{"id":1761,"date":"2026-10-02T06:25:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T06:25:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/?p=1761"},"modified":"2026-10-02T06:25:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T06:25:18","slug":"inside-the-personal-pied-a-terre-peter-dunham-created-for-the-kips-bay-decorator-show-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/?p=1761","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Personal Pied-\u00e0-Terre Peter Dunham Created for the Kips Bay Decorator Show House"},"content":{"rendered":"

Designing for a decorator showhouse is an exercise in creative paradox. Unlike a traditional residential project, there is no client to consult, no specific family history to honor, and no long-term relationship to nurture. Instead, designers are handed a blank slate and a grueling, condensed timeline\u2014often just a few weeks\u2014to transform a space. While many designers use this platform to create high-concept, avant-garde, or intentionally "over-the-top" rooms designed to grab headlines and spark viral conversation, interior designer Peter Dunham took a distinctly different approach for his contribution to this year\u2019s Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York City.<\/p>\n

Rather than looking outward for trends or shock value, Dunham turned inward. He chose to treat the assignment as a deeply personal project, designing not for the public or a hypothetical buyer, but for himself. "It was a very selfish room," Dunham admits. "It\u2019s the pied-\u00e0-terre that I would like to have in that very location for me in New York. It was very personal."<\/p>\n

\"One<\/figure>\n

By grounding his design in his own aesthetic sensibilities and lifestyle preferences, Dunham managed to create a space that feels remarkably lived-in, warm, and authentic\u2014a feat that is notoriously difficult to achieve in the sterile environment of a showhouse. His goal was to foster a genuine connection between the interior design and the building\u2019s historic architecture, as well as the surrounding neighborhood of Greenwich Village. <\/p>\n

To achieve this sense of place, Dunham carefully curated his color palette to mirror the environment outside the windows. He drew inspiration from the lush greens of the neighborhood\u2019s tree-lined streets and the warm, earthy, rusty hues of the classic brick buildings characteristic of the Village. The result is an interior that feels as though it has evolved over decades rather than being assembled in a matter of weeks, characterized by a sophisticated, layered approach to art, textiles, materials, and furniture from various eras.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/figure>\n

A cornerstone of Dunham\u2019s design philosophy is the "75\/25 rule," a guideline he employs to ensure a space feels balanced and historically grounded. The principle dictates that a maximum of 75% of the items in a room should be brand new, while at least 25% must be vintage or found objects. In his Kips Bay room, Dunham arguably exceeded that 25% threshold, anchoring the space with a vintage sofa reupholstered in a rich, deep green velvet from Kravet and finished with sophisticated Samuel & Sons fringe. These pieces, alongside a Louis XVI armchair and a sleek modern French black marble tabletop, create a deliberate bridge between the building’s distinguished, landmarked exterior and its contemporary interior architecture.<\/p>\n

Dunham also emphasizes the importance of balancing what he calls the "pudding-y" and the "bony" elements of a room. The "pudding" refers to the soft, substantial, upholstered or sculptural pieces that provide comfort, such as the green velvet sofa. The "bony" elements are the thinner, wirier, or more linear pieces, such as the vintage twig chair and wall-mounted lighting. According to the designer, this balance is crucial; if a room leans too heavily into "bony" furniture, every shape becomes overly complex and competitive, fighting for the viewer\u2019s attention. By ensuring there is enough "pudding" to ground the space, he creates an environment that feels soothing rather than chaotic.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/figure>\n

The spatial configuration of the room presented its own set of challenges, particularly the limited footprint. In a room measuring just 10.5 feet wide, the temptation to divide the space into zones is strong, but Dunham resisted the urge to use multiple small rugs. Instead, he opted for one large, early Khotan carpet sourced from Marc Phillips. By using a single, expansive piece, he avoided the common mistake of shrinking the visual perception of the room, effectively unifying the various furniture groupings into a single, cohesive narrative.<\/p>\n

That sense of efficiency extended to his window treatments. In a narrow room, every square inch counts, and traditional drapery can consume significant floor space and depth. Dunham chose Roman shades for the original windows, favoring their precise, clean functionality over bulky curtains. He noted that opting for Roman shades saved him a precious six to eight inches of depth, which, in a room of this scale, makes a substantial difference in how the space feels and functions.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/figure>\n

Perhaps the most counterintuitive decision Dunham made was the inclusion of a grand, four-poster canopy bed. Conventional wisdom often suggests that large furniture makes a small room feel cramped, but Dunham argues the opposite. Drawing on his own experience living in a small New York apartment, where he once installed a chunky Georgian four-poster bed, he maintains that such a statement piece can transform a space from a standard room into a truly interesting, character-filled environment. "The smaller the room, the more of a case you have to make for a canopy bed," he explains.<\/p>\n

To enhance the room’s atmosphere, Dunham turned to fabric rather than wallpaper. By upholstering the walls in his own design\u2014a multicolor linen print called "Jacob\u2019s Stripe"\u2014he achieved a level of acoustic dampening and tactile coziness that wallpaper simply cannot provide. He extended this design choice by using the same fabric for contiguous window treatments and doorway drapes, working with The Shade Store to ensure a seamless, 360-degree effect. While some might worry that such a monochromatic application of pattern would be overwhelming, Dunham argues that it actually creates a more soothing, encompassing environment. He notes that if one were to use a contrasting material, it might make the wall pattern feel more aggressive; keeping it consistent creates a cocoon-like quality.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/figure>\n

The final layer, and perhaps the most transformative, was the art. Dunham\u2019s team had installed the furniture and decor, but he felt the room lacked a certain spark until the art was hung. Once the walls were adorned with pieces from Los Angeles-based artists\u2014including James Cherry, David Hockney, Paul Mpagi Sepuya, Joey Strella, Konstantin Kakanias, and Catherine Opie\u2014the room immediately came to life. Dunham emphasizes that the framing process is just as important as the art itself, noting that while one shouldn’t make every frame identical, one must also avoid "freaky" combinations that feel disjointed.<\/p>\n

To add the final touches of intrigue, Dunham relied on custom-made elements that defy mass-market retail aesthetics. He fashioned a bed frame from a vintage piece, incorporated an English antique textile into the headboard, and crafted custom shades for his Natan Moss lamps using a vintage Japanese obi. These details provide the "stop-in-your-tracks" moments that give a room its soul. As a final detail, he even had the Saatva box spring upholstered, using the same fabric as the underside of the canopy to ensure a tailored, consistent look. Through these intentional, personal, and highly curated choices, Dunham created a room that feels less like a temporary exhibit and more like a home, offering a rare glimpse into the private taste of a designer who chose to build his own dream, one layer at a time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Designing for a decorator showhouse is an exercise in creative paradox. Unlike a traditional residential project, there is no client to consult, no specific family history to honor, and no long-term relationship to nurture. Instead, designers are handed a blank slate and a grueling, condensed timeline\u2014often just a few weeks\u2014to transform a space. While many […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[78,76,951,2918,2916,77,1292,223,75,2917,1247,2915,2913,887,2914],"class_list":["post-1761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asian-interior-design","tag-architecture","tag-asian-decor","tag-created","tag-decorator","tag-dunham","tag-home-styling","tag-house","tag-inside","tag-interior-design","tag-kips","tag-personal","tag-peter","tag-pied","tag-show","tag-terre"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1761\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1760"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/orientalplaces.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}