2009 Kips Bay Show House Designer: Eileen Kathryn Boyd

Now that the weather has turned cold and rainy again, it's time to get back to my Kips Bay Decorator Show House coverage! The room next to Donald Schermerhorn's on the 5th floor was designed by Eileen Kathryn Boyd and although it's very different, it's equally as beautiful! When I mentioned to Eileen that I don't tend to use a lot of bright colors but I love this room, she attributed it to the neutral background. The walls, sofa and main carpet all neutral and keep the room from becoming too much. It's also a great idea for the average homeowner because if you kept the bases neutral, then you could switch out the pillows with different colored options if you wanted a change.

It's really a shame that not everyone can speak to the designers when they tour the show house because that really is the best part! I had a great time meeting Eileen and chatting with her about her room and art and design. I already mentioned that the art this year is top notch and I absolutely love all the pieces that are in this room. I also love that for every event last week, Eileen's outfits matched the room! That is definitely something that I would do if I had a room in a show house and it makes for very well coordinated photos!

Eileen knew she wanted a springy room that would reflect the season and that would be cheerful. That drove the color palette which a perfectly designed area rug from from the Rug Company helped pull together. Another takeaway idea is that Eileen painted the frame of the bergere chair a glossy orange color. That is something that anyone could do to spruce up a flea market find very inexpensively. I really love this bright and happy room just as much as did Donald Shermerhorn's serene space and I think that's a testament to the design skills of Eileen Kathryn Boyd and why I love show houses! They really do expose you to new and interesting ideas in addition to benefiting a worthy cause. What could be better than that?!

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