallery in New York, and we’re working with Gary Martin to develop custom plaster work for the walls.” cathy-kincaid.com
Gonzalo Bueno
A founding partner at Ten Plus Three, Gonzalo Bueno leads the design firm’s Dallas location. “The idea is to create a highly curated space that still feels comfortable,” explains Bueno, whose team is working on the upstairs living room. “We’re incorporating bespoke pieces, earth-tone fabrics and high-end case goods, along with incredible art and handpainted walls.” Thrilled about being selected to participate, Bueno notes, “I’m so excited for the chance to show what Ten Plus Three is capable of, and the opportunity to display some of our favorite lines from around the world.” tenplusthree.com
Letitia Huckaby
Blending photojournalism with contemporary art, Fort Worth-based Letitia Huckaby creates powerful mixed-media vignettes exploring the African American experience. Represented by Dallas’ Liliana Bloch Gallery, Huckaby was invited to design an upstairs landing. “My inspiration for the space is an old country church,” says the artist. The focal point will be a piece from her 2015 series Bayou Baroque, which honored a group of New Orleans nuns. “My hope is that viewers will feel a sense of respite as they wind the stairs up to the landing, which is flooded with natural light.” huckabystudios.com
Michelle Nussbaumer
Interiors guru and lover of lavish textiles Michelle Nussbaumer is the founder of Dallas’ Ceylon et Cie. Regarding her assigned project, the daughter’s bedroom, Nussbaumer says viewers should expect the unexpected. “Before, it was a typical, nondescript space, but I’ve transformed it, architecturally and otherwise. Just to give you an idea, it’s now called the Turkish Writers Lair,” she offers. “I will be incorporating fabrics and trims from my [recently launched] collection with Clarence House,” adds Nussbaumer, “and I’m excited to debut my new wallpaper line with Paul Montgomery Studio.” ceylonetcie.com
Photography by: from top, photos: by Ngoc Minh Ngo; courtesy of Cathy Kincaid; by Stephen Karlisch; by Rambo Photography; by Elizabeth Lavin
