KIPS BAY DS

Corey Damen Jenkins Creates a Modern Lady’s Library for Kips Bay 2019

Does a home’s formal office space or private library room have to exhibit a dark and masculine motif? Absolutely not! For the 2019 Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York City, designer Corey Damen Jenkins has given a luxurious study an incredible feminine flair that shows the collision between fashion and interior design.

The House Tipster Industry team spoke with the Michigan-based designer at the charity show house’s press day unveiling in Manhattan, where he explained how this warm and colorful space came to life in the middle of a historical Upper East Side townhouse.

Corey Damen Jenkins. Photography by House Tipster

“In homes back in the time this house was constructed, these rooms were called the gentleman’s study, but we’re now living in the 21st century, so I wanted to make it a lady’s library [for] the modern woman,” Jenkins explained.

The inspiration for Jenkins’ color palette of blush pinks and lush emerald greens came from a special ceiling art installation and French crystal chandelier that act together as an instant conversation-starter.

2019 © Nickolas Sargent Photography

“One of the biggest factors of this room [visually] is the ceiling,” the designer said. “That’s the sixth wall of the room. It’s covered by a wall covering courtesy of Cole & Son, inspired by the ancient hanging gardens of Babylon. We had this gorgeous 1940s chandelier courtesy of Newel, it’s an antique that’s like a lotus flower peeking through the branches, if you will, from the ceiling. I really believe lighting like this is like jewelry for a room, and it really sets the tone.”

Photography by House Tipster

The library’s pink and green striped window treatments, adorned with plenty passementerie, also give the room a fashion lover’s touch.

2019 © Nickolas Sargent Photography

The fabrics and their styling are directly inspired by gowns recently modeled on fashion designers Valentino and Jean Paul Gaultier’s Paris runways.

Kravet furniture with colorful printed upholstery fabrics provide the perfect seating arrangements and reading nooks for the space, while a faux snow leopard-inspired rug by Stark Carpet cozies up the room with a couture fashion element.

And of course, the space is filled with plenty of eclectic fine art pieces and tons of great books for the well-read modern woman Jenkins imagines feeling right at home in his designs.

“This room had great bones to begin with, all I had to do was just augment them,” the designer told us about his choice to preserve many of the space’s original and historical charms.

“All in all, this Lady’s Library pays homage to the women who run the world: from the household to Capitol Hill—and everything in between,” Jenkins added in his show notes.

To see more from Corey Damen Jenkins’ room at the 2019 Kips Bay Decorator Show House NYC, and to hear more about the pieces inspiring the space, make sure to catch a recap of our live video stream guided by the designer in the Facebook player below.

Guests will be able to attend the 47th Annual Kips Bay Decorator Show House, located at 36-38 East 74th Street, New York, NY, from May 2 – May 30, 2019. Stay tuned for more of House Tipster Industry’s exclusive coverage of the show, including more virtual tours guided by the season’s top designers.

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