A room that transcends time, built in no time.
Kips Bay
Completed
2021
Location
Dallas, Texas
Style
Georgian Modern
Interior Architecture/Design
Brant McFarlain
Less intrepid souls might’ve politely said no. The project was labor-intensive: create an entire and intricately crafted primary bath out of a completely empty room. There was more: It would have to be accomplished in just six short weeks. And there would be 24 other dramatic transformations happening all over the same house, at the same time, by 24 other designer-contractor teams.
That is a glimpse into the absurd complexity of participating in a Kips Bay Decorator Show House,
a whirlwind of buzz saws, hammers and heartburn as a single home is reimagined in a very brief time into a multi-designer showcase of fantastical furnishings and art, ultimately seen by thousands of visitors, both civilian and industry.
Allgood Pfannenstiel was invited by a top Dallas designer to execute the sybaritic bath, envisioned as a contemporary sanctuary gently inserted into the classical Georgian house. But this was no ordinary luxury bath: It had a thoroughly modernized layout, where the functional areas were centralized, rather than lining the walls, as is typically seen. Among its many spectacular features? A unique freestanding dual vanity against a freestanding wall of oak. After the designer presented the scope of the project to Allgood/Pfannenstiel, the firm assured him that this seemingly impossible task could be executed flawlessly—and on time.
It was a herculean effort by everyone involved, from principals to plasterers to plumbers. Every element in the space had to be custom-crafted, every material carefully worked. Artisan touches abound, from the piano-gloss finish of the freestanding wall to the vanity’s milled-down marble countertop, complete with gently raised edges. The ceiling was executed with smooth plaster, including intricate plaster appliques and deeply curved plaster crown mouldings. For the water closets, panelized jib doors were created in the paneled walls, making them almost disappear. All the while, myriad logistical challenges had to be overcome every day, not only inside the house—working around all the other teams—but inside the room itself. Plumbing and electricity had to be relocated, and the sequencing of procedures had to be precision-planned.
Left: A Flat Cut Moon Oak partition wall in a piano gloss finish decorate and enclose the Rift Cut White Oak Vanity with its milled Bianco Artesia marble finish.
One example of triumphing over the highly compressed timeline was the epic shower enclosure, a stunning steel-and-glass structure that would’ve taken six to eight weeks to build on its own. But, here, the entire bath had to be built from nothing, in that same timeframe. In the end, it was a scramble — although a carefully orchestrated one — that pushed the limits of what is typical, an Allgood Pfannenstiel point of pride. The space was at once masculine and feminine, simple and sophisticated, old and new, and it blended historical and contemporary elements, brilliantly. Its material juxtapositions were rich, in a room brimming with oak, marble, steel, gold leaf, glass, brass and plaster. Where many showhouse rooms are brought to life by paint finishes, extravagant wallpapers and fanciful furniture, this one was handcrafted from scratch, impeccably, to a plan that not only honored the home’s architecture but also moved it forward in time. It is a room that was a crowd favorite during the show’s month-long run, remembered to this day and shared and reshared on social media, often.
