Kips Bay Dallas 2020

The Back Staircase and Downstairs Landing, named Emerald Garden, is designed by Melissa Morgan of M Interiors in San Antonio, Texas. Morgan’s design seeks to serve as more than an area of transition, but, rather, as a place for tranquility and reflection. She said, “My aim was to elevate this space and make it a celebrated destination that can serve as the heart of the home and have meaning, rather than merely connect one to other spaces in the house.” Her choices of unique furnishings and accessories, a blending of new pieces with antiques, stylish textiles, and a mix of contemporary and classical art, highlight an appreciation for detail and the ability to create a timeless aesthetic. Emerald Garden references the magnificent, custom wallcovering by Gracie Studios. Applied to walls and up the stairs, the saturated green is balanced with deep blues against flowering trees. A joyful cast of characters--birds, cicadas, woodpeckers, hedgehogs, daisies, ladybugs, bees and butterflies, favorites hand-selected by Morgan, punctuate the background. Richly detailed and sweeping in scope, the surface offers a delightful storytelling component, and the application of lacquer, an added sheen.