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2009 Kips Bay Show House: English Basement

by habituallychic

04 . 29 . 09

By the time I got down to the English Basement at the Kips Bay Decorator Show House, I was exhausted but I’m glad I didn’t skip it. There are some great rooms down there! The kitchen that was designed by St. Charles of New York, is directly under Juan Montoya’s room and is the same size. As you can imagine, most New York kitchens are pretty small so to have this much room would be amazing. It’s actually almost too big! I’m not sure if you can tell in these photos but the cabinetry is a beautiful pale blue. The kitchen island also opens to reveal seating.

For a basement room, the kitchen was light and airy. Which probably has something to do with the outdoor area beyond. According to Karen Williams and Robert Schwartz of St. Charles the “goal was to design a fluid space with four multi-tasking lifestyle vignettes – a continuous breakfast bar featuring concealed appliance center, a cooking hearth, a 12-foot kitchen island that cleverly converts to a banquet for extra seating, and a designated wine area complete with fireplace and tasting table.”
“The spectacular architecture of the mansion’s limestone exteriors is echoed in the kitchen’s cooking hearth and fireplace elevations, as well as the large floor-to-ceiling tiles.”

My favorite area was the breakfast bar where you can conceal the appliances when they are not in use. There was also a large pull out drawer for cereal in special containers!

While you are waiting for something to cook or bake, you could go out and enjoy the greenery created by Plant Specialists including the huge palm trees!

As any New Yorker what they dream about and one of them would be a washer and dryer in their apartment! Of course, a house as large as the show house would require multiple laundry rooms but I’d gladly settle for one! It even includes the Kelly Ripa and Electrolux new limited edition ‘kelly green’ energy-saving washer and dryer.

Now, before you start leaving nasty comments about this final basement safe room designed by William T. Georgis, let me explain that it falls in the “fantasy room” category. A safe room could never contain a fireplace or windows or would ever look this chic! William T. Georgis designed the Safe Room as a “safe haven in a time of potential global wars, economic meltdown, ecological devastation, paranoia, and questionable human behavior.”

” The room contains a combination of art, furniture and weapons. George Condo’s Jesus on the Cross, a 19th-century Danish Eqyptian revival chaise, and Richard Dupont’s haunting sculpture of distorted figures, Untitled (Lever House Study), animate a lair upholstered in gray ultrasuede, lined with weapons, and stocked with survival supplies. An Empire bureau plat allows for writing, while the surveillance camera and stainless steel commode provide comfort and accommodate relief. The disco ball spins to the endless party tracks.” If you have to been cooped up in a safe room, you might as well be comfy and cozy!

William T. Georgis’s partner, Richard Marshall, is the art advisor to art collector and real estate titan Aby Rosen who owns this building and generously donated it’s use as the show house. Aby Rosen also owns Lever House where artist Richard Dupont recently showed his work. And his sister-in-law Serena Boardman works for Sotheby’s International Real Estate and working on the sale of the $75 Million townhouse. Any takers?

6 Comments
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  1. Anonymous April 29, 2009 | 4:00 pm

    I thought Georgis’s room was amusing in a macabre sort of way. The kitchen, however, exhausted me—all I could imagine was running to and fro across that great, big space, trying to get dinner completed! (On the other hand, I was deeply jealous of the multiple ovens.)

  2. maison21 April 29, 2009 | 5:47 pm

    the safe room rocks!

  3. A Gift Wrapped Life April 29, 2009 | 6:12 pm

    Those pale blue cabinets are sublime…that would be a soothing colour to chop away in. Love the breakfast bar, being a cereal lover. Safe room fireplace is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing another peek.

  4. Anonymous April 30, 2009 | 6:42 pm

    Love your segments on the Kips Bay! I can’t wait for your updates in my in box!

    So loving the kitchen…is that tile on the floor? It looks gorgeous! And I love the wood desk in the laundry room! Who is the designer for that room?

    V.

  5. Mave April 30, 2009 | 6:52 pm

    I love that tile on the floor! I want it! It would look so awesome in my bathroom!

    Does anyone know where I can find a similar tile? Bisazza doesn’t seem to have that pattern.

  6. Habitually Chic April 30, 2009 | 7:49 pm

    Anonymous – that kitchen was huge! I liked it but thought there should be more seating since you would be exhausted from walking back and forth!

    Maison21 – glad you approve!

    A Gift Wrapped Life – I wish they had given the name of the blue color but I heard it was custom.

    Anonymous – The floor is mosaic SICIS from The Art Mosaic Factory. The laundry room was designed by BJS & Associates.

    Mave – Try SICIS.