Chicago Design Blog | Material Girls | Chicago Interior Design

Kids of all ages are sporting the latest craze to sweep the nation: Silly Bandz.  These small, pliable pre-formed rubber band bracelets come in all shapes and colors, each pack individually themed.  If you’re into baseball, princesses, even the Chicago Bears…there’s a pack of Silly Bandz for you!

With my daughter recently sporting her own variety, I realized the color ways of each pack are pretty well paired.  After reading the September issue of House Beautiful, the main theme being color, I decided to take a look and see if the Silly Band color ways correlated with interior color ways…and sure enough they do!  Check out some of the matches below…not so silly after all!  But don’t at all feel limited by these selected color ways; google Silly Bandz to see many more collections and colors of this crazy trend.

{Silly Bandz Fantasy Shape, $4.95}

{Jeffrey Bilhuber}

{Silly Bandz Beach Pack, $1.85}

{Steven Gambrel}

{Silly Bandz Baseball, $3.39}

{Silly Bandz, Wild West $3.49}

{Kathryn M. Ireland}

{Crazy Bandz Neptune, $3.99}

{Miles Redd}

{Silly Bandz Sea Creatures}

{Bunny Williams}

{Gisele Bundchen in Versace}

Love wrapping yourself up in a Diane von Furstenberg dress, throwing on a Missoni scarf, donning a seductive silk Versace gown or heading out the door with an Armani bag? If so (or even just in your dress up fantasy), it’s time to take it to the next level with your designer friends…sleeping in fashion designer outfitted hotels!

Claridges Hotel in London recently unveiled 12 DVF designed guest suites, the Armani Burj Dubai Hotel within the Burj Khalifa sports sleek Armani Casa furniture, the Palazzo Versace in Dubai sports the decadence expected with the Versace name, and the Hotel Missoni opens this fall in Kuwait.  Surprised that most majority of these swanky hotels are appearing in the Middle East?  Hardly!  The Middle East is one of the fastest growing markets for luxury goods…so these brands are being smart by getting involved in all sectors of the luxury market.

{Diane von Furstenberg in Claridge’s…couldn’t find any pictures of the DVF designed suites themselves!}

{Armani Hotel Dubai, image courtesy of Wallpaper}

{Armani Hotel Dubai, image courtest of Arabian Business}

{Armani Hotel Dubai, image courtesy of Arabian Business}

{Armani Hotel Dubai, image courtesy of Arabian Business}

{Palazzo Versace Dubai}

{Palazzo Versace Dubai}

{Palazzo Versace Dubai}

{Palazzo Versace Dubai}

{Hotel Missoni Kuwait, image courtesy of Hotel Chatter}

{Missoni Hotel Kuwait, image courtesy of Leisure Opportunities}

{Hotel Missoni Kuwait, image courtesy of Hotel Chatter}

As promised, I am following up with the first edition of the “Strut Your Stuff” post.  Pantone featured too many fab designers for me to fit into just one post!  So here it goes for round two.  For those of you who didn’t get a chance to read the first of this two part series, click here!  The abridged version is that color magnate Pantone took a look at the shows of the hottest designers at New York fashion week, chose the signature color in their collection, and matched it up with one of their own many hues.  Shameless product placement, I know…but it is still a very cool concept!

Want to live like a star? Or more particuarly, like a Gucci?  Well now you can!  For $60,000 a month that is.  The 7 bedroom, 9.5 bath Gucci family penthouse located near midtown Manhattan is currently being rented for anyone who has some pocket change jangling around.  If you’re in the market for an immense 14 room pad with 16 foot floor to ceiling windows and 10,000 square feet of living space, then this place is the one for you.  The Euro chic furniture? Nope, not included.  Guess slipping into this Gucci pad will cost you a few bucks more than slipping into these Gucci pumps.  Contact Daniela Rivoir at Brown Harris Stevens if you’re interested!  Oh and by the way, the tip off on this apartment was another Coco Perez find .

{Gucci sandals, $595, Saks}

{Hermes}

As fellow Material Girls, I’m going to bet that you enjoy shopping as much as I do.  Even if I’m not swiping the plastic (it’s hard to resist, I know) I always enjoy taking in the unbelievable window displays.  As a true feast for the eyes, over the top window displays in high end department stores and boutiques have pretty much become a given.  In the lucrative and cut throat world of fashion, whoever can draw in the the customer best with their eye catching window displays comes out on top.  The position, rather team, of window display designers is not all that unlike an interior designer…each has to tailor the look to reflect the consumer’s style and inspire them to think of themselves (and their space) outside of the box.  Creativity and uniqueness are key!  Even if you don’t end up with a purchase, the visual eye candy will tide you over until your next trip to Hermes, Berdorf’s or Lanvin.

{Hermes}

{Louis Vuitton}

{Louis Vuitton}

{Louis Vuitton}

{Louis Vuitton}

{Bergdorf Goodman}

{Bergdorf Goodman}

{Bergdorf Goodman}

{Bergdorf Goodman}

{Bergdorf Goodman}

{Saks}

{Saks}

{Saks}

{Saks}

{Neiman Marcus}

{Neiman Marcus}

{Neiman Marcus}

{Neiman Marcus}

{Prada}

{Lanvin}

{Lanvin}

{Lanvin}

{Lanvin}

{Gucci}

{Gucci}

{Gucci}

{Burberry}

{La Mimi}

No, no I don’t mean literally in your birthday suit (shout out to 50 Cent).  I mean the hottest trend for spring/summer…shades of nude. From nail polish (my favorite is Essie Jazz) to jewelery and bags, bearing it all is what’s hot right now.  Like always, this trend has made its way across the border to interiors.  Nude seems to be popping up all over the place.  Check out some of the photos I found.

Santa Barbara Beach House

{Veranda}

{Veranda}

{Veranda}

Southern California Mediterranean

{Veranda}

{Veranda}

{Veranda}

{Veranda}

{Veranda}

Delphine Restaurant, Los Angeles

{Elle Decor}

Lake Forest, IL home

{Chicago Home + Garden}

Bucktown (Chicago) home…also featured in my “Just Because” post!

{CS Interiors}

{Southern Accents}

{Elle Decor}

{Elle Decor}

{Elle Decor}

{Elle Decor}

{Buckingham I.D.}

{Buckingham I.D.}

{Buckingham I.D.}

{Buckingham I.D.}

{Buckingham I.D.}

{Decorpad}

As you  may have seen in previous posts and in myriad fashion magazines, the line between color trends in the world of interiors and fashion is very permeable.  What appears on the runway is quick to be seen in home decor, and vice versa.  As the official color barometer, many in the design world look to Pantone for tips and insights into the ebbing and flowing of the wide world of hues.  However, Pantone’s take on color trends is not limited to the world of interiors.  In its latest venture, Pantone took a look at some of the runway shows of hottest designers from New York fashion week and analyzed their hottest hues.  With more or less every color in the book, Pantone has matched these designer colors with their own.  Not only are they simply pairing the hottest hues in fashion with their comparable hues, they are bringing in expert opinions to inform consumers how to best utilize these colors.  I love this idea!  Take a look below…

There were far too many designers to feature in just one post, so stay tuned for another soon to come featuring more fabulous fashion hues!

With the popularity of the Ghost Chair, Kartell’s plastic-centric, industrial designs have become a chic and innovative way to add a touch of modern to any space.  The Italian company is now celebrating its 60th anniversary, and I thought it was only fitting to take a look at Kartell’s newest venture…shoes!  As WWD reports, these fashion ties are not new.  Claudio Luti, Kartell’s owner and CEO, was Gianni Versace’s business guru in the 70’s and 80s.  Like the fashion world, Luti decided that the window displays would change often.  Luti was quoted as saying, “One time the theme is color, then it’s design or function…we want people to change their decor without waiting for a divorce.”

Kartell Ghost Chair

Kartell has sold over one million Ghost  Chairs, making it the best selling design chair ever.

Retail price of the shoes ranges from $129-$166 and are sold in all Kartell stores, as well as in 320 fashion and accessories stores.

Kartell “Glue Cinderella” Ballet Flats

Kartell Wedges

What are your thoughts on Kartell’s latest venture?  Would you wear these shoes or rather just stick to your Ghost Chair?

Designing couples….match made in heaven?  I think so…especially when your respective areas of “design expertise” do not compete with one another.  However, the work of one cannot help but be influenced by the other, and vice versa.  Case in point: Nate Berkus and Brian Atwood.  I have always been a fan of Nate and greatly admire his work.  We actually both had design space in the same building in the River North area of Chicago (gallery filled Superior Street) a few years back, and in addition to being what seems to be effortlessly talented, Nate is also very nice, charismatic and friendly.  And then there is the endlessly talented Brian Atwood.  His shoes and handbags are to die for, and now too is his work as the Creative Director for Bally.  Upon seeing the fabulous couple together in photographs of  an intimate dinner held in honor of Brian’s new position, I began daydreaming, fantasizing about being a fly on the wall in the midst of a Nate/Brian conversation.  What tidbits of design gold would be revealed?  And would they share ideas with each other that would show up in both of their work?  I can’t help but think so….

Brian Atwood design

Nate Berkus design

Brian Atwood design

Nate Berkus Design

Brian Atwood design

Nate Berkus design

Brian Atwood design

Nate Berkus design

Can’t wait to see what else this creative duo comes up with!

I must say I am somewhat of a pack-rat when it comes to design magazines.  I have stacks and stacks of Elle Decor, Chicago Home and Garden, Traditional Home…you name it.  This collection, however, is not amassed in vain.  I frequently hark back to past articles for inspiration or reference.  I stumbled upon this article from the January 2007 issue of House and Garden magazine.  One of the cover stories, “25 Fabulous Movie Interiors, And How to Make Them Yours” caught my eye.  Even though this issue was published over two years ago, the movie interiors featured are classics.  I thought I’d show you some of my favorites!

The room below is a modern day room inspired by the interiors in the 1971 film, “A Clockwork Orange.”  (The original set is the image in the upper left corner)  Of course I had to include this one, because orange is one of my favorite colors!  This mod-70’s look becomes uber-chic with the checkerboard vinyl flooring, Beethoven shade, and orange console.  Notice the groovy wall covering in the second image!

Here are some of my other favorite movie interiors from the article.

How great is the wall covering, the lamp, THAT COAT from “Conversation Piece?” Really though the Rothko on the wall makes it for me.

What do you think?  Do you have any favorite movie interiors that jump out at you?