Moments I loved at the 2026 Kips Bay Decorator Show House New York

Written by Monica Dao | Photos by Nick Johnson

The 2026 Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York proves that great interior design is never about playing it safe. Set inside a historic Greenwich Village townhouse, this year’s highly anticipated showcase brings together 22 acclaimed designers to transform nearly 9,000 square feet into a collection of distinctive, imaginative interiors. From bold design statements to carefully considered finishes, the Show House celebrates the creativity and craftsmanship shaping today’s luxury interior design. Yet among the striking rooms, layered textures, and unexpected details, one thing becomes clear: the most memorable spaces are often defined by the smallest details.

Rooms Within Rooms

Some of the most memorable spaces aren’t defined by what they’re supposed to be, but by what they invite you to do. Wegner Fine Cabinetry’s Midnight Snack turns the kitchen and pantry into a world of their own, with the pantry becoming an intimate, playful hideaway where color, pattern and a handcrafted mosaic floor reveal themselves slowly. Ten Plus Three’s El Mezzanine takes a similar approach. Sitting at the heart of the townhouse, it can be passed through in seconds or enjoyed for hours, depending on how you choose to experience it. Both spaces prove that a room doesn’t need a grand purpose to become a destination.

Rooms With a Point of View

The best spaces at Kips Bay don’t just look beautiful. They seem to belong to someone. Chad Dorsey’s Editor’s Apartment feels like the home of a lifelong collector, complete with books, artwork and the little traces of a life spent traveling and observing. TORREY’s Le Fumoir takes a similarly personal approach, filling its intimate retreat with art and objects chosen for their ability to fascinate rather than their ability to match. In both, the ultimate decorating tool is making a room feel lived in rather than staged to perfection.

Fabric, Everywhere

This year’s designers proved that textiles don’t have to stop at the window. Peter Dunham & Associates’ The Guest Bedroom is wrapped in a linen print that creates a cozy, enveloping backdrop for vintage furnishings and art, while Carrier and Company’s Dressing Room layers patterned walls, drapery and upholstery into an artful dressing lounge. In both spaces, fabric becomes more than a finishing touch. It helps shape the atmosphere of the room itself, adding softness and dimension that simply can’t be achieved with paint alone.

The Rooftop Gets a Personality

Why should outdoor rooms feel like outdoor rooms? Several designers answered that question with a resounding they shouldn’t. EZG Design transformed its rooftop into After Dark Aerie, a tented escape inspired by the energy of 1970s New York nightlife, complete with a soundtrack made even more personal by records sent from the designer’s father. Nicole Fisher Interiors took a different approach, creating a surreal, garden-like world in After Seven. These aren’t patios with pretty furniture. They’re destinations designed for cocktails, conversation and staying out a little later than planned.

Small Rooms, Major Drama

The powder room has always been a favorite place to take a design risk, and Emily Del Bello Interiors certainly understood the assignment. In Bloom packs sculpture, stone, plaster, metallic accents and romantic detailing into a jewel-box setting that feels considerably larger than its footprint. Elsewhere, bathrooms become immersive experiences rather than purely functional spaces. Megan Grehl’s Future Ruins, for example, turns monumental stone and atmospheric lighting into something closer to a private retreat. These are the spaces you might duck into during the party, only to realize you’ve happily stayed a little longer than planned.

Designing for the Ritual

Some of the most successful rooms are those that make you immediately want to move in. Dunnam Zerbini Design’s Velvet Hour Lounge captures that fleeting transition between day and night, when the energy softens, conversation deepens, and entertaining gives way to simply being together. With rich textures, softened light and seating that naturally draws people in, the room feels less like a formal living space and more like somewhere the evening can quietly unfold. KKB Interiors’ A Love Letter, meanwhile, imagines a child’s bedroom as a space designed to grow alongside its occupant, encouraging a lifelong appreciation for art, craftsmanship and beautiful things. Beautiful design becomes even more compelling when it gives us a reason to linger.

Let the Details Tell the Storyl

Perhaps the biggest lesson from this year’s Show House is that a room doesn’t need to shout to be memorable. Robbins Architecture + Interiors’ Kasumi uses a projected cherry blossom to create an ever-changing play of light and shadow, while Eve Jean Interiors’ Le Boudoir turns a powder room into an intimate composition of art, color and Haitian heritage. Both spaces reward a closer look, revealing something new beyond the initial impression. These are the details that turn decoration into something more personal and make a Show House worth looking at twice

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