Harlequin Q&A with Sergio Mercado and Anne Wilkinson of Bamo

The Kips Bay Decorator Show House, the US's premier design event presented by the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, expanded to Palm Beach in 2017 and has since become a highly anticipated annual showcase of design excellence and philanthropy. The Palm Beach edition recently concluded its ninth successful showcase in February 2026, welcoming thousands of visitors and raising critical funds in support of both the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. This year, Harlequin partnered with BAMO, a design collective with offices in San Francisco, Providence, Miami, and Barcelona, on the Sun Room.

Q. For those who may not be familiar, can you share a bit about your firm’s background and design approach?

A. BAMO was founded 30 years ago and has completed over 500 projects worldwide. We design spaces that connect with our clients at a sensory level, creating one-of-a-kind environments that elevate the everyday experience. Collaboration is the foundation of every project. It’s the personal connection with our clients that shapes the creative direction and brings each unique vision to life.

Q. What was the initial inspiration behind your design at Kips Bay Palm Beach?

A. We’re seeing a zeitgeist of surrealism in creative spaces these days that we wanted to capture. A visit to two galleries, the Brintz+County Gallery in Palm Beach and The Future Perfect Gallery in Miami, helped crystallize the idea. Their artwork and furnishings capture a surrealist aesthetic and helped lay the groundwork for our theme

Q. What were the most rewarding aspects of designing your room? What were the most challenging?

A. The most rewarding aspect of designing our room was seeing our fantastical custom ideas for the three major design elements come to life. The floor, walls, and ceiling form the all-important envelope to our space. We collaborated with our project partners to engineer our undulating wood ceiling and source and install our bold, scaled, mixed-stone custom floor pattern.

One of the biggest challenges of our space was having a room with windows and doors on all elevations. Deciding to install draperies on all sides of the room allowed us to have a more cohesive look and added to the immersive quality of the space.

Q. How does this room reflect your design philosophy or personal style?

We love layering with materiality, texture, and color in an edited way to create spaces that feel intentional. Our space incorporates beautiful natural fibers and materials: stone, wood, glass, steel, linen, wool, silk, and elements that are a joy to see and touch.

Q. What was it about Harlequin's Formation fabric that fulfilled the pattern brief?

The fabric we chose by Harlequin was a perfect choice for the theme of our room and the location of the home. Both the home and our room face the water. The fabric we selected is a natural-colored linen with a beautiful, subtle wave design in silver metallic thread. It has a wonderful three-dimensional quality, which lends itself to our theme.

Q: What’s next for your firm—any new directions or dream commissions you’re pursuing?

We have several exciting projects on the horizon, family compounds in South Florida, the Caribbean, and a private island in Southeast Asia. In addition to our residential work, we have a strong presence in hospitality and branded residences, including two of the top five on the World’s 50 Best Hotels list, Capella Bangkok and Passalaqua on Lake Como. Upcoming in Florida, our highly anticipated Waldorf Astoria Miami Hotel and Residences for PMG and the Waldorf Astoria Residences Pompano Beach for Related Group and Merrimac are under construction.