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Whimsical Elegance

Lorna KB Portrait cropped Bright
After participating in several regional (Washington D.C. & the surrounding areas) showcase houses over the past few years, Lorna Gross had set a Kips Bay showcase house as goal. It was one part of her overall marketing plan for 2021.

So the opportunity to create a dining room for the Spring 2021 Kips Bay Palm Beach showcase house was a welcome challenge. “I really needed a lift from the pandemic and the harsh winter,” Lorna said. “And I wanted my space to do the same for everyone that visited. My goal was a room that was fun, colorful, and unexpected.”

While every element is Lorna’s room is meticulously thought out, there are a few pivotal elements.


1) The Flora rug from New Moon Rugs is a re-colored version created specifically for this project. Based on Renaissance herbariums and Elizabethan needlework, the design features a gleaming gold and platinum sun surrounded by dozens of different plants, birds, and butterflies, all woven in silk, which shimmer against the neutral wool and hemp ground.


2) Working with local woodworker Andy Hanbury of Wood Stile, Lorna designed custom barn doors that pick up on the elongated hexagon shape of the Ambella Home mirrors. “These doors were one of the last major pieces installed in the room—but the stress was worth it! I wanted to demonstrate that barn doors don’t always have to be rustic. They can be elegant and even sexy. These ended up being one of the highlights of the room.”


3) “One of my first calls was to Debbie Pegher at Century Furniture’s D.C. showroom With her efforts I found the most beautiful oval dining table that features an incredible bronzy octogonal base,” said Lorna.


“Then, you can’t have a fabulous dining room design without a show-stopping chandelier. The bamboo and brass Gaborone chandelier from Currey & Co. definitely makes a statement.”


4) “Special thanks goes to the fantastic team at Kravet because we had a bit of an emergency and they came through for us, as always. The amount of wallpaper—the phenomenal Clarke & Clarke design with gorgeous menagerie motif—was underestimated. The Kravet team managed to get us more, shipped directly from London, just in time. Cheers to great customer service!”


5) Lorna is a self-professed lover of gorgeous table settings, clearly evident is this richly layered tablescape. The table runner is a Stroheim fabric, the napkins are S. Harris, and then she mixed Wedgwood china with depression glass, dragonfly napkin rings and brass-and-acrylic candlesticks—fulfilling her vision of elegance, whimsy, and color.