Chicago Design Blog | Material Girls | Chicago Interior Design

{via Michael Robinson Photography}

Are you a young, hip Chicagoan looking for the next “it” spot to spend your cocktail hours or late night rendezvouses?  The Violet Hour is the place for you.  Well, if you can get in, that is.  Located in Wicker Park, the unassuming facade marked only by a single lightbulb may not impress the passerby, but modeled like a modern day speakeasy, it is as exclusive as Chicago’s infamous speakeasies of old.  Dark, sexy and mysterious, admittance to The Violet Hour is not easy, and once inside, patrons are obliged to follow a specific code of conduct.  No cell phones.  No reservations.  No jager bombs, o-bombs…bombs of any kind.  Oh yeah, and don’t bring anyone you wouldn’t bring to your mother’s house for Sunday dinner.  The Violet Hour means business.  If you aren’t cool with these rules, The Violet Hour really just doesn’t care.  Judging by the perpetual line of hopeful lingerers outside, there is a person- or five – more than willing to take your baseball hat wearing place inside (oh yeah, baseball hats are strictly prohibited).

The name proves to be deceiving, for there is not a trace of violet inside.  Rather, the walls are covered in a striking shade of cornflower blue with matching velvet curtains, constantly drawn.  The highback chairs and dimmed lighting further promote the aura of mystery and exclusivity. Elegant yet understated, The Violet Hour will make you feel like a real somebody….if only for an hour or two.

The Violet Hour

1520 N. Damen (Bucktown/Wicker Park), Chicago

773-252-1500

{via Star Chefs}

{via Yelp}

{via Wine and Spirit Magazine}

{via Focus, Balance Create}

The Violet Hour’s strict set of rules.

{via Yelp}

The unassuming, even disheveled looking, exterior.  Definitely recalls the incognito facades of prohibition era speakeasies.

{via Metromix}

Do you think this passerby has any idea what lies behind that muraled wall?

{via Metromix}

{via Metromix}

Gleaming, glowing, glossy and bright… These walls are anything but understated and I’m infatuated with every inch…

Never afraid to color outside the lines, Miles Redd allows sapphire to shine…

Where was this room when I wrote Purple Rain? Check out these glossy, bold boundaries… Yum!

Jonathan Berger gave this late-19th-century Brooklyn home one jaw-dropping entrance with Benjamin Moore’s Razzle Dazzle… Wowza!

Laquered loveliness… This space couldn’t be more fab if it tried.  Loving this high-gloss blue amid black, white and yellow…  Fierce.

{Images gathered from Architectural Digest, House Beautiful and Head Over Heels.}

As you know, I’m quite partial to brights, lights and whites… of neutrals and heather grays… but must admit, these slate-inspired spaces have me going to the dark side…

Mario Buatta adds depth and elegance with his brilliant selection amid feminine, delicate decor…

Loving this seamless blend of ebony walls and glistening black flooring…

Crisp white linens set off soot-like surroundings oh so beautifully in this Domino bedroom…

Drama and glamour filled walls house this chic ebony and ivory tub just right…

This sleek backdrop is the perfect compliment to Vueve Clicquot hues and rustic wood floors…

Natural elements and fresh whites pair perfectly atop pitch-black boundaries…

What do you think? Time to turn in those pale walls for a little dose of drama?

{Images gathered from Apartment Therapy, Domino, Decor Pad and Living Etc.}

Is it just me or can we say that the “Atlanta Design Aesthetic” seem to be a sophisticated and chic interplay between neutrals and pops of bold accents?  Case in point: this fabulous Atlanta tudor which employs bright yellows and oranges juxtaposed against abundant neutrals creates a bold sophistication that Atlanta just seems to do so well.  And the touches of “natural elements” throughout really are the icing on the cake for me.  Perfection!  Check out the article in Atlanta Homes for yourself…Atlanta’s got it goin’ on!

So I have been receiving the Restoration Hardware catalogue quite frequently these days, and I must say I am very conflicted about it.  As much as I love their new, revamped design aesthetic, it worries me that this look has seen its day, that it is no longer on the cutting edge anymore if it is appearing all over every page of this catalogue, and certainly others like it.  It is actually quite startling that almost every page of the catalogue looks exactly like something I myself might have designed over the years!  I mean, I think it is wonderful that Restoration Hardware is bringing these beautiful designs to the mainstream American public, but does that then indicate that this whole design aesthetic is at the tail end of its “trend?”  Does this mean that this style with its heavy focus on interesting architectural accessories- that once was so unique, chic and often hard to find in their original forms- has trickled down to mass merchandising and is no longer recognized as so inventive?  Here are some images from the latest catalogue…tell me what you think about this conundrum!