In the New York City design world, one long-established barometer for welcoming imminent holidays and end of year fêtes is Holiday House NYC, a stylish event where show house design meets fundraising for breast cancer research.
The endeavor is the work of founder and creative director Iris Dankner, an interior designer and breast cancer survivor who launched the program in 2008, as well as design chairs Amy Lau and Thom Filicia. This year, participating design talents—18 of them, to be exact—have imaginatively produced a penthouse-level presentation on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
“It’s great to be back!” says Dankner, of the show’s in-person return following two virtual editions. “People are so excited to get out and be together. To be here tonight is beyond anything I dreamed.” Open for public viewing through December 11, Holiday House NYC encompasses two penthouse units at The Kent on 95th Street. While the stylish interiors and impressive views are well worth the trip, here’s a peek at our favorite moments at Holiday House NYC 2022.
Penthouse 1
In the grand salon, Susan Glick Interiors accentuates the spacious footprint with round, voluptuous forms to create a soft, minimalist essence. Among them is a sweeping curved sofa by Thayer Coggin, as well as a porcelain ring light fixture by Ted Bradley Studio that visually heightens the room with sculptural interest. Photo: Marco Ricca
Taking a grayscale approach in the foyer, Katie Brandt Interiors channels a downtown-cool vibe with a console table in ivory shagreen and 24-karat-gold plated vase from John Lyle and an edgy grasscloth wall covering. “I was inspired by the amazing views of the Hudson River and the beautiful city skyline. We don’t have these in Minnesota,” says Brandt. Photo: Alan Barry Photography
Designer Rio Hamilton and partner Badilla Painters create a café-like setting in the kitchen, where a marble-clad fireplace, curved alabaster settee dolloped with pillows, and a pedestal table from Dunes and Duchess coalesce to make every meal enjoyable. The Freeform Series light sculpture from John Procario (via Todd Merrill Studio) adds to the modernist setting. Photo: Alan Barry Photography
Hamilton’s stark white palette continues in the kitchen. Photo: Alan Barry Photography
By day, A-List Interiors’ room serves as a stylish home office, but come night, it evolves into a den teeming with Italianate elegance. A crystalline Venetian Murano mirror and a Calacatta Viola marble-topped credenza amp up the glamour, while a carpet from Stark works in tandem with drapes from Kirsch. The cypress-adorned scenic wallpaper is courtesy of Ananbo. Photo: Alan Barry Photography
A-List Interiors’ European inspirations continue in the bathroom. Photo: Alan Barry Photography
The enveloping primary bedroom, with its deeply calming palette of dusty rose, cream, and metallic accents, channels a modern-day Gatsby vibe. Designer Elsa Soyars custom designed the textured, curved headboard–a nod to ’70s glam–and flanked it with side tables by Matthew Fairbanks Studio. A sweetly abstract Fromental wallpaper, end-of-bed bench from FBC London, and blossoming Rosie Li Studio chandelier finish the look. Photo: Alan Barry Photography
Primary bath decorated by Soyars. Photo: Alan Barry Photography
Forget gendered shades of pink and blue: This sophisticated nursery by K.A. Murphy Interiors opts for walls covered in Phillip Jeffries’s Flight wallpaper, featuring adorable storks and a bevy of soft tones. Delicate but powerful design details, like the overcast bubble Murial chandelier from Oly and the custom kintsugi eggshell artwork from Elisa Sheehan, bring in a layer of playful and quiet charm. Photo: Alan Barry Photography
Penthouse 2
In the jewel box foyer, Riki Wagh Design swathes the intimate space in an artisanal wallcovering featuring crystals embedded in concrete, custom made with Bijou Coverings. The precious details continue in the porcelain plants from Avram Rusu and a gemstone box from Studio Greytak that decorate the space. Photo: Alan Barry Photography
A rug from Jan+Kath leads guests through the rainbow-saturated gallery that serves as a compendium of Neil Kerman Gallery’s work, including a swirly, splattery wallpaper made with Bijou that acts as a canvas to layer his work. Photo: Alan Barry Photography
Few furniture pieces can encapsulate the intention of a room quite like Roche Bobois’s Mah Jong sectional—especially when covered in the beautifully busy Kenzo Takada patterns. In the grand salon, designer Alison Rose chose to center the seating, and in doing so, “We celebrate flexibility in layout through literal and figurative multi-layered conversation,” shares Rose. A hand-molded side chair courtesy of Objective Gallery sits across the room, while textile art by Rachel Hicks and the photography of Celia Rogge decorate the walls. Photo: Reid Rolls
In the narrow gallery space designed by Aamir Khandwala, a starry-skied wallpaper covers the ceiling. Photography culled from Nathan Myhrvold’s Icelandic collection that decorates the walkway. Photo: Alan Barry Photography
“Our goal was to explore the relationship between a classic and unexpended element,” says designer Jen Talbot of the subdued lounge’s unconventional muse: a brown paper package. The designer offsets a palette of grounding neutrals with a stacked-channel, roll-front daybed (designed by Talbot, available starting 2023). Inviting more dimension into the space, she assembles a vintage ’90s console and chain floor lamp, plus an oversized textural wall piece by Chicago-based artist Eric Gushee. Photo: Marco Ricca
“Over the course of my 20-year career, I’ve always loved to design a dinner table, and this one is really special,” says designer Cindy Dzurita of her tabletop assemblage, which sits on Bernhardt’s Axiom table and its paired Lauren sofa from Global Views. Photo: Marco Ricca
To break up the kitchen and dining areas, Dzurita added interlocking rock wall panels, courtesy of Modular Arts, and a freeform Roman stone bench from Phillips Collection. Photo: Marco Ricca
Playful patterns and joyous color palettes are a Cynthia Rowley signature, as seen not only in the fashion designer’s new line of wallpaper with Parete but also in the primary bedroom design by Michael Freedman and Daniela Gaurin of Parete at Holiday House NYC. A shared love for the “more is more” interiors philosophy brought life—or rather, flight—to the room’s creature-themed design, which features Ann Gish bedding, furniture from Lori Marsh, and a butterfly wallcovering and drapery by Rowley for Parete. Above the bed, a small-bulbed chandelier from Townsend Design conjures a quaint firefly effect. Photo: Ricardo Picon Photography
In a quaint office set off of the primary bedroom, KRID Studio created an ingenious faux window that invites the outdoors in. A framed, high-definition screen displays livestreamed city views relayed from a camera mounted on the nearby terrace. Inevitably, says designer Kammi Reiss, it “streams the view that a window in that spot would have.” An Asteré wallcovering envelops the space, while Voutsa fabrics drape the windows and a custom chaise by Krid Studio in a lush Holly Hunt fabric fills a tight corner. Photo: Marco Ricca
“There is a simple magic you feel while sitting and enjoying a drink in the fresh air, surrounded by terra-cotta planters of natural greenery and enjoying the relaxed social space,” says Alexandra Champalimaud of the primary bedroom’s terrace, which looks on at the New York City skyline. A Danao sofa with organic curvature and added seating from Dedon are welcoming with color without competing with the view, while the Steel Breeze sculpture by artist David Harber provides fodder. The landscape design is by Layer NY. Photo: Alan Barry Photography
In an effort to quell anxiety and invite respite and renewal in the guest bedroom, designer Sarah Lederman appeals to biophilic design concepts using natural textures (rattan, oak, leather, and raw silk included) and various shades of green. The walls are layered in the vine-happy Catchweed pattern from Ottoline Devries, while the one-of-a-kind oak bed, bobbin mirror, and waterfall skirted chair were custom creations by Luther Quintana Upholstery. Photo: Kristen Francis
Exceptionally sweet decor drives the scheme in designer Eneia White Interiors’ bedroom. Meant for a “carefree teenager,” says White, the interior features a cottage-style bunk bed (with its own mailbox!) by Elio Construction and bedding by Ann Gish. “We decided to throw the rules out the window,” says the designer. “Our inspiration led to a fun and imaginative color palette.” Sherbet and cotton candy shades whirl around the room, from window treatments by Window Works in a spritely Rebecca Atwood fabric to walls decorated in multihued works from Leftbank Art. Photo: Marco Ricca
A cheerful proponent of statement wallcoverings, Tula Summerford turned to a glitzy pattern from Osbourne & Little to enliven the penthouse unit’s powder room. Overhead, a custom light fixture from Louise Gaskill combines vintage German glass and pendants hand-gilded in silver leaf. Artwork from Tommy Mitchell adorns the walls. Photo: Marco Ricca
When designing the main terrace, designer Mina Lisanin set out to create a visual love letter to New York City. Bringing the scheme to life, she combined furniture pieces from Royal Botania, Danver, Modloft, and Revered Design with bright orange Loop chairs from Tupelo—color-matched to the infamous NYC subway seat hue. An eccentric, Jeff Koons–inspired Attackle bench from Fatboy ups the ante, while a biophilic installation by Sara N Co. Moss Art decorates the space. Photo: Marco Ricca