Chicago Design Blog | Material Girls | Chicago Interior Design

If a staircase were a room, it would probably be one of the must utilized rooms in a home.  Well, at least in my home, where dogs, kids and even myself are constantly on the move from one floor to another.  A staircase does not have to be strictly utilitarian these days.  Rather, a staircase can be as much as a statement piece as a work of art.  The following staircases are prime examples of the variety and ingenuity of the modern staircase.

These next few staircases were featured in Chicago Home + Garden.  All are from Chicago area homes that really take it to the next level.

And here are some examples of staircases from projects of our own at Buckingham I + D.

Here are some other interesting examples I found on the Elle Decor/Met Home website.

This is actually from a Chicago area home I featured in a post a few months ago!

Ahh…the difficult task of pairing fabrics for a room.  There are just so many I love (and hate) that picking just the right combination can be extremely tricky.  The sheer volume of textiles on the market can make this essential task seem very daunting…fabrics can really make or break a room!  This month, Chicago Home + Garden gave its readers some takes on this ordeal with designer Annika Christensen sharing some of her favorite pairings. Above and below-  check out a couple of her favorite combinations.

And here’s a look at  fabric selection that I recently proposed for the salon- style study and office of a city client.  It is a fun albeit difficult process, but finally seeing your hard work come to life in a room is so exciting!

The knack of matching neutral “now” grey colored fabrics with a three dimensional quality using texture along with a “pop” of vibrant scarlet red makes this lounge and home office feel utterly elegant- and functional.  I mentioned to my client that she will want to work from home more now than ever when we finish this room!

The unusual sheen, texture and unexpected colors of the leather accents mix this classically inspired space with a dollop of whimsy.  I am all about mixing it up in an uncluttered way.

Sofa; Fabric by Donghia – ” Cashmere Velvet Herringbone”- Light Grey

Side Chairs; Fabric by Mokum- ” Etoile”- Twilight

Desk Chair; Leather by Edelman- ” Rattlesnake”- White

Ottoman; Leather by Edelman- ” Demi Cow”- Solid Silver

Throw Pillows; Fabric by Holland & Sherry – ” Chamonix”- Scarlet

Drapery; Fabric by Brochier – ” Indochine”- Siam

Available at Holly Hunt

To me, nothing signals the approach of the most wonderful time of the year more than Starbucks’ annual release of their signature red cups. Today marks the 12th Anniversary of the colorful tradition and I hope it brings you as much pre-holiday cheer and excitement as it does me!..  Let’s warm up with a little handful of red today…

A few more reasons I’m loving on this festive hue:

Rina Menardi has added a new shade to her already irresistable collection… Che bella!

I absolutely adore Farrow & Ball’s new Lotus print in red and can not wait to showcase it in my one of a kind designer space at the Merchandise Mart’s “One of a Kind Show” this upcoming December…

Can you imagine feeling anything but fabulous in this Jolie tub?  Regia earned Designer Plus 2009 status with this decadent design…

Getting warmer?

What’s in your red cup?

Chicago Crave!

Woohoo! The 1st edition CRAVE Chicago guide has gone to-print.
CRAVE guides connect urban gals to the sassiest, gutsiest, most inspiring people they need to know in town. This is Chicago’s first edition, and it is only reproduced every two years! The first edition CRAVE Chicago guide features a great variety of renowned entrepreneurs from an orthodontist to a dry cleaner to a dance instructor, and every fabulous entrepreness inbetween! I am happy to announce that our Interior Design firm, Buckingham ID, is a part of this dynamic group.
Other cities that offer CRAVE guides can be found at Crave Headquarters and the following cities have just begun their CRAVE orientation: LA, Washington DC and New York City!

Inspired by Inspiring Women in business…Sound like you could be a part of the magic?

I have been working on an amazing home in Bucktown for two years now- the anniversary is this month, and I must say it has become like a sixth child to me (3 of my own and a couple of adopted peeps .  This project of  a lifetime is now coming to a close, which is somewhat bittersweet.  It’s been a wonderful project that I am so excited to see come to fruition, but at the same time I will miss seeing the amazing homeowners and  their family – many times a week at some points-and their incredible home.  It has great karma.

It’s like sending a child off to college (which I have just done again with my second child, Alex, to Boston University and his big sis, Caroline,  back to USC)…You know that the time has come to set it all in motion but you cannot believe that the day has finally arrived.

Keep in mind that these are merely scouting shots by the amazing Chicago photographer to be remain unnamed until the “real” shots are complete in September.   Just exactly where did the time go?  I wanted to share with you some photos of the nearly complete home…not all of the finishing touches are in place but it’s so close to being absolutely and definitely an inviting and gracious place for one to call home. It will be photographed for publication in the fall, so stay tuned. See ya around but not yet good-bye

Neo Con at the Chicago Merchandise Mart has descended upon us, and yesterday I participated in a panel discussion entitled “How to Use the Media to Build Your Brand” as one of Neo Con’s various events.  This presentation took place at the Atelier Lapchi showroom, which I have mentioned previously on MG.  It truly is one of my favorite showrooms in all of the Mart.  I have used Lapchi carpets throughout the homes of many clients.  Not only do they have unbelievable carpets and a phenomenal and knowledgeable staff, but also all carpets are made in a sustainable and ecologically friendly process!

All carpets are woven entirely by hand, a process that inherently eliminates toxic byproducts of factory manufacturing.  All wool used is shorn from ethically treated sheep, mild soap is used in washing, chemicals are avoided, dyes are eco-friendly, and bulk shipping minimizes transportation resources.  Additionally, Lapchi works with the RugMark Foundation to end illegal child labor in the hand-made carpet industry and to offer education opportunities to children in Southeast Asia.  Since its inception, RugMark has rescued over 3000 children from the illegal underage workforce.  (Shown above: Satori shown in Range Brown, from the Floral collection)

Lapchi is particularly known for its customization process.  Lapchi was established in 2001 as the first manufacturer of hand-woven carpets to organize their entire business around the creation of made-to-order, custom carpets.  (Shown above: Meadow in Goldenrod, from the Modernist collection)

Offering a range of colors, patterns and designs, the Lapchi carpet collection has styles that include: floral, contemporary, transitional, mid-century, tribal, Asian-inspired, classic formal, and modernist.  There is something for everyone at Lapchi!

Here are a few of my many favorites from the Lapchi carpet collection.

Nebulous shown in Blaze, from the Texere collection

Thalia shown in Frosted Green, from the Transitional collection

Beaded Curtain shown in Driftwood, from the Mid-Century collection

Mughal shown in Sea Salt, from the Classic Formal collection

Mohave shown in Mist, from the Contemporary collection

Pinwheel shown in Hemlock, from the Modernist collection

Check out the Lapchi website for yourself to see these incredible works of art!  Can’t you just envision a room being created around any one of these carpets?

Parties, entertaining, now showers! ‘Tis the season for gathering friends and family to celebrate anything and everything, to which my last two posts, now this one, are a testament.  It’s always fun and beneficial to hear what the experts, such as Eddie Ross and Tom Kehoe, have to say about hosting a get together.  We cannot, however, have the likes of Eddie or Tom on call to deck-out every gathering, large or small.  So I am dedicating this post to my own take on hosting a party, in this case a baby shower.  

A few weeks ago I hosted a shower for a mother-to-be who is very near and dear to my heart.  Having known Erin for over 10 years, she was our beloved sitter when we lived here in Chicago, and after a brief junket at SMU, she transferred to Miami of Ohio while we were hunkered down in  Cincinnati  (where I opened my antiques store, Crackle.)  Thank goodness that she is now a special education teacher at a local school so we still get to see her often!  Erin and her husband, Lee have been a wonderful part of our lives and being pregnant with her first child, I wanted to throw her a shower that was intimate, personal and lovely.

Rather than holding the shower at a restaurant or country club, I chose to have it in my own home.  I think there is no better way to honor someone than by having a gathering for them in your own home.  It shows a level of commitment, dedication and involvement that I just don’t feel is achieved by holding an event elsewhere.  And besides, this way- for better or for worse- the event planning (and very importantly decorating!) is in your own hands.  

By using my own furniture and place settings and adding celebratory touches such as floral arrangements and balloons, the event retained an intimate yet bubbly and fun feel.  Using things of your own, often in unexpected ways (such as the table which is normally used as a center table in my parlor and chairs from all over the house!) instantly creates a relaxed atmosphere that is far from a stuffy, formal setting.  The delivery of recently purchased pieces from Brimfield could not have come at a more opportune time.  Chairs were everywhere!!!

With its fairly open floor plan, tables and chairs in just about every room of my main floor were not isolated from one another.  Rather, each “vignette” of sorts provided an intimate yet unique experience which were united by guests mingling throughout the entire space.  

It was a truly fabulous day full of love, laughter and life.  What better way to celebrate the coming of a new life than by holding a party in honor of someone who has contributed so much to your own?

On the QT….It is a girl

Chicago Home + Garden Magazine asked me to pull together a vignette at the Merchandise Mart’s International Antiques Fair which opens tonight and runs through Monday.  The event labeled “Antiques Go Fresh!” highlights the ability of three Chicago design firms to mix modern furnishings from the Merchandise Mart with fine antiques culled from antiques dealers exhibiting at the show.  Here is a sneak peak at my vignette 90% complete at post time….The wall covering is a Maya Romanoff hand stitched paper from Donghia that looks like leather panels.  I am crazy about the orange color.  The 18th century neoclassical mantle is from the Richard Norton Gallery and looks amazingly contemporary beneath a commissioned art piece made of crocheted fiberglass by Yvette Kaiser Smith via the A. Rudin showroom.  Poised in front of the mantle are a pair of black sandblasted oak chairs by Juin Ho from Bright.  Alongside the chairs is an Alison Berger floor lamp from Holly Hunt.  Midcentury Italian mirrored screen (one of a pair) anchors the back wall which I snagged  from the Douglas Rosin Gallery.  The “Luna” Chaise by Mimi London from David Sutherland lounges in elegance in front of the screen.  Added a rug- hot off the press- from Atelier Lapchi and placed an Alan Knight acrylic based table from William Switzer atop of it.  A white lacquered desk with horse hoove feet from Design Atelier looks stunning in front of an early photograph of Mia Farrow taken by Roddy McDowell, also found at the Douglas Rosin gallery, held by a vintage Curtis Jere easel from Buckingham Interiors + Design.  Hard not to love and be intrigued by the chandelier woven out of vines from TG Couture that makes quite an organic statement amidst all of the many layers of texture in the space.   It allows light and movement without feeling too heavy or overwhelming in such a small space.

My firm had a blast working on this project and we want to thank CH+G Magazine, the Mart, and all of the showrooms and antiques dealers that allowed us to use their amazing pieces!

I recently had the opportunity to work with Andy Barnes an amazingly talented young photographer who hails from here in good old Chicago.  Always a treat to be able to meet a local while on a national photo shoot!  Go team!

Andy studied photography at Columbia College and has been on the move ever since.  A list of some of his clients includes The Joffrey Ballet, Kohl’s Department Stores, Lands’ End, and Levi’s to name a few.

As you can see from these images culled from his website, Andy has a serene sense of style and a magical take on grabbing details within each frame.  Mesmerizing!