Kips Bay Decorator Show House Opened in Greenwich Village
The 51st annual showcase transformed an historic 1839 townhouse to benefit the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Interior Decorating
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The Kips Bay Decorator Show House has launched its 51st New York edition at 80 Washington Square Park. This year’s exhibition features installations from 22 designers and architects staged throughout the historic residence.
Why it matters
The event serves as the signature fundraiser for the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, supporting youth programming while highlighting residential design. It transforms a legacy property into a public showcase for the city’s creative community.
The show house occupies an 1839 Georgian townhouse at 80 Washington Square Park, marking the 51st iteration of the event. Twenty-two designers contributed to the transformation of the home.
The players
Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club
An organization providing essential youth development services that relies on this annual design event as a primary fundraiser.
Gay Gassmann
A curator who managed the American artist exhibition featured along the townhouse staircase.
John Philip Sousa
The historical composer who previously occupied the townhouse at 80 Washington Square Park.
The details
Participating professionals have reimagined the interior spaces of the Greenwich Village property, including the parlor floors and the rooftop. The exhibition includes a curated staircase gallery by Gay Gassmann that highlights the work of American artists. The layout integrates modern design concepts into the architecture of the former home of composer John Philip Sousa.
Timeline
1839: The townhouse was originally built.
- 2026-09-24
The 51st edition of the show house opened.
The Home Front
The show house represents a major intersection of historic preservation and contemporary residential interior design trends. It continues the long-standing pattern of utilizing legacy architecture as a canvas for current professional design standards.
Consider visiting the exhibition to observe how professional designers adapt historic floor plans for modern living. You may find inspiration for integrating curated art displays or updating functional spaces like parlors and rooftop terraces in older homes.
The takeaway
The show house demonstrates how historic townhouses can serve as dynamic, evolving spaces through creative design interventions. Homeowners can apply this approach by focusing on staircase galleries or maximizing rooftop utility to refresh the character of their own historic residences.
Further reading
For more inspiration on transforming period architecture, visit our Interior Decorating section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Modern Luxury.
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