Art and design go hand in hand and I’ve been fortunate to work with many talented artists through the years, both curating pieces for my design clients and for the rotating art exhibits in my Buckingham Interiors + Design Showroom in Chicago.

asalonwall

One of my absolute favorite installations in my Showroom still to this day is this gallery wall by Chicago-based Artist Francine Turk.

francine_turk_0615-0667

Francine Turk breaks the rules of constraint. As artist and visionary behind Francine Turk Studio, Turk seamlessly blends thoughtful beauty with the dramatically raw and vulnerable nuances of life. Her artwork stems from a constant excavation of her truth and is revealed as a layered expression of emotion and discovery, evoking a connective and visceral response from the viewer.

afvCNFT_7261email

In its layered complexities and juxtapositions, she expresses this embodiment of her artwork as both delicate marks of charcoal on paper and fearless representations of what it means to be a rebel, a forger of one’s own path.

agaLL-Love Letter To A Matador

Turk is influenced and inspired by great artists like Picasso and Matisse yet compared to contemporaries like confessional artist, Tracy Emin. She also draws inspiration from musicians like Jimi Hendrix and Jack White, who, in Turk’s eyes, have been fearless in their pursuit of personal truth. Given the complexity of influences and her own highly expressive and layered technique, she is not compelled to confine her work to a particular genre.

aFT_7286email

Much in demand by collectors worldwide, Turk’s acclaimed works are housed in private and corporate collections across the globe. Her most well received solo exhibitions include Bad Ass (2011), A Decade of Evolution (2012) and Verite (2014). She has been part of group exhibitions alongside Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Andy Warhol, Helen Frankenthaler, Marlene Dumas and the like.

FT_2837email

I recently reached out to Francine to discover she was “headquartered” in Barcelona for the month of June! I was instantly wishing I was back in Spain as well taking day trips to the countryside. We certainly share our love of travel and inspiration!

IMG_2833

Francine was in Spain for continued inspirations for the “Love Letter to A Matador” series. For the first time ever, Francine sent a private invitation to collectors to be a part of this journey by purchasing work created in Spain that would mark the beginnings of an upcoming solo show. A limited number of “site unseen” pieces were made available to collectors only as a presale and quickly sold out within days. It was a true exercise in gratitude to thank collectors for supporting her over the years as the pieces were made available for a fraction of the market value.

IMG_3617

Picasso has always been a huge influence on Francine’s work and this trip was no exception- especially his “bous” (bull) studies. She named each of the 27 sold works in Catalan. She was influenced by cubist and expressionist styles using charcoal, ink and oil sticks. The culture in Barcelona was also a huge influence on this series.  Back alleys hosted a variety of street performers, opera singers and men fighting with fire at every turn.  She created bous and matadors with undertones of romance, mystery, sex and masculinity.

IMG_1885

Francine stayed in the gothic quarter where graffiti was prevalent and influential. She visited a flea market acquiring ledger books, antique hand written letters and vintage postcards, which she used as the background for thank you notes to her collectors.  She enclosed this personalized note with each piece and shipped the work in drawing tubes from Barcelona.

IMG_1184

Follow along Francine’s entire journey on Instagram (@francineturk) and at www.francineturk.com.

HyattCentric_Chicago_Apr01_15_6143

An upcoming exhibit of Francine’s work will be in the Buckingham I+D Showroom. Stay tuned!

xx,

Julia

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.42.57 PM

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 5.03.35 PM

How adorable is this water coloring rendering of the Hermes La Maison home line?

I discovered the new Hermes La Maison home line when our wonderful Dedar rep came to our showroom and offices at the end of last year, sharing with us the most amazing textiles and wall coverings from this iconic brand. Now, it is not enough to swoon over their fashionable bags, scarves, throws, clothing, boots, sandals, watches (of which I am a huge fan) and baubles-more delightful goodies to ponder!

It wasn’t long after that I decided to recover an antique French chair in the Fil de Argents print (yes, I have a slight thing for chains) in the orange color way (I also have a slight orange thing, too).  This chair made its way to a recently completed Arizona design project, but my obsession with the Hermes home line had only just begun.

Not only does the Hermes La Maison collection include textiles and wall coverings, it includes furniture and rugs as well (obviously of the ultra luxurious sort).  I do not know the exact prices of all the items, but knowing the price point of Hermes,  I can only imagine how many zeroes follow that leather sofa…

Take a look at some of my favorites from the collection!

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.47.50 PM

3-seater Bench from The Pippa Collection

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.53.24 PM

Square Table from The Pippa Collection

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.52.59 PM

Occasional Table from The Pippa Collection

A bit about The Pippa Collection…

“This line of foldable and easy-to-move-around furniture was imagined by Rena Dumas and Peter Coles, in the Hermès spirit of “moving with elegance”. It combines the warmth and softness of wood (pearwood, ebonized maple or teak) with the suppleness and resilience of leather (fontanella cowhide, natural cowhide, clemence bullcalf, skipper buffalo).”

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.49.56 PM

Armchair for Reading and Resting in Fabric and Leather, from The Matieres Collection

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.48.36 PM

Fabric and Leather Sofa from The Matieres Collection

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.53.10 PM

Storage Coffer from The Matieres Collection

A bit about The Matieres Collection…

“In the Matières collection, Antonio Citterio highlighted once more the functionality of furniture, and prioritized conviviality, comfort and harmony. This collection also emphasizes the sensory of the materials: leather, fabric, wood, metal.
During his visit to the Hermès Conservatory of Creations, the designer was particularly drawn to a saddle rack whose proportions and volume inspired him for the design of his armrests. The reading chair reclines into a relaxation position.”

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 5.08.33 PM

2-seater Sofa from The Jean Michele Frank Collection

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.49.11 PM

Club Armchair in Sheepskin from The Jean Michele Frank Collection…swooning…..

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.52.32 PM

Folding Screen from The Jean Michele Frank Collection

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.52.19 PM

Low Soleil Table from The Jean Michele Frank Collection

A bit about The Jean Michele Frank Collection…

“Jean-Michel Frank is an iconic designer from the Art Deco movement. He was the most influentialial designer and decorator of the 1920’s and 1930’s. The lines are rigorous and emphasized, shapes are simple yet refined. The materials used are versatile, from the rawest to the most sophisticated.
Sofas are compact, well-balanced and truly simple, iconic of Frank’s style.”

 

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 4.19.58 PM

 Antique French Gilt Armchair that I recovered in Hermes Fil de Argent fabric!

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 4.03.05 PM

One of my favorite wall coverings from the collection- Les Sangles

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 4.03.01 PM

A panel of this wall covering within picture frame molding- genius!

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.54.22 PM

Stunning scarf-like textile, Couvertures et Tenues de Jour

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.54.11 PM

How fabulous are these drapes?

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.55.45 PM

Circuit 24 Textile

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.55.28 PM

More gorgeous drapery!

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.59.29 PM

I love the Circuit 24 pattern in the wall covering, too!

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 4.00.55 PM

Finish Wall Covering in Nattier Blue

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 4.00.48 PM

Finish Wall Covering in Kaolin

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 4.02.30 PM

Herringbone Wall Covering in Orange

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 4.02.17 PM

Herringbone Wall Covering in Nattier Blue

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 4.01.56 PM

Gribouill’H Wall Covering in Sage

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 4.01.23 PM

Gribouill’H Wall Covering in Mandarin

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.56.35 PM

Feuillage Imprime Textile in Etoupe

Screen Shot 2013-03-28 at 11.34.32 AM

Feuillage Imprime Wall Covering in Mint

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.56.45 PM

Wrapping presents in Hermes paper?  Doesn’t get more luxe than that!

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.58.44 PM

Biblioteque Wall Covering in Nattier Blue- I used this in the bathroom of my Arizona design project!

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.55.01 PM

Also love this pattern in the textile version (Biblioteque in Cognac)

Screen Shot 2013-03-27 at 3.54.46 PM

Biblioteque Textile in Indigo

Buckingham Interiors + Design DIFFA Dining by Design Space

It has been quite a whirlwind past couple of weeks for us over at Buckingham ID!  We participated in the CS Interiors Anniversary Home at The Ritz-Carlton Residences in Chicago (my firm completed the kitchen/patio), and we also just wrapped up DIFFA Dining by Design!  We partnered with one of our favorite fabric/wall covering companies, Romo, to create our Dining by Design space, and I must say that I was thrilled with the results.  Not only was this a fun way to mix and mingle amongst the Chicago design community, it was also a wonderful way to participate in a very worth cause.  DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS), is such an amazing organization, and I am honored to contribute to its charitable efforts. My husband had absolutely no luck in restraining me from doing one of the things that I do best…bidding and winning some fabu silent auction items!

We used Kirkby Spectrum plaids for the chairs as well as for framed art, Romo Kingfisher Hexagon wall covering, a mid-century marvelous lighting pendant (that we fondly refer to as “the gummy fixture”) to anchor the space, oversized Richard Kooyman “food” art, and recycled glass objets d’art on stands as part of the tablescape.

I was also inspired by a current Arizona project that I am working on (will share photos with you soon!) to add unique vintage leather Western belts to the back of the chairs.  It was an unexpected touch but I am delighted by the eclectic effect.  After all, what fun is design if not unexpected?

I cannot forget to mention our centerpiece (and new BID showroom pet), Betta Fish Queen Victoria.  She is a true looker and beautifully complimented the scheme.  Nature is the greatest inspiration for design, after all.

Many thanks to H. Bloom for providing the stunning floral arrangements and to Werner Straube Photography for the fabulous photos.

Stay tuned for more Buckingham Interiors + Design news to come…never a dull moment over here at BID headquarters-we have just begun the design for our David Adler designed Lake Forest Showhouse in the “Original Party Room.” How perfect is that for me? 🙂

Buckingham Interiors + Design DIFFA Dining by Design Space

Buckingham Interiors + Design DIFFA Dining by Design Space

Buckingham Interiors + Design DIFFA Dining by Design Space

Buckingham Interiors + Design DIFFA Dining by Design Space

Buckingham Interiors + Design DIFFA Dining by Design Space

Belt Detail from our DIFFA Dining by Design Chairs

BID girls (L-R: Paulina, Brenna and Colette) with President of Romo USA Frederic Henry at DIFFA Dining by Design Cocktail Party

BID gals (L-R: Shannon, Colette, Paulina, myself and Brenna) at the DIFFA Dining by Design Gala

Team BID (plus hubby John) acting silly at the step and repeat with the Romo girls at DIFFA Dining by Design Gala

L-R: John, Shannon, Paulina, Colette, Julia (me!), Catrina, Maria, Christi, Brenna, Heddi

Yummy signature cocktails at DIFFA Dining by Design Gala (by one of the event’s sponsors, EFFEN Vodka)

Our guest of honor at the Buckingham ID/Romo table- Betta Fish Queen Victoria!

Kehoe Designs display at DIFFA Dining by Design, always a stunner!

Jonathan Adler + Kravet

Ethan Allen showing off preppy chic

Classic Charles Eames quote

{Wire deer head that was the inspiration for this post! Featured on Casa Sugar in 2009}

I was having a meeting with one of my assistant’s, Colette, the other day, and she mentioned in passing a wire deer head that she had purchased from PB Teen that the gal who had rented her apartment near Northwestern U after her was coveting. This request was ultimately denied as Colette couldn’t give it up.

We pulled up PB Teen’s website on my computer, and unfortunately they do not still have the wire deer head (aptly named Oh Deer!) that Colette purchased nearly two years ago, but they do have many interesting wire wall decorating accessories. In fact, a wire shark was installed in a young boy’s room in a clients home next week (you should see the full size surfer mural behind his bed!)

PB Teen?  Who would have thought! Although they are displayed in a very “teen” setting on PB Teen’s website (well it is a teen brand after all), given some imagination and foresight I think these wire pieces could find a place in any almost any room, dorm room,  poolhouse or  playroom- while adding a bit of my favorite whimsy.

{Wire Starfish Set, $35}

{Wire Starfish Hooks, $15}

{Wire Sea Turtles, $39-$59}

{Wire Sailfish, SALE! $29}

{Wire Jellyfish, SALE! $54}

{Wire Zodiac Signs, SALE! $8.99}

And I couldn’t help but feature these mirrors from PB Teen too…Wire and wood is always a good combination.

{Driftwood Mini Mirrors, $59}

{Driftwood Mirror, $99}

{Know Your Ropes Mirror, $99}

Upon entering this Manhattan apartment, decorated by Timothy Whealon, guests are greeted by a theatrical mural of flowering vines.

Boy would they have a lot to say!  Florence de Dampierre’s aptly named new book, “Walls” takes the reader on a pictorial tour of some of the most exquisite walls throughout history that you have ever seen.  If you think walls are merely for framing artwork, hanging mirrors or supporting light fixtures, think again.  These walls certainly defy the laws of conventional decor!  Although walls are often the most underrated elements of a space (how many times have you pondered for days over that vase or rug and hastily picked a paint color out of a stack of paint chips?), this fascinating read makes abundantly clear that walls can be just as important a statement piece as any other feature of the room, if you give them the opportunity to speak up 🙂

Text and images courtesy of Architectural Digest.

{Florence de Dampierre’s “Walls”)

For this bedroom design, decorator Jean-Louis Deniot selected a warm toile de Jouy wallpaper to frame twin blue-and-white-striped beds draped with orange-trimmed canopies.

The faux pilasters and hazy landscape painted on the wood entrance walls of the 17th-century Sandemar Manor in Sweden recall the lapsed beauty of an abandoned folly.

Catherine Grenier chose a striped Osborne and Little wallpaper to enliven a room she designed in Cadiz, Spain.

France’s Château de Chantilly boasts a marvelous example of painted singerie, a fanciful style of 18th- and 19th-century French decor that incorporates playful monkey imagery.

Hydrangea-blue faux molding adds a touch of painted serenity to a bedroom in a Christian Bérard–inspired Manhattan townhouse, designed by John Barman.

The living room of Paris-based designer Jacques Garcia’s home in the Château du Champ de Bataille glows with luxurious paneling and gold-framed portraiture.

Neoclassical motifs border lavender faux marble walls at the Pavlovsk Palace, a former country residence of the Russian Imperial family.

A vibrant kaleidoscope pattern brightens a wall of Mexico’s Hacienda San Diego de Jaral de Berrio.

The Hall of Mirrors in Amalienburg, a hunting lodge in Munich, Germany’s Nymphenburg Park, is an exquisite example of the highly ornate boiserie popular in the 17th and 18th centuries.

{This room needs to be hunted down…major hazard to design!}

Not the log cabin type?  The the image above make you cringe?  No worries!  Animal heads/accessories are back in fashion, and not just for that “rustic” second home your in-laws have in northern Wisconsin.  Restoration Hardware in particular has created a line of animal head inspired wall decor that translates country style into city chic.

Still skeptical that this look is too Daniel Boone?  Check out this living room I featured in my “Bachelor Life” post (the home of my friend, developer Daran Puffer) that exhibits just how fab this look can be.

And don’t worry, all of the Restoration Hardware items are casted in resin.

Want to make an even bigger statement?  Try this antler chandelier!

Shiny cars, shiny mirrors, shiny windows…shiny walls?  While the aforemetioned are pretty much preferred shiny across the board, not everyone is head over heels for lacquered walls.  Personally, I think when done right they give a space an elegant sophistication with an undeniable “wow” factor upon walking into a gleaming room.  It is no doubt somewhat of a design leap of faith, but I think the following rooms featured in Elle Decor hit the mark.  Lacquered walls seem to appear frequently in libraries, dens and foyers, but these photos suggest that the finish can actually be very versatile.  What do you think?  Could you get your shine on?

While perusing the cosmetic department of Bloomingdale’s SoHo the other day, a friend of mine spotted possibly the hottest, coolest most exciting pairing since Brad and Angelina: Jo Malone + Farrow & Ball.  Well…maybe not quite to that extent.  Nevertheless, I can’t stress enough how much I love the sophisticated and classic look of Farrow & Ball paint and wall coverings as well as the fresh, intoxicating, sexy scents of Jo Malone.  Both self proclaimed “British lifestyle brands,” the two joined forces to bring F&B’s signature colors to Jo Malone’s signature scents in the form of scented candles.  Don’t they compliment each other perfectly?  Both the scents and colors of these respective brands are classic, timeless and sophisticated.

Find the Farrow & Ball Jo Malone collection at Farrow & Ball showrooms as well as Jo Malone stores. (And perhaps some Bloomingdales too?)

{Buckingham ID}

Have you noticed oversized wall decor popping up all over magazines, website, magazines, designer’s projects, the blogsphere…etc?  This trend seems to indicate that larger is better at the moment, or at least the customer/client favors the big and the bold.  From paintings to mirrors to series of framed photographs and unique pieces of wall art, oversized wall decor is very chic without being too trendy.  I think this decor may stick around for a while, and even if you hop on the bandwagon now, it won’t likely be passe by this time next year.  It seems to be especially popular in the dining room.  Is there that one wall adjacent to your table that just doesn’t seem to get it right?  Try out a larger than life piece of decor…it just might be the solution to your wall problem!

{Elle Decor…Ellen Pompeo’s home!}

{CS Interiors}

{Casa Sugar}

{Blu Label Bungalow}

{Katie Did Blog}

{Angelino Interiors}

{House Beautiful}

{Elle Decor}

{Decor Pad}

{Buckingham ID}

If you think maps are only hung on the wall of your 6th grade geography classroom, think again.  This month’s Elle Decor features a great article about using maps as inexpensive wall art, and I couldn’t agree more.  Hanging a map (or a collection of maps) on a wall or using map wallpaper in virtually any room adds a sense of sophistication and instantly makes the room feel more personal.  I would love to dedicate a wall to vintage maps of all of the various cities I’ve lived, locations of my children’s colleges, and countries of ancestral origin. I have used an historic map of all of Paris as the backdrop of an entire living room wall- and just installed a vintage 1950’s school map of the United States in a young pair of brothers playroom.  Both made a huge impact and sparked a yearning for more information- and travel 🙂

There are so many websites devoted to vintage maps as well as reproductions, not to mention the endless selection to be found by simply typing “maps” into the search on eBay.  Check out the gallery of Elle Decor’s map art.

Here are some great resources for map art given in the article:

Ward Maps

Natural Curiosities

Argosy Bookstore

V & J Duncan

Rand McNally

National Geographic