Kips Bay Show House: Lessons Learned and Lives Changed
The last few weeks have been a culmination of Herculean effort, stress, tears shed, and sheer exhaustion. We poured ourselves wholly into each decision and detail, but as we put the final touches on the primary bath space we designed for Kips Bay Designer Show House, the reality of more than sore feet and moments of fear and doubt materialized. We have created so much beyond a beautiful space that we are immensely proud of. Not only did we forge lifelong friendships with other designers and relationships with professionals we will partner with in the future, but we also were a part of changing the lives of countless children. At the end of the open house, Kips Bay Decorator Show House raised over $29 million to date, which will help support local children and their families through Dwell with Dignity and The Crystal Charity Ball.
Lessons Learned
Looking back, I underestimated the emotional and physical toll the project would take—not just the inevitable construction snafus and pressure of a crazy timeline, but also the 3 days of media tours and 3 weeks of public showings after the space was completed. I had originally taken on the responsibility of being at the Show House each day, but I quickly learned to ask for help. My team and family leaned in when I had nothing left to give. And they did a brilliant job, each time returning re-energized about what we do. Next time, I’d definitely pack a bag with snacks, food, water, and comfortable shoes.
But by far the most important lesson was understanding what we were truly capable of.
Walking in our Potential
We learned that fear is a lie, and the nagging thoughts that “maybe we don’t belong here” don’t serve us and don’t serve others. Fear is self-sabotage, and it had no place in this process. We trusted ourselves, letting go of obsessive-level planning that is our typical approach with clients. The client became design itself. We wanted to create something never seen before, so there was no blueprint, no frame of reference: we had to come from a place of bold experimentation, not to reflect what is but to inspire what might be. Risk is where growth happens.
We also learned what it means to represent ourselves. Twenty-two designers with all of their crews working on top of each other in confined space for 8 weeks could lead to some drama. I’m proud of how we represented the Urbanology team as kind and helpful, and even when we were feeling our worst, we reflected our best.
“My soul came alive…I’m full of joy”
The reactions like these were what sustained us through the long days of the showings and inspire us to continue to be undaunted and unrestrained in the pursuit of the uncommon. We reconfirmed that environments are impactful and that just walking from one room to another into streaming sunlight or cool serenity induces a chemical response that alters the mood. We lived our mantra—to put forth what’s in our hearts and ask “what if?” We take these affirmations into our client designs with the same spirit of experimentation and customization but with the luxury of time to be obsessive about the planning and details.
What’s Next?
We’ll take some time for the holidays to recharge, but we have a busy year ahead. We have meetings and lunches with builders and architects who came to see our work and were interested in partnering. We will be launching a lighting line in the first quarter for Blueprint Lighting. We have speaking engagements, book signings, and out of state projects beginning.
We’ll undoubtedly see the impacts in our business from being a part of Kips Bay, but the most important changes have been in ourselves—pride in what we accomplished for a worthy cause and the knowledge that we are exactly where we are supposed to be: bringing beauty to the world and joy to our clients.
Would we do Kips Bay in the future? Absolutely. In a heartbeat. Just maybe not next year.
Lastly, I would like to take a moment to thank and honor our incredible partner MHM Living, and all of our sponsors, without whom none of this would have been possible.
General Contractor
MHM Living
Photography Credit: Stephen Karlisch & Nick Sargent
Craving more? View our full interior design portfolio.
Ready to discuss your project? Schedule a consultation to discuss your full-service design project.