Chicago Design Blog | Material Girls | Chicago Interior Design

{Buckingham Interiors + Design showroom, featured in CS Interiors}

Chicago has always held an important place in the design world, with not only the world renowned Merchandise Mart but also a plethora of international design showrooms within the Mart and around the city.  A new and exciting design trend to come to the Windy City is the combination interior designer showroom + shop.  I myself have decided to embrace this concept, with my newly opened Buckingham ID design space on Grand Avenue in the West Loop area of Chicago.  My plan is to showcase the multitude of talented local artist and artisans as well as those from across the country and globe in my space, changing it up on a regular basis.  And of course, most items are available for purchase. Right now, the space features art by local artist Marilyn Borglum, lighting by LA based Marjorie Skouras and furniture from various artisans at Outdoorz Gallery in Paris.

{feature article in CS Interiors}

My good friends from Scentimental Gardens are now my next door neighbors in this shop/showroom venture!  In fact, we bought the space together and then split it for our respective uses.  The West Loop area is the latest up and coming neighborhood in the city, so I’m excited to be on the cutting edge of this impending design boom!

Other Marjorie Skouras Pieces:

{Chandelier I used in my showroom}

Other Marilyn Borglum Pieces:

More pieces from Outdoorz Gallery:

I was poking around the App Store in search for some “design app” inspiration after rediscovering the “Ben Color Capture” app from Benjamin Moore that I downloaded on my iPhone sometime last summer.  Trying to sort through the melee of over 200,000 apps got to be quite tedious, so I took my query to Google. The top search result for “iPhone interior design apps” was none other than “15 iPhone apps for home design” from Apartment Therapy!  Looks like they beat me to it.  If you’re an iPhone user, check out these and other apps which are like having an arsenal of design tools literally in the palm of your hand.  And if nothing else, they are just simply fun to play around with.  Here are Apartment Therapy’s 15 best apps and their descriptions about each.  All available at the App Store on iTunes (or on your iPhone).

1. Color Capture by Benjamin Moore: “lets you snap a photo of anything at all and find a color match among Benjamin Moore’s many paint chips. Wow! Plus, it’s free.”

2. Sherwin Williams Color Snap: “gives you a color match, too, along with a complementary palette and a Sherwin-Williams store finder. This one’s free too.”

3. Mark on Call: “created by interior designer Mark Lewison, has tons of helpful features, including shopping lists, measurement tools, layout planners, and the like. All for $2.99.”

4. I.D. Wood: “is a pocket guide to woods, including information about durability, sustainability, and color. Also includes helpful info about cutting techniques and a nail size reference. $2.99.”

5. Home Sizer: “calculates square footage and construction costs for $2.99.”

6. Convert: “a unit calculator, comes highly recommended. Helpful for converting from metric when shopping for imported furniture. Costs $.99.”

7. iHandy Level: “s just what it sounds like. It turns the iPhone into a level. There are many level apps available, but this one comes recommended by friends. Great for hanging art! Free.”

8. eBay Mobile: “of course, allows you to track your auctions easily from your phone, so you won’t miss that perfect vintage kilim rug again. Free.”

9. Craigsphone: “is Craigslist’s mobile version for the iPhone, new this year. Would be great for garage sale weekends. Free.”

10. SwedeShop: “helps you stay organized on your Ikea shopping trips. Take photos, make notes, and tab the locations of all the items you’re considering. Given how frustrating it can be to navigate that store, this app seems well worth the $.99.”

11. Christie’s: “auction house has an app for those following auctions of their valuable big-ticket items. Great for serious collectors. Free.”

12. What the Font: “will identify any typeface. Just snap a pic of a poster, sign, or any other source for type, and you’ll get your font. Great for DIY projects! Free.”

13. EverNote: “an all-purpose organizational app, can become a great replacement for your giant design binders. Snap pics of fabrics, rooms, and furniture; make recordings and notes; map locations of your favorite stores and sales. Free.”

14. 3rd Whale: “helps you shop green. Find businesses, services, and contractors who focus on sustainability. Shop by categories, like “Garden and Landscaping” or “Green Power.” $1.99.”

I am very excited and proud that my home city, Chicago, will be home to the first and only Culti showroom in the United States.  The amazing Italian luxury brand brings together the finest in furniture, perfume, spa products, and many other luxury lifestyle items under one label.  Culti’s founder, Alessandro Agrati, has been in the interiors and design business for years and has a great passion for creating a beautiful, versatile, and personal collection of products to suit the individual who purchases them.  With that chic spirit so unique to European design, I cannot wait to browse the store for myself in search of wonderful finds and inspirational ideas.

CS Interiors puts it perfectly when they say that, “they can’t think of another luxury brand that sells everything from leather slippers (with cashmere insoles) and sleek living room tables to innovative swirl-themselves wine glasses and apothecary products.”  I would definitely have to agree!  And if you can think of any others, by all means please share!

Check out Culti’s boutique at 840 N. Michigan in Chicago.

{Decor Pad}

Oh the good old twin bed.  Remind you of summer camp?  Your poster covered, 7 year old bedroom you shared with your kid sister? 1950’s sitcoms where married couples slept in separate beds?  Vanquish all the above from your memory!  Twin beds are hot these days, and these pics will show you why!  They are a great guest room option and yes, still are perfect for kid’s rooms.  These twin bed abodes prove that two really can be better than one.

{Decor Pad}

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{Branca}

{Branca}

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{Flickr}

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{Elle Decor}

{Elle Decor}

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{Decor Pad}

{Decor Pad}

{Flickr}

My intern Colette is an Art History student at Northwestern and recently reminded me about the fascinating history of the now legendary Barcelona Chair.  I am a big fan of the Barcelona Chair for its timeless design and the instant pop of chic it adds to a room.

The Barcelona Chair was actually designed by acclaimed architect Mies Van der Rohe himself for the German Pavilion at the Barcelona World’s Fair in 1928.  However, the chair was not designed by Mies alone…his partner and companion Lilly Reich also had a large part in the design. It is hard to believe this chair was designed over 80 years ago, for its design is not at all antiquated.  Rather, I think it still looks incredibly modern!

{The Barcelona Chair in the recreated German Pavilion}

The chair is said to have been inspired by the folding chairs of pharaohs as well as the x-shaped footstools of the Romans.  While the original design was made in stainless steel with ivory leather, the Barcelona Chair now has many variations and has inspired countless other furniture designs.

Check out some of today’s version of the muy hermosa Barcelona Chair!

{Barcelona Chair from Knoll}

{Shangri La Mondern Furniture}

{Hides and Co.}

{Hides and Co.}

{Modern Furniture Decor}

(Elle Decor}

{Architectural Digest}

{Architectural Digest}

{Architectural Digest}

{Architectural Digest}

Another Mies house- The Farnsworth House.  Right here in Illinois.

{Architectural Digest}

{Architectural Digest}

{Architectural Digest}

{Metropolitan Home}

It’s about time West Elm came to Chicago!  With locations all over the country, it seemed rather strange (almost hurtful?) that West Elm lacked a Chicago outpost.  With the abundance of young, working professionals and inundation of modern high rises popping up all over the city, it seemed almost blatantly obvious that Chicago ought to have a West Elm.  But the day has come when the Williams-Sonoma owned retailer opens its doors in the Windy City.  Located at 1000 W. North Avenue in Chicago, West Elm is conveniently located to its sister store, Pottery Barn (both are owned by Williams-Sonoma). I sent my crew to the Grand Opening last week and after asking them about all of the goodies surrounding them I was told that the place was sooo jammed that they couldn’t see most of the pieces. But, the food was excellent and abundant!  With its look that I like to equate to a sort of higher quality blend between Ikea and Pottery Barn, West Elm suits the needs of those who want fun, stylish pieces without spending a fortune, but without the short life expectancy of certain other unnamed retailers (hint: assembly required…)

Ever heard the old adage, “There’s nothing new under the sun?”  Well, I am going to have to object to this statement, because I do not believe these outta-this-world pieces of furniture have EVER been done before and seriously bends the rules of convention….an armchair with a stuffed crow resting on it?  According to these guys, why not?  The company is Jimmie Martin, an uber-cool Swedish duo who creates pieces that aim to be a combination of, “the decadent and the quirky with the nostalgic and urban.”  I gotta say, these pieces are pretty spectacular.  I am not sure (yet…) if they are for me, but the more I look into Jimmie Martin the more I can envision the gilt sideboard (below) or the Stripy desk (below) in the homes of clients…or even my own!  Whenever I think I truly have seen it all, I come across something like Jimmie Martin that reminds me of the sheer talent that is really out there and so much that I still have yet to discover.

Gilt Sideboard

Stripy Desk

Some other wonderfully outrageous pieces from Jimmie Martin…

All Jimmie Martin pieces are made-to-order and hand finished.  Want more info on Jimmie Martin?  The Kensington based company has a website that you should most definitely check out: click here!

…And everyone is shopping the sales!  Almost a bigger event than Christmas itself these days is the sales that start the following day.  My daughters and I will most likely be out and about looking for that extra something that just didn’t seem to make it under the Christmas tree.  Many of my favorite names in interiors will be marking down their products as well!  Here are some of my favorite markdowns.

Crate and Barrel

Breck Table Lamp

Was: $79.95, Now: $59.95

Leaves Mirror-Candleplate

Was: $89.95, Now: $49.95

Jayson Home & Garden

Driftwood Vase

Was: $125, Now: $75

Vintage Chaise

Was: $4,495. Now: $2,999

Remington Chair

Was: $1,795. Now: $899

Design Within Reach

American Modern Daybed

Was: $2,100. Now: $1,050

Bottega Armchair

Was: $1,200. Now: $1,020

How did your post holiday shopping go?  Any good finds?  If so, let us other MG’s know!

Have you caught wind of Blu Dot’s Real Good Experiment?

If you haven’t, catch this: 25 of Blu Dot’s iconic Real Good Chairs were abandoned and left for the taking atop New York streets with a few curiosities leading the way: “Who will grab them?” “Where will they go?” “How will they get there?” “What will their new homes look like?”… GPS tracking devices were discretely attached to journal journeys, and their stories couldn’t be more eagerly awaited. This experiment is above and beyond “real good” in my book and I love every ounce of imagination that founded the creation…

Will these glossy, vibrant, sturdy seats become permanent curbside furnishings or well-adored, adopted interior additions? Stay tuned for the Real Good Experiment Film, premiering December 15th, and unfolding the fate of each.

The One of a Kind Show and Sale, celebrated in Toronto, Vancouver, New York and the Windy City is back. Our very own Merchandise Mart has opened it’s doors to over 500 unique artists and artisans and has asked Buckingham Interiors + Design to celebrate the 9 year tradition by crafting a truly “One of a Kind Design Living Space” for all to enjoy.  Blending furnishings from sensational Mart showrooms (including Holly Hunt, Farrow & Ball, Interior Crafts, Boyd Lighting/Donghia and Atelier Lapchi) with exclusive pieces from artists exhibiting at the show, we have put together one show-stopping space and had so much fun unveiling and celebrating it amid unparalleled company and design last night.

Stop in this weekend and and enjoy the most “ONEderful” time of the year with us amongst exceptional art, gourmet goodies and holiday inspiration galore… For those of you who can’t make it to the Mart, check out more of our space in today’s issue of the Examiner Chicago.