Viviano Viviano Mixes High Style and Pure Comfort for Kips Bay Decorator Show House Dallas

Overview of the Family Room

Our Family Room, a large but intimate space situated beyond the Breakfast and Keeping Rooms, invites you to retire in comfort and get lost in story time. The barrel-vaulted ceiling and wall of windows overlooking the pool set a handsome scene, which is further enriched by the finish palette of espresso and olive. The earthy hues carry into the furnishings, with cozy linens, wools, and velvets set against antique rugs and a braided hemp floor. As is often the case in our work, the decoration is a studious blend of textures, time periods, and levels of refinement. Lines are thoughtfully blurred between old and new, casual and formal, composed and improvised.

A sense of fantasy permeates the scheme. While decidedly not a rumpus room, the space encourages the eye to travel and the mind to wander. Lion’s-paw feet cast in bronze support a pair of custom chaises at the entrance of the room. The playful Papa Bear chairs by Hans Wegner offer a warm embrace, under the glow of a cloud-like Nuvola light by Tobia Scarpa. In collaboration with the extraordinary C2 Art Advisors — with special thanks to Desireé Vaniecia, McClain Gallery, and Hiram Butler Gallery — the art collection has been curated to encourage a connection with the subconscious and the inner child. Convene with your family — be they children or adult, related or chosen — and tell your stories. The utmost gratitude to our professional family who have made this possible: Benjamin Moore, Circa Lighting, Collier Webb, Culp Associates, Dmitriy & Co., Ferguson, Forbes & Lomax, Galerie Novella, Holland & Sherry Houston, Matt Camron Rugs & Tapestries, Nick Brock Antiques, Perennials and Sutherland, Samuel & Sons, Sputnik Modern, Stone Boutique, The Countertop Market, The Shade Store, Wells Abbott, and W. Gardner, Ltd. — Viviano Viviano

Mother-son duo Catherine Viviano and Michael Viviano talk challenges, collaborations, and favorite spots to shop and eat in Dallas

Highlights and challenges

The challenge to dig deep into our own creative flow, without the imposed structure of a client arrangement, was awesome. Challenging, because client directives are part of what hold the work together most of the time, but really a fun thing to take on.

Clients don’t usually say, “Please plant an olive tree in a Majolica birdbath over by the fireplace, and cover the mantel in a witchy garland,” so we took it as a challenge to let it rip, in that respect — but still with our signature sharp editing. This is maybe a little “wild” for us, but we recognize it’s still fairly restrained in the grand scheme.

Working from out-of -town during COVID … Hotel stays are weird; shipping and logistics have been full of little nightmares. Living off takeout food if you’re not a person who is dining in restaurants,trying to hear anyone across noisy construction when voices are muffled by masks … We are immensely grateful to Nazira Handal at Kips Bay for keeping the whole operation rigorous in terms of compliance around the virus. But it has been tricky.

Collaborations

The Stone Boutique and Countertop Market worked together to realize our vision for the black marble coffee table. It’s impeccably fabricated!

Collier Webb, via Wells Abbott, was very helpful with the brass and bronze hardware and furniture feet.

Sutherland provided the Plushy velvet by Perennials for the chaises, which we designed and had custom-made. We love the way a performance fabric was able to be subverted and feel completely luxury.

Matt Camron was amazingly generous with us. The jute wall-to-wall solved our flooring issue where there is a rather pallid “builder” travertine tile underneath. And then those two antique Oushaks are just simply heaven, in addition to the antique tapestry above the fireplace, which we think is so crucial in tying that wall together.

Where did you shop in Dallas to pick up great items

For our 20th-century pieces: Sputnik Modern. Chris, the owner, has an amazing curatorial sensibility and is a pleasure to work with.

For antiques: Nick Brock Antiques. Gorgeous collection!

Best restaurants while in Dallas

This is a little weird because of COVID. We survived on takeout. But José has been a favorite for “high-end” Mexican.

A favorite piece in your room

Catherine: the William & Mary chest-on-stand. It’s such a classic, and it brings something truly old and soulful. Plus, with the chinoiserie decoration, it embodies exactly the type of layering and transcendence of time that we hope our whole room communicates.

Michael: The Gio Ponti chest of drawers. I have a thing for fine Italian 20th-century furniture.

Insider secrets

Bill Conner Jr. is one of the best painters we have ever worked with. Jean Liu recommended him, and now we know why!

Colonial Brass in Houston whipped up our engraved logo signs at the last minute and did an impeccable job.

Jason Shafer Electric was a dream to work with, under insane circumstances.