2009 Kips Bay Show House Designer: Donald Schermerhorn

The best way to tour the Kips Bay Decorator Show House this year is to take the elevator up to the 5th floor and work your way down. Give yourself plenty of time because there is a lot to see! Everyone I've spoken with agrees that it is the best show house in years and there is something to love about each room. Another one of my favorites is the 5th floor room designed by Donald Shermerhorn. I actually felt bad that I had never heard of Mr. Shermerhorn before because he is such a wonderful designer but that's what is so great about a show house. They introduce you to interior designers who you may not be familiar with and it's great for giving them the exposure that they deserve!

The rooms on the 5th floor were once the office of a gallery, more on that later, and were devoid of any architectural details so the designers had to get creative. I love that Mr. Shermerhorn created a shiny modern box which he then filled with a mix of antiques and modern art. I really love this type of mixing of periods and styles and could have spent all day in this room. The show houses are also full of fabulous ideas to take away like floating the bed in the middle of the room. I would never have thought of such an idea but now that I've seen it in person and how beautiful it looks, I might just have to try it for one of my clients.

Even though the colors in the room are mauves and ivories, it is a room that balances the masculine and feminine so perfectly, that I think anyone would feel comfortable in this space. The lovely George III tea table can be used for eating or working and I love the sitting area by the fireplace for reading with the large abstract painting by Stephen Pace (available through the Katharina Rich Perlow Gallery) behind it. What's funny is that another designer in the show house also uses a Stephen Pace painting in his room and there is a lot of other abstract paintings used this year. The house is full of wonderful coincidences that help the flow.

What I love most about this room is how serene it feels. The pieces don't jump out at you but are quiet and elegant. When you look around is when you start to notice all the wonderful details and they all perfectly relate to one another. The antique oriental rug from Stark also helps to pull everything together as well. I have a feeling that we are going to be hearing a lot about Donald Shermerhorn in the future and I can't wait to see more from him!

Check out this stream