I love going to decorator show houses—even though the rooms can be over-the-top, they are always good for an idea or two. See our tour of Holiday House, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
In Holiday House’s 10th year inside the Academy Mansion at 2 East 63rd street I witnessed a splendor of fantasy rooms where hospitality and entertaining seemed to be a running theme. We noticed bars in many of the rooms, which I do admire as a staple of proper entertaining.
The parlor designed by Groves & Co featured 4 bars, one in each corner—now that’s service. These framed a lush velvet sofa, shiny undulating metal tables by Roche Bobois and the softest fur throws imaginable. So luxurious. Right next door, the gentlemen’s study hosted a closable wet bar deluxe with everything you need to host a fab cocktail party (now that’s a study in spirit-ual education). Designed by Magness Design with furniture by Promemoria.
There was a dining room to die for, with a decorated barrel ceiling and a long table that filled the room Called Miracle on 63rd Street. This elegant rendition designed by Kim Radovich Interiors featured a table full of glassware from Baccarat and lush tabletop accessories from Kim Seybert.
A couple of nice touches: oversized flower wallpaper turned a little sitting room into a floral fantasy by designer Robin Baron, whose theme was Spring Equinox. Helleborus is available from Resource Furniture and features oversized specimen photos by Norwegian photographer Tom Haga.
I adored the photo of woman in lace stockings and silk boots. The great vintage look chosen by the designer Natalie Kraiem is part of Donghia’s promotional photos for the fabrics in the Rubelli Venezia 2016 collection. Clever.
The Holiday House takes place every year from about November 15 to December 6 and the ticket price of $40 goes to support breast cancer research. For their 10th Anniversary, they have released a coffee table book that commemorates 75 renowned interior designers, Holiday House: Ten Years of Decorating for a Cure.
