HI friends, dream big and sometimes that dream just may come to life! Showcases are always challenging to say the least. The extreme deadlines and expense to participate are reasons for pause before you say yes! Being passionate about all things design, I became a fan of the Kips Bay Show House because I felt it set the tone for design trends to come and allowed you marvel at some of the country’s best designers all under one roof. Later, I realized it also supports a great cause, and I thought one day, it would be such an honor to be able to participate in it.

The Show House all began in 1973 when several dedicated supporters of Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club launched the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Manhattan to raise critical funds for much needed after school and enrichment programs for New York City children. For more than four decades, the Show House has been a must-see event for thousands of design enthusiasts, renowned for sparking interior design trends throughout the world.

When Courtnay Elias of Creative Tonic and her team came to me to help with the Kips Bay Dallas Showcase Home’s kitchen, I was super excited to hear her thoughts. The kitchen was central to the home, which was a great location, however because it was an interior space, it had no windows, Courtnay had the idea to create a whimsical garden centered on the island. Her creative mind envisioned floral brass posts from floor to ceiling (which Peck & Company brilliantly executed) being grounded with our sculptural reliefs. I absolutely LOVED the idea and was all in!!

It all started with a sketch! Remember this was to be a working island so one panel was in operable the others were door/drawer fronts and needed to be functional.

Which led to a full concept drawing inspired by Creative Tonic and implemented by the Kips Bay Team!! I hope Courtnay frames this work of art!!

With a plan in place, we got to work! The carpenter built the island at our facility, and after we created our sculptural plaster fronts, it was disassembled and moved to Dallas for installation where the wood styles and interiors of the piece were painted.

The handles to open and close the doors were sculpted right out of the floral elements!!

We were sill tweaking elements and coating additional layers of plaster on the piece, but were so happy how the drawers were lining up!!

Showcases are always a nail-biting experience- with a week till opening there is always so much to do. With island in place and our sculptural ceiling installed, the beautiful posts were going in!!

Now the Creative Tonic Team could focus on all the other detailed elements planned for the space!!

It was so fun to celebrate at the event with both the Segreto and Creative Tonic teams around our plaster table base in the to-die-for breakfast nook which opened into the kitchen!

This was truly an event to remember, magical really!! Courtnay always inspires and pushes us to create such unique focal elements in her interiors. I was truly proud of my entire team.

We met people from all over and I was truly honored to also have a book signing at the event which sold out!! this book showcases many sculptural installations we have done and takes you behind the scenes. With over 300 pages, and lots of inspiration and tips on picking that right color and product for your interiors, this truly is my favorite book in our Segreto Design Book Series. It is sold at many fine stores or purchase your copy here.

I hope you loved seeing a behind the scenes look at the Dallas Kips Bay Show House. To read more about Courtnay’s work and thought process behind Kips Bay read here!

Stay tuned for the next article which focuses on Kips Bay Palm beach where we are a part of Meg Lonergan’s outdoor living space and Laure Nell’s main powder room!! Till next time! XO Leslie