Bennett Leifer, the principal interior designer of New York-based Bennett Leifer Interiors presented an artistic living room titled the “Neues Drawing Room” for the Holiday House NYC 2019 show, which recently opened its doors in Manhattan. The show, which is now celebrating its 12th annual event, is a fundraising benefit for the Breast Cancer Research Fund – and the designer took the cause in as part of his inspiration.
“I love to reference history and different design elements in the spaces I create,” Leifer shared in his show notes. “I recently visited the Neues Palais in Potsdam and was inspired by how dramatically the spaces evolved over time, with so many events transpiring over the 20th century. This space retains its elegance but bears a mark of each period that passed through.”
Throughout the space, visitors will be greeted by a beautifully curated collection of artwork, bold colors, and messages written in graffiti-style spray paint around the walls. Germany’s Neues Palais is currently undergoing some interior restoration, and Leifer found inspiration in its work-in-progress state.
“You see graffiti layered with some of the original pieces, [and] I wanted to take that wonderful juxtaposition and bring that to life in this space in a more uplifting way,” Leifer told House Tipster Industry.
“We worked with our vendors and clients to come up with messages related to the cause, which is breast cancer awareness and research, and really empower people to think about personal messages. We then worked with Newel Gallery to hang strong portraiture of women on the walls.”
To create the colorful living room, Leifer worked with many top brands and vendors, including Benjamin Moore, EduDeco Decorative Finishes LLC, Edward Fields Carpet Makers, Enchanted Home, Interiors by Royale, John Lyle, Jonas, MJ Designer Services, New Yorker Picture Frames, Newel, Omega Construction & Design Inc., Phoenix Gallery, Pierre Frey, Studio Van den Akker, TatsCru, and Todd Merrill Studio.
“I’ve mixed modern and traditional elements to create a very unique space,” Leifer said. “To make the space truly my own, I designed a semi-circular curtain to round out the space and create a curved niche and a really comfortable seating area.”
Through December 15, guests will be able to see the artistic room in person at the historical building address, 125 East 65th Street in Manhattan.
To hear more from Bennett Leifer’s space at the Holiday House NYC 2019 and see a more in-depth look at the space, be sure to press play on our exclusive video below.
Stay tuned for tons of exclusive design features, creator interviews, virtual tour videos, and more information on each room in the 2019 Holiday House NYC – all coming soon to House Tipster Industry.
