Fabulous Room Friday 05.02.14

Last night, my Instagram feed was flooded with a barrage of photos from the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse. Top designers from across the country were invited to decorate rooms for the showhouse which raises funds for the Kips Bay Boys and Girls Club. Most of the designers dressed their rooms in rich colors, bold patterns, and striking motifs. After all, showhouses are a great opportunity to turn up the volume. That is exactly why I was so drawn to the room designed by Darryl Carter. In keeping with Darryl’s signature style, the room is done in a neutral palette and features a chic mix of traditional, modern, and rustic pieces. In a sea of exuberant rooms, Darryl’s room makes a huge statement with its element of restraint allowing the scale, composition, and provenance of his room to be the focus.

The room is beautiful and inspiring with some unexpected elements and a sense of humor. Just take a look at the white streaks painted across the mouths of the couple in this pair of 19th century paintings. The huge Aubosson rug in the center of the room was laid upside down to expose the weave and the central focus of the room (in the first image above) features a landscape painting torn from its frame.

This corner of the room really serves as an illustration of Darryl’s signature style. A Recamier, antique pedestal table, and ultra-modern floor lamp and artwork come together to form a beautiful composition.
Given that I declared white as my current “Color Crush” earlier this week, you probably aren’t too surprised that this was among my favorite spaces at this year’s Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse. I loved several of the rooms done in bold colors, but lately, I’ve been all about neutrals and paring things down, so I felt like Darryl’s room really spoke to me. How do you feel about neutral spaces? Do you think it’s possible to still achieve a wow factor without the use of strong colors?

{Image Source: The New York Times}