Chicago Design Blog | Material Girls | Chicago Interior Design

New Buckingham Interiors + Design logo!

As they say, change is good…  I am in the midst of a rebranding campaign (stay tuned for more deets!), and one of my primary focuses was to redo my logo.  My old “Buckingham Interiors + Design” logo with the crown, all in a minimalist all caps font in gold tones, had been in use since the genesis of my firm 6 years ago.

{Previous Buckingham Interiors + Design logo}

While I did love this logo and it had served me well, I was ready for something different.  I decided to go in a more artistic and feminine direction.  The format of my firm name and the crown remained, but the font is more stylized and the crown is more abstract and whimsical-much like my design aesthetic.  While the hue of “Interiors + Design” remained relatively the same, the “Buckingham” and the crown went from gold to a light purple.  I must say, I am thrilled with the outcome!  I had an amazing graphic designer who took my musings and turned them into something visual and beautiful.

This new logo and theme will be seen on all of my new branding materials- from my 1stDibs page to my business cards to my showroom storefront.  I can’t wait to move full speed ahead!

 

I’m loving these Pantone colors that my graphic designer and I chose…

Pantone Color 7447 C- one of the main colors in my new logo/branding materials

I was having trouble finding a good photo of Pantone Warm Grey 10 U, so here is a close representation!  Plus, these Pantone mugs are pretty cool, right? I first spotted them while in Paris last year attending Maison et Objet.

Of course, it goes without saying that much of my redesign was inspired by my recent interior design projects- and others I have had my eye on as well within the interior design community. I wholeheartedly have embraced the use of soft, gem- toned hues that feel color saturated without screaming too loudly. I do also like making some bold color statements for my more daring clients. The perfect complement of colors is part of our designer’s “due diligence” after all. Take a look below at some ways that interior design permeates throughout the design world and made its way into my new branding materials!

 {Buckingham I+D Lake Forest Historic Mediterranean Project}

 

 

 {Buckingham I+D Winnetka Project}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 {Buckingham I+D Winnetka Project}

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other inspiration…

 

 

 {via Decorpad}

 

 

 {via Zuniga Interiors}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 {via The Blue House}

 

 

 

Facade of one of my recent design projects in the heart of Lincoln Park in Chicago

If you know Chicago, then you know that its Lincoln Park neighborhood is one of the most beautiful and family friendly areas of the city.  Its streets are lined with stunning antique brownstones, lovely newly constructed row houses, and as its name suggests, a very substantial + gorgeous park or two.

One of my latest projects was for a fabulous young, active family whose taste was just as energetic.  The traditional facade opens up to interiors filled with bold hues, modern shapes and worldly elements.  Particularly when it is this “hazy shade of winter” (like it is today), a colorful home provides welcome positive energy. I get this vibe from merely hanging with these clients of mine

After living in the house for several years-where I had been working all along- and becoming decidedly more interested in adding color and their “personal” touches, we traded in the “traditional” wooden staircase railing for a more sleek and modern steel that outlines the modern interiors perfectly. That along with my favorite color (orange!) stair runner sealed the staircase deal.

We also gutted the kitchen to expand the space by eliminating an unused Butler’s pantry to enhance the storage space and overall functionality for a busy family with three young sons. Shopping one day for some modern goodies, I stumbled upon a dramatic mid-century textile art-piece that fit the dining room wall perfectly. Already equipped with the original modern lucite hanging accessories- this this made my client whoop with joy!  The addition of the mod yet antique Murano Chandelier (1920)..” made with a glass-forging technique developed to amplify flickering candlelight in the 17th century and produced on the island of Murano, it represents the grandeur of centuries-old craftsmanship.” Dramatic in its scale, color and delicate filigree, it complements the antique Chinese table and seating in a whimsical way adding some important design tension.

Out last design step was to create a powder room that literally “lit it up!’ Backlit art by a local artist was custom fit to illuminate this room. Colorful brick floor tiles….a-mazing, no?

As a “color-obsessed” girl myself,  I had a blast working on this project-to say the least!

Living room filled with bold and eclectic elements-the soft and textural “Pebbles” rug is a fave. Fabrics by Romo.

Modern Fiber Art, Murano Glass Chandelier alongside antique Chinese furniture.

Ann Sacks tile gleaming with combination of metal and colorful glass. BluDot counter stools add a dose of color.

Can you tell that turquoise is a fave color of ours?

 

Custom furniture pieces for a smaller “city” family room on top of a Jonathan Adler Lollipop rug. Orange mohair….so dreamy!

 Crazy cool tile floor in the powder room along with modern art that makes me wanna sing!

 

Lacquering an inherited vintage cabinet in a bright turquoise changed this landing forever!

I hope that you enjoyed a glimpse of one of my favorite client projects. As interior designers, we are only successful given the perfect storm of possibilities, humor, architecture, fantastic collaboration, trust and friendship with our clients- and a little love of color, texture, unique art and artifacts along the way. Cheers!

{Monaco Blue Chairs in One of My North Shore Projects}

My apologies for my absence on Material Girls as of late!  Between holiday festivities, a gut renovation of my new home in Arizona (stay tuned for pictures!), client projects here in Chicago and throughout the country, and all of the other madness that goes along with the design bizz, I’ve been thoroughly occupied.  Can’t complain, though…busy=booming!

I was thrilled when one of my favorite vendors, Silestone, asked me to weigh in on Pantone’s color of Spring (Emerald Green) and Pantone’s color of 2013 (Monaco Blue) in conjunction with their  amazing quartz countertop surfaces (check out the feature here!).  I absolutely love the playfulness yet richness of Monaco Blue, and have used hues similar to it in many design projects.  I must admit, I am not necessarily a green person, but upon thinking about Emerald Green, I found myself intrigued by this classic hue.  I may now be a “green” convert…the latest look of my showroom is actually very green!  Guess Emerald Green is rubbing off on me

{My recently “greened out” showroom}

Take a look at some of my favorite ways to incorporate Pantone’s “Happening Hues” into your decor!

{Pantone Color of Spring 2013: Monaco Blue}

  { Pantone Color of 2013: Emerald Green}

{Monaco Blue Walls in my Hinsdale Design Project}

 {Monaco Blue in Lauren Santo Domingo’s Paris Duplex via Mark D. Sikes}

 

{Emerald Green in Lauren Santo Domingo’s Paris Duplex via Mark D. Sikes}

 
{Monaco Blue Walls and Chairs via Decor Pad}

{Emerald Green Wallpaper, Headboard and Accents via Elle Decoration}

{Emerald Green Drapes via Splendid Sass}

{Monaco Blue Painted Furniture via The Aestate}

{Emerald Green Walls via HGTV Blog}

{Monaco Blue Walls and Furniture via All Things Stylish}

{Monaco Blue Painted Door via Create Girl}

(Emerald Green Walls and Accents via Good Life of Design)

My kitchen design for the CS Interiors Ritz-Carlton Residences Anniversary Home- mixing gold and silver!

Thank you to Kohler + to Albar for this dramatic impact within my kitchen space. Can’t resist a shout out to one of favorite tile resources, The Fine Line for my Missoni inspired custom backsplash-Heck ya!

We have vendor presentations at our showroom weekly and during these informative tete a tetes  we see the latest and greatest collections from some of our favorite lines-along with the new.  The other day, we had a presentation where I spotted several fabrics that mixed silver + gold….too many to be a mere coincidence.  Is this a “thing”?  If so, are you digging it?

Personally, I love it.  I am a metallics chick (what girl doesn’t like something sparkly?) and think if it is done carefully it doesn’t look disjointed but rather sophisticated and chic. Along with that is the idea that there are no longer any “rules” within design. Love this!

Let’s look at jewelry, for instance.  David Yurman has been mixing metallics for years!  Often paired with colorful gemstones, a Yurman piece is classic and lovely.

Silver  + gold David Yurman jewelry

I say same goes for interiors.  Here are a few of my favorite mixed metallic designs and spaces.

{via Lou Lou’s Decor}

{via Houzz}

{via House Beautiful}

{via Decorpad}

{via Fantabulous Design}

Greetings from High Point Market! Two of my BI+D team, Paulina and Brenna have joined me for a whirlwind week of interior design madness. As a Style Spotter, I am hitting every showroom and market that we can possibly hoof it to-to “pin” my fave trends and fabulous pieces onto my #HPMkt Pinterest board. Watch here for what I select while I am making my rounds. Already I have “pinned” some amazing finds from Thibaut (monochromatic mixing of patterns), Century (think coral and lacquered) and Peninsula Home (just the right touch of patina). The theme of this season’s market is the alignment of fashion design and home design. “The High Point Market is our industry’s Fashion Week, defining style, trends, and innovation for the home,” says Cheminne Taylor-Smith, vice president of marketing for the High Point Market Authority (HPMA). Stay tuned for more on that!

 This all got me thinking about my last trip to the fabulous and romantic city of Paris, where I made a special stop at Laudrée, one of my favorite guilty pleasures. My favorite are their macaroons- look at those colors! I was simply inspired. I took some of my favorite soft and muted colors found in these macaroons and went to town! I believe that we’ll start seeing these colors in spring 2013 and that being said, this will therefore be transformed into interior style.

Here are some of my favorite Paris Pastel shades used inside the home. I love how several of these rooms mixes the palettes and includes bolder shades to complement the rest of the room. And those stairs!!! Would you ever do that in your home?

What do you think of the macaroon pastel shades? Would you use these colors in your own home? I am on the look out for just the right hues and textures that I think will be “on trend”. But, as always, I would love to hear your thoughts MG’s. Off to an HGTV interview on just this trending topic….Have a wonderful Sunday wherever you are!

This quote by fashion designer Carlos Miele is very dear to me. His no-boundaries outlook on fashion is similar to how I design spaces. My philosophy of Modern-ique® , integrating antiques and artifacts with modern design, is just that. I truly believe that success can often come from the most unexpected pairings both in fashion and decor! My career-beginning with my Fashion Merchandising degree from the University of Arizona brought me to work for Neiman Marcus and now I have brought that “fashion passion” alive within my  interior design firm.

So imagine my excitement when I was invited to participate in the Oct. 8 Fashion + Design #Oliohop. OlioHops are blog hops organized by Olioboard. Olioboard is a new tool in “social commerce.” It allows you to  create interior design moodboards and even 2D and 3D room designs using real products clipped from your favorite websites.

I will show you two examples of how to bring together fashion and decor, built with the help of Olioboard. And I will be back on this topic throughout October as I head to High Point Market later this week. I am extremely excited about my role in this year’s High Point Market as a Style Spotter — the entire market will be focused on fashion and home decor!

Fashion trends, materials and colors affect home decor in a big way. A few weeks back I wrote a post about interior color predictions for fall/winter, many of these being based on fashion color trends. This time I wanted to do a deeper dive into the fashion trends that will have a big impact on the furniture and decor design we will see in everyone’s homes tres soon.

The Plaid Fad

Plaid isn’t just for your great-grandmother’s pillows or just for lodge decor anymore (although, these both evoke fond and warm memories that make us reach out toward it).  Bold and contemporary plaid pieces in a variety of colors are a fashion statement and must-have wardrobe items. Who else just LOVES the visual impact of the plaid plates on the wall (upper right within the images)? So chic! And just check out that swatch of sassy aqua and brown, such a well-balanced and unique palette, a defining characteristic of Kirkby fabrics (part of the The Romo Group). That’s just one of the fabulous fabrics I’m using in my DIFFA Dining by Design room where I am aligning with Romo next month here in Chicago. Plaid is going to be center-stage in my dining space!

All That Glitters is Gold

Metallics have been all the fashion rage these past few years but we’re now starting to see that same trend in home decor. I love adding hints of gold touches especially to lighting pieces, such as a gorgeous antique chandelier as well as accessory accents like plush Pyar & Co. pillows (featured on the bottom right). The owner of Pyar , Paula Queen, is one of my favorite design clients – big design things happening that I will share soon- and an entrepreneur mixing Indian textiles within a plethora of exquisite pillows. The pieces reflect the philosophy of Pyar, pieces that tell stories, “Pure love. Pure luxury.”

The photo in the middle is from one of my favorite design projects. The whimsical gold details on both the chandelier and table make the room feel warm and royal. Another of my favorite client dining rooms shown upper right and the powder room of another project, seen below, are just a few recent examples of how to use gold accents in the home.

In your opinion, what are some fashion trends that you expect will make it’s mark in home decor? Follow me as I head out to High Point Market this Saturday to see just what is the hottest in home design. As a Market Style Spotter you will be able to see just what I view as this season’s top picks for your own homes. Be sure to follow my Pinterest board for all the delicious details. And I certainly will be “spotting” for my interior design clients -they are counting on me!

Leave your comments below and share your thoughts with all of our Material Girls. I hope you’ve been inspired to create some of your very own dreamy moodboards on Olioboard.

Going Bold

And who says that two bold trends can’t mesh together into one fabulous room? Again, please hop on over to these other fabulous design blogs for our Fashion + Decor #Oliohop! Get all the details on the Oliohop Facebook page. Thanks and Happy #OlioHop-ing!

People I #OlioLove:

And an Olioboard Contest!

There is a fabulous CONTEST being run by Olioboard and Layla Grace right now. Design the ultimate sleeping sanctuary using anything you desire from Layla Grayce. The top three winners – chosen exclusively by Rue Magazine’s Co-Founder and Editor in Chief Crystal Gentilello (a wonderful pal of mine) – will earn cash prizes of $1,000, $500 and $250. You must use at least two products from Pine Cone Hill and/or Dash & Albert to be eligible to win. Winners will be announced October 16. Be sure to check out all details for a chance to win up to $4,000 in prizes!

I recently ran across a post on Vintage and Modern where American interior designer Christopher Coleman and Venezuelan fashion designer Angel Sanchez combined forces to create a surprisingly gorgeous space consisting of mainly primary colors. The idea may seem childish, but when mixed properly- primary colors really can give a space that special “pop.” Check out some of the unique examples of how to perfect the use of primary.

Primary Residence:

Going Google:
Google is known for inspiring and unique spaces. Check out the interiors of Google’s headquarters In Zurich.

Locally Known and Loved: 
If you haven’t taken a tour of Red Frog Events, then you simply must take the time to admire their innovation. Complete with a treehouse, lego conference table and (gasp!) even a fully stocked bar- Red Frog’s fun personality definitely shines through their space.

Buckingham Goes Primary:
Last but not least- one of my previous client’s offices perfectly resembles their modern style in mainly primary colors!

So what do YOU think of the use of primary colors? Would you ever consider featuring the colors together in a space? Leave your thoughts below!

As the story often goes, what hits the runways is often hitting the shelter mags and blogosphere as well.  I am loving this spring’s trends, especially the bold hue color blocking and of course, orange!  Orange has long been my signature color, so I’m glad it’s getting the recognition it deserves  These trends are accompanied by many other exciting ones as well, such as futuristic prints and pastels.  I love that there is great variety this season, proving there really is something for everyone to wear.  Oh, and to put into their home too!

Take a look at how runway translates to home!  Fashion photos courtesy of Glamour.

Sig Bergamin’s Sao Paolo home in Architectural Digest

Super Bold Prints

Houzz

Orange and Tangerine

Trendir.com

Pink Shorts Suits

…for the sake of this blog, let’s just abbreviate this trend to “Pink”

Schuyler Samperton

Futuristic Prints

Kelly Wearstler

Pastels

Pinterest

Metallic Basics

Aerin Lauder’s Dressing Room, Habitually Chic

Decor Pad

I confess…it is not over for me.  I love the heartfelt messages from my oldest brother, our daughters, and hearing that our son liked his edible fruit bouquet. I thought that he would mock but he and his roommates dug in. Healthy choice, no?.  Thank you boyfriend’s of my girlz that you provided amazing flowers and dinners and gifts:)

What better way to perpetuate and  to celebrate the holiday of love than by featuring red and pink interiors?  As seen from the photos below, red and pink can be used in virtually any space, from a small scale to a large scale.  Floors, walls, doors…you name it, red and pink have got it covered. Did I mention that my gift of choice was a bevy of Lush bath bombs? I am addicted!

Pairing red and pink with white or black are traditional combinations, but I love the unexpected color combinations- pink + gold, red + yellow, red + light blue, pink + blue, pink + yellow.

Take a look at some of my Valentine’s Day inspired picks below! I am hoping that we can keep the day going for awhile here…..

Pinterest

Houzz

Houzz

Houzz

Houzz

Houzz

Houzz

Houzz

Houzz

Houzz

Pinterest

Pinterest

Pinterest

Decor Pad

Decor Pad

Decor Pad

Decor Pad

Decor Pad

My very own kitchen.  Images from Rue Magazine .

Photographer Werner Straube

Funny I stumbled across this article in Chicago Home + Garden, as I was just sporting my winter white coat today!  I did a post not too long ago entitled “White After Labor Day,” which featured the season-less elegance of monochromatic, white kitchens.  Once again, I want to emphasize that white should not be limited to spring and summer, especially when it comes to home decor.

There is something dreamy and elegant about incorporating a wintry shade of white throughout your home.  Softer than stark white yet still very neutral, winter white is extremely versatile.  I love creamy colored walls, buttery settees, even white roses will do the trick. What are some of your favorite ways to “beat the winter blah’s” with white as a design element?

{Living room in one of my North Shore projects}

Chicago Home + Garden has some great ideas of how to brighten up with your winter with  white!