Veranda, February 2025
By Lauren Wicks
This Mood Ring Stairway Changes Colors As You Ascend—And We’re Here For It
You can sense the vibe shift as you move from deep purples to vibrant sea greens, with florals blooming underfoot.
"I always love to design with an artistic concept in place; there's always a story in my head," says Boca Raton, Florida-based designer Nikki Levy. And in a prominent stairway corridor at this year's Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Palm Beach, that story is a vivid, mercurial tale of self discovery through color, texture, and a sea of beautiful contrasts.
"There is a sense of both masculine and feminine in our bodies and brains, in how we think and what we do," adds Levy who includes both the upstairs and downstairs galleries. "As I was designing, I was going from these soft, gentle pinks into bright oranges and yellows, and eventually into dark green all the way on the other side, and it just felt like a representation of these different sides of myself. There's the quiet side, the romantic side, the kind of loud and vibrant side, and the contemplative side."
It's a journey the designer encourages visitors to embark on as well as they move through the space. The centerpieces are custom runners Levy designed with RuggleUp, blooming oversize, colorful florals up the stairs and down long corridors, like a cutting garden exploding with color. Their palettes shift in harmony with the walls, painted in complementary shades by Benjamin Moore, while decorative flowers by Roland DGA bloom across the ceilings. A mix of tactile, alabaster-white furnishings mingle with more vibrant pieces by Made Goods, striking a harmonious balance.
Levy sourced artwork through CoCollect, showcasing pieces by Kalee Appleton and Allyson Monson, while Hector Finch lamps cast ambient light on Levy's contemplative journey. She also an assortment of Kravet fabrics throughout the upstairs and downstairs halls, giving the space beautiful depth—and a memorable passage through gently unfolding color.