Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1529937
108 D ecorators to the starting line … At the VIP preview party, Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas threw open its imposing doors to give guests a long-awaited first look at room after room of gloriously designed interiors. The mise en scène was the 25,000-square foot French-Renaissance- style building at 2999 Turtle Creek Boulevard owned by Vipin Nambiar and HN Capital Partners. Once intended as Dallas' first Mandarin Oriental hotel and located between Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek and the upcoming Four Seasons Hotel and Residences, 2999 Turtle Creek moves the Show House away from Preston Hollow — ergo, there were no concerns about traffic, parking and upsetting neighbors. This preview was technically a return visit for a select few who had seen the show house the night before, prior to Kips Bay President's Dinner (see page 36), which was held in a glorious tent at the Mansion. Both evenings, the 25 chosen designers were ensconced in their rooms, regaling guests with the challenges they'd met over the days leading up to the reveal. My date for the evening, Dana Garner, had made her way down from Oklahoma City to attend two panels I moderated earlier in the day as part of Texas Design Week Dallas programming. I shared with her a technique I've mastered when touring a show house: Start by looking up, then work your gaze downward. To quote the ever-quotable Diana Vreeland, "The eye has to travel." The first room was the grand foyer created by Shelby Wagner. After congratulating Wagner and his partner, Niven Morgan, we learned that his inspiration for the space (which featured custom-made Gracie wallpaper) was Mustique. The couple often vacation in that island paradise, where they made the acquaintance of Mick Jagger and his extended family, including former model Jerry Hall; Morgan had recently returned from the UK after visiting Hall at her country home just outside London. It's difficult to name my favorite room, as they were all inspiring, with wallpaper aplenty, chic Forbes & Lomax light- control panels, and other innovative tech. One standout was the kitchen designed by Creative Tonic's Courtnay Tartt Elias. I've visited a few of her show house rooms before, and she always creates a party atmosphere. As the consummate hostess, she's usually in a festive frock — in this case, it seemed to be inspired by her kitchen decor. She had incorporated whimsical touches everywhere you turned, but my favorite was the black fridge. Behind the panels concealing the refrigerator was a sleek noir interior that made me think of a jet-setting bachelor's ultimate sports car. Javier Burkle and Jan Showers' two lounge-like spaces tempted me to decamp for the rest of the evening. His had an entire tequila- bar setup; hers could have been a members-only escape kitted out for the rarefied Brit set. Designer Dream HOUSE Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas Opening Day By Billy Fong. Photography Tamytha Cameron. Chelsea Spears, Margaret Imber Jared Brechot, Lance Scott Shelton McDonald (Continued) Gonzalo Bueno Alana Sada Shelby Wagner, Brant McFarlain Niven Morgan, Justin Moon