Chicago Design Blog | Material Girls | Chicago Interior Design

Here’s to another great year for MG!  Where has this time gone?  It seems like just yesterday that I was blogging about the Business of Design Conference back in August or debuting my space at the Chicago Merchandise Mart Dream Home back in June.

I did this post at the end of 2010, and I can’t believe the time has already come to do it again!  Here’s to you, 2011!

What MG Chicago and my firm Buckingham Interiors + Design were up to these past 12 months…

Wishing all MG readers health and prosperity in the new year!

December

“Fun for the Whole Family”

This post was about a very family friendly project I recently completed in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood.  I wanted to showcase bold colors, textures and patterns in a space that is just as whimsical for adults as it is for children. Look for this home being featured in the January issue of CSInteriors on bookstands January 19th. Written by Tate Gunnerson and photographed by Anthony Tahlier, this should be a very good read.

November

“The Luxe Life”

This is a post about a project I recently completed in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood that was featured in Luxe Magazine.  I tried to play up the homeowner’s love and appreciation of fine art as well as the unparalleled views from this stunning modern high rise.

October

“Affordable Modern? Sign Me Up!”

CB2 did a promotion called “Unlock Affordable Modern” throughout the country, and while it has since ended, my affinity for CB2 certainly has not.  As a lover of all things modern and antique, it was around this time that I coined the term “modernique” to define by aesthetic. I was asked to speak at the  High Point Antiques Market to elaborate on my visions of design nirvana achieved by the mixture of using antiques and modern furnishing’s within each space that I design. Thank you Karen and Amanda!

September

“Totally Wu-ed”

The month of September was a busy one for me!  I was here, there and everywhere, including the Brizo event for Jason Wu in NYC during Fashion Week.  I was invited to the Blogger 19 event (as you can see, there are 19 of us) and had a fabulous time mingling amongst some of the blogosphere’s finest!  Not to mention being up close and personal with Jason Wu’s stunning couture creations was worth the trip in itself! I made some amazing new pals- we are connecting again in February of this year for the 2nd annual Design Blogger’s Conference in LA. So looking forward to seeing them and friends who will be speaking and presenting this year.

August

“Staying in Style in NYC”

One of my assistant’s stayed at the Surrey Hotel in NYC in August and came back to Chicago raving about it.  Of course, I had to check it out for myself! I must say I was very impressed!  Sleek, modern, sophisticated yet so comfortable and livable…I didn’t ever want to check out when I was staying here!

July

“A Gift for You, A Gift for Me!”

I became obsessed with Layla Grace when I had to purchase a birthday present for a friend in July.  While I bought her a monogrammed lucite tray, I inevitably found many things that I was obsessing over for myself! Needless to say that the BID Team has been on the wire many times since then sourcing for our client’s galore.  This orange side table being one of my faves…

June

“Dreaming Big at the Merchandise Mart Dream Home”

I was thrilled to be a part of this year’s Dream Home at the Chicago Merchandise Mart!  Above is an image of my space.  Many thanks to my wonderful team and vendors at the Mart-Bradley Hughes, Baker, Dessin Fournir, Boyd, Paris Ceramics, Holly Hunt, Cai, Jim Thompson, Joanne Trestrail, Richard Norton and Lee Jofa…couldn’t have pulled this together without you! I am looking forward to seeing what next years chosen Chicago designer’s do with these spaces.

May

“Come out to See the Lake Forest Showhouse!”

May was the month of the highly anticipated biannual Lake Forest Showhouse.  My firm designed the foyer, front staircase, and second floor front hall.  May was a fantastic, albeit very busy, month for me.  All worth it because I love what I do!

April

“Victorian Era”

I finished this Lincoln Park Victorian in April.  I loved this project because like many of my projects, this was a historic home that had unbelievable architectural details beneath the surface of some subtle digging and that we were able to bring back upon restoration.  It was amazing to see the history of the house come alive while being updated with modern furniture, art and finishes.

March

“Sunny Side Up”

Spring break month!  One of my assistant’s spent a week in beautiful Palm Beach, Florida and sent me this article about the Lauder Estate there.  Can anything top this view?!  Aerin…I will come hang out anytime

February

“Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful!”

February is truly is the doldrums of winter, and during this time nothing looks better than a blue sky, crystal clear ocean and tropical drink.  Included in Travel and Leisure’s 500 Best Hotel issue were many beach resorts, and I couldn’t resist indulging and fantasizing that I was was lounging on this chaise above.

January

“No ‘Breaking Up’ With This!”

“The Breakup” is one of my favorite movies because a. I love Vince Vaughn b. it takes place in my hometown of Chicago and c. it features my good friend and wonderful artist Francine Turk!  I use Francine’s work all the time (and exhibited her work in my showroom as seen above) and wanted to share with MG just how talented and amazing she is! Hopefully Francine will be joining me this month at Maison et Objet in Paris. Can’t wait for that- not just Paris but to see and learn the latest and greatest in design for the upcoming year.  More to share with y’all!

I am hooked on basically anything on Bravo, and their latest show is no exception.  “Million Dollar Decorators” chronicles the highs (and yes, the lows) of 4 well-known Los Angeles based interior designers.  Mary McDonald, Nathan Turner, Jeffrey Alan Marks, Kathryn Ireland and Martyn Lawrence Bullard are all big names in the design world, but getting to peek behind the scenes in the running of their successful businesses is very entertaining. Being an interior designer isn’t glitz and glamour all the time, it’s extremely stressful, very hard work, and the attention to detail keeps me up at night-all days of the week.

My  job requires lots of patience and many texts, emails and real-time conversations day and night.  I wouldn’t trade any of it as the rewards are bountiful and the relationships that are made last forever. Plus, it is a huge amount of fun.

“Million Dollar Decorators” shows also how ultimately rewarding/frustrating this fantastic job can be. The show can be pretty wild sometimes….

Check out these projects featured in the first few episodes.

Kathryn Ireland overhauls Shannon Factor’s home (her husband is the grandson of Max Factor, makeup extraordinaire).

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Mary McDonald: client guest house

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Martyn Lawrence Bullard redoes Sharon Osbourne’s apartment

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Well, looks like the McCallister family is finally moving out!  Ok, this might not be the actual owners, but this Winnetka, IL home was forever made famous by its depiction in 1990’s Home Alone.  As any Kevin McCallister fan knows, a lot of sh*t went down in this house, so owning this home is truly owning a piece of movie history.

The late, great producer/director John Hughes set many films in his hometown of Chicago, including Home Alone, Ferris Buellers’ Day Off, Pretty In Pink and The Breakfast Club. As a lifelong Chicago resident myself, I might be a little biased but I must say that Chicago is one of the best places to shoot a film, especially when architecture is involved.  Whenever anyone mentioned “the Ferris Bueller House,” you know exactly what they are referring to, right?  Cameron’s sterile, mausoleum-like glass box of a home.  And now for $2.4 million, you can be the proud owner of the “Home Alone House.”  While the home doesn’t come complete with overgrowing green and red Christmas decorations and a house full of frazzled relatives, it does boast 4 en suite bedrooms, a screened-in porch, and a coveted east Winnetka address.  If you moved in, I’d be happy to redecorate for you and throw a little housewarming party!

If you’re interested, contact Marissa Hopkins at Coldwell Banker for more info.

Listing photos courtesy of Coldwell Banker, original movie photos courtesy of Hooked On Houses.

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{Francine Turk in The Break Up}

The “Break Up” was on television the other night, and it is one of my favorite flicks not only because it is set in my beloved city of Chicago (I am partial to anything set in the Windy City) but also for its prominent exhibition of artwork by my friend, Francine Turk. Remember the lovely sketches all throughout the apartment in the Break Up, supposedly drawn by Jennifer Aniston’s character, Brooke?  Well, they are actually by Turk, a Chicago based artist.  Francine’s work is also featured in the new Vince Vaughn movie The Dilemma. I have been a big fan of Francine for quite some time, and when I opened my showroom last year I naturally had to feature her work.

{Francine Turk in the Break Up}

Her work is not only beautiful, but it is versatile as well.  From placing a large collection on a living room wall to hanging one or two in a powder room, Francine Turk’s work certainly is nothing with which to “break up.”

{Francine Turk in my Buckingham Interiors + Design showroom}

{Francine Turk in my Buckingham Interiors + Design Showroom}

Turk’s official website is under construction, so the following images courtesy of “So Haute.”  Also, check out the tour of her fabulous Chicago townhouse!

{The artist with one of her pieces}

This year, like any year, has been an eventful year for design.  New doors opening, familiar doors closing, that fabric you just had to have for that armchair that you just had to have even more, those mugs you probably should have returned, those hedges that your landscaper convinced you (and therefore you convinced your husband) would “revolutionize” your garden, that amazing find on Ebay/Etsy/One Kings Lane…the list goes on and on.

With yet another 12 months behind us, why not take a look back down design memory lane and check out what we had our minds set on in January, February, March, April…

Here’s what Material Girls Chicago was talking about, thinking about, laughing about, lusting over, dying for, surprised by and excited for from January-December, 2010.

For more details, click on the highlighted link to be directed back to the original post.

January

“Living in the Movies…Literally!”

{Evanston home that has major on- screen appeal}

When a home in the north suburban Chicago town of Evanston was featured in the Chicago Tribune for its “star power,” or rather the many films that can credit this house for creating a lovely set, I decided to poke around to see what other films that have captivated audiences not only for their plot but also for the fabulous homes that make them worth watching.

{Father of the Bride}

February

“Picture Perfect”

{Winning design by Eddie Ross, “Bloomingdale’s Big Window Challenge”}

When my good friend Eddie Ross won the highly coveted title of victor in the “Bloomingdale’s Big Window Challenge” in NYC, I was so impressed not only by the design of the whole, but was really captivated by the large orange and white piece of art he used.  Turns out Eddie got this piece from……

March

“The Bachelor Life”

{funky antlers in lieu of stuffed game animal}

I loved this home for its sophisticated, modern yet totally fun take on the traditional bachelor pad.  No stuffed deer heads in this place!  Chicago Home + Garden featured living the good (single) life in the issue from this month. Congrats to my pal, Darren on a truly remarkable pad

April

“You Say Indoor, I Say Outdoor”

{Trina Turk for Schumacher}

Coming from a place that endures the most extreme in weather climates, outdoor fabric durability is crucial.  However, you still want it to look good, right?  These indoor/outdoor fabrics have the ability to withstand all inclimate conditions-from 3 year olds to thunderstorms.

{I used this Holly Hunt indoor/outdoor fabric in a Chicago lifestyle salon-Buckingham Interiors + Design}

May

“It Takes Two”

Twin beds remind you of summer camp or your grandmother’s house?  Well…you’d be lucky to sleep in these swank beds out in a cabin or in your grandmother’s dusty house!

June

“Turquoise With Envy!”

It was the year of turquoise, literally.  Pantone declared “turquoise” to be THE color of the 2010, so naturally when the New York Times featured designer Ghislaine Vina’s picks for all things turquoise for the home, I had to share with MG.

July

“Homecoming”

{Buckingham Interiors + Design}

The big move!  July was the month that my design firm, Buckingham Interiors + Design, took up residence in Chicago’s hottest new design district, West Town.  Seems like just yesterday that  I was arranging (and rearranging, and arranging again), in our new space.

{Buckingham Interiors + Design}

August

“Kimmy K’s Swank New Digs”

As both a Kardashian fan as well as a design junkie, I was particularly excited to get a look at Kim Kardashian’s new Los Angeles home, which was revealed in August of this year.  I personally think that it looks very tasteful, but a tad monochromatic for my taste…what do you think?

September

“Fabric Lust”

I really fell for this Thom Filicia fabric (an Ikat, go figure!) when I came across it an ad for it on the back cover on House Beautiful from this month.  I still am a big admirer four months later and hope to use it at some point in the future! (Here we come, 2011!)

October

“Body Art”

I discovered the special edition Jeff Koon’s for Kiehl’s collection this month, a collaborative line from which proceeds go to the Koons Family Institute, an initative of the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  This is a particularly personal cause for the artist, for his young son was abducted by his then wife, resulting in years of custody battles.

November

“Running Wild”

It seemed like everyone was getting in touch with their wild side this fall!  Animal prints were everywhere in fashion as well as interiors.  Elle Decor featured a piece on animal print design during this month.

December

“Got An Extra $50 Million Lying Around?”

The Bunny William’s living room heard round the world just so happens to be a part of a larger project, a $50 million dollar project that is.  The 2009 Kip’s Bay Showhouse (2009, I know a little bit off), happens to be for sale for a jaw dropping price tag.  Any takers? Name the date of the housewarming party, and I’ll be there! Hello, 2011 fete perhaps?

{Carrie Bradshaw in her new apartment}

I personally did not get a chance to see “Sex and the City 2”  in theaters (not so many positive reviews, as I’m sure you know…).  I am waiting until it is available on HBO on Demand to watch this flick for free from the comfort of my own home.  Per usual though, everything design related, from the clothes to the sets, was thoroughly decorated.  I caught a glimpse of several images from a feature on the set design from Elle Decor.  Like the girls themselves, the interiors are diverse in style and personality.  Many were left underwhelmed by the highly anticipated sequel, and I must say I felt the same way about the interiors themselves.  Although her place does have some quirky, unexpected and chic pieces like the main gal herself, I honestly was expecting a bit more pizzaz from Carrie’s new apartment; I thought her redecorated old apartment was much more captivating.  And Samantha’s office in Times Square seems a little bland (at least from the Elle Decor shot).  Were you excited at all by Charlotte’s all white kitchen?  What do you think?  Love em, hate em?

{Carrie and Big’s living room}

{Carrie and Big’s dining room, with kitchen in the background}

{Hallway in Carrie and Big’s apartment…love the Lindsey Adelman light fixture}

{Carrie and Big’s master bedroom}

{Carrie and Big’s closet…how do you feel about the differing his and her’s sides?}

{Carrie’s iconic closet in her old apartment}

{Carrie’s apartment post renovation in the fist “Sex and the City” movie}

{Charlotte’s kitchen…how adorable are the coordinated outfits, cupcakes and drapes?}

{Samantha in her Times Square office}

{Kitchen in Miranda’s Brooklyn home…loved what I saw from the first movie}

{Author Candace Bushnell’s own apartment…definitely my favorite SATC related interior!  Painting look familiar? Reminds me so much of the “Love” piece (actually a needlepoint rug) from Carrie’s renovated former apartment}

{“Love Too” by Paul Smith}

Part II comes after popular demand for more movie and television interiors.  I must say that after “Living in the Movies” Part I, I found myself thinking about movie/television interiors that I had forgotten, and thank you MG readers for reminding me!  So let’s take another look at some of the most interesting and beautiful on- screen homes.

{Iris’s house, “The Holiday”}

{Iris’s house, “The Holiday”}

{Iris’s house, “The Holiday”}

{Iris’s house, “The Holiday”}

{Iris’s house, “The Holiday”}

{Iris’s house, “The Holiday”}

{Iris’s house, “The Holiday”}

{It’s Complicated”}

{It’s Complicated”}

{It’s Complicated”}

{“Mr. and Mrs. Smith”}

{“Mr. and Mrs. Smith”}

{“Mr. and Mrs. Smith”}

{Napa home in “Parent Trap”}

{Napa home in “Parent Trap”}

{Napa home in “Parent Trap”}

{Napa home in “Parent Trap”}

{Exterior of Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in “Sex and the City”}

{Carrie’s apartment, after the renovation}

{Carrie’s apartment, after the renovation}

{Carrie’s apartment, after the renovation}

{Exterior of Hamptons home in “Something’s Gotta Give”

{Living Room, “Something’s Gotta Give”}

{Living Room, “Something’s Gotta Give”}

{Living Room, “Something’s Gotta Give”}

{Dining Room, “Something’s Gotta Give”}

{Kitchen, “Something’s Gotta Give”}

{Master Bedroom, “Something’s Gotta Give”}

{Pool, “Something’s Gotta Give”}

{“Australia”}

{“A Perfect Murder”}

{“The Lake House”}

{“The Lake House”}

As my ancestry calls me….I am a Buckingham by birth, and seem to be drawn to all things English with an amazing regularity.  I have been told that to design a castle might be my dream job (who would not call that a dream job?!).  But without a doubt I can recall early images of my Irish mother announcing that all things “English” were dreamily elegant and ultimately oozed glamour and style.  This leads me to West Wycombe Park located in Buckinghamshire, UK….

The house- a sumptuous Palladian Villa- is a part of the National Trust, although it remains firmly in the hands- and is the family home of Sir Edward Dashwood and his family…all 5,000 acres of it.  This Blue Drawing Room embraces all things English with examples of statuary, furniture and fine paintings.

The Music Temple- on an island in the lake and reachable only by boat- is another family favourite: “We use it for drinks parties and picnics.”  Oh so English sounding…I just had to use their spelling of the word favorite.  It DOES sound more elegant, doesn’t it?

Film-makers also find West Wycombe irrestible.  ”Little Dorrit”, “Daniel Deronda”, “Cranford” and “The Duchess”- have all been made here.  ”Colin Firth and Rupert Everett must have been here many times”  says Edward Dashford. With its yellow-stone exteriors and pale blue doors, this is a house without an obvious front or back; although the west portico- the Dashwoods (pictured above in almost their entirety) front door- built by Nicholas Revett in 1771 is stunning, the earlier south-facing double colonnade, by architect John Donowell, is grander.  In the summer, the family eats outside under the pillars, overlooked by a row of busts and the prostrate sculpture of a naked woman.  I knew that I loved all things English.  I am still in the market for designing the spaces within a castle…..

All images courtesy of House & Garden Magazine October issue.

Are you a “Real Housewives of New York” watcher like me?  One of my favorite parts was the redecoration (according to the listing, costing upwards of 300K) of housewife Jill’s Manhattan apartment, which was actually featured in the May 2009 issues of Traditional Home.  You can now own this piece of “Housewives” memorabilia for a cool $3.2 million!

Check it out and tell me what you think.  (I am not including the before pics…take my word for it if you didn’t see it for yourself on the show, the apartment looks FAR better post decorating overhaul)

I am a big fan of the blues and whites incorporated throughout.  The apartment is approximately 1,956 square feet, so these light colors help to brighten and open up a smaller space.  What are your thoughts?  Ready to fork over the big bucks for this place?  In case any of you are interested, here is the listing.

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?