Chicago Design Blog | Material Girls | Chicago Interior Design

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?

With only 19 days, 21 hours and approximately 22 minutes left until the International Olympic Committee picks the host city for the 2016 summer Olympic Games (October 2…not sure what the “exact countdown” will be  when I actually hit “publish post”…), I am getting increasingly excited, nervous and anxious to learn if my great hometown city of Chicago will be chosen for this incredible honor.  The four candidate cities are Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago….all unique and fantastic cities, but come on, why SHOULDN’T the Olympics be held in Chicago?  The lake?  The skyline? The shopping, dining, museums?  The AIRPORTS? (Yes, travel access to a host city is a major factor!)  I just had to plug Chicago 2016 on MG because hey, I might be biased, but Chicago is my favorite city in the world.  Check back here every now and then…I like to take all MG readers on tours around the Windy City!

Check out the website for Chicago 2016.  It’s really just a fantastic way to get aquatinted with the city…it’s like an Olympian guided video travel guide through Chitown!  Even as a native Chicagoan, I’ve had so much fun just checking out the site!

I back the bid…and you should too!!

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!

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?