Interior designer Alexa Hampton wasn’t in the room she designed for Mark Hampton LLC when I visited last week so I sent her an email. I told her that I thought it was beyond gorgeous and I wasn’t just saying that because she placed my book on the coffee table. And I meant it. I never think of myself as a color and pattern person but I could happily live in this room.
One of the best things about visiting the Kips Bay Decorator Show House is being able to walk through rooms designed by the most talented interior designers practicing today. They are masters of the conversation seating arrangement and space planning. This large room with multiple doorways and large windows has a perfect furniture plan that would easily allow for sitting and chatting, as well as walking around and mingling during a party. Kind of makes me wish I had attended the opening night cocktail reception.
I’ll let Alexa explain the inspiration behind the “Sitting Room Folly” in her own words. “In my last Kips Bay outing, I decorated a room in the Show House that was crisp and tailored, with a strict palette of lights and darks and stark contrasts of form. This year, I wanted to play with a different set of ideas. The room started with the inspiration of Mudejar flavored tile walls. To offset the cool sensibility that the appearance of a geometric tiled surface might telegraph, I wanted to add equal parts whimsy and decadence into the furnishings, suffusing them with both rich colors and textures. With hand painted custom “tiles,” painted by Chuck Fischer and digitally reprinted as wallpaper by Duggal, a contemporary, abstract diptych painted by Franklin Tartaglione and a massively scaled photograph by the incomparable
Massimo Listri, I hope the room’s traditional elements are met with a jolt of playful modernism.”
The amazing abstract painting in the room are by
Frank Tartaglione. The desk chairs, pair of Napoleon chairs, and tufted chair in the room are from
145 Antiques. The desk, lamp and bench are from Objects Plus/Daniel Barney.
Irish matting on the floor is by Crosby Street Studio.
All photos by Heather Clawson for Habitually Chic
7 Comments
Breathtaking! Alexa has inherited her father’s talent but clearly has a vision that is all her own. I too would normally not like this much pattern and color, but Ms. Hampton just nails it. Such a playful but cohesive design.
Everywhere one looks there is a lesson to be learned: color, pattern, scale, texture. What an absolutely glorious space. Thank you for the luxurious number of images and close-ups.
It is truly a glorious, breathtaking room! The grand works of art by Frank Tartaglione are the crowning jewels!
I am proud to be featuring Alexa’s book “Decorating in Detail soon!
xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Wow, so incredibly beautiful! You’re right, I’m also not a huge color and pattern person, but somehow I’m totally attracted to this room. It feels so warm and cozy, like I could just curl up on that sofa with a good book and be completely content. And she makes the bold colors and patterns work together so effortlessly. Thanks for showcasing such talent!
Unreal. I just spent an hour pouring over every beautiful detail (and I’m going to see it next week!) Would move in in a heartbeat. Thanks for all the photos!
The most glorious room. I’m so happy to see a return to richness in decorating. Alexa’s mix of so many different elements is spectacular. Thank you for focusing on this room 1st.
Mary
What a beautiful room! It’s perfect! Do you know the name of the wallpaper?