Chicago Design Blog | Material Girls | Chicago Interior Design

One of my lovely BID girls, Paulina, tied the knot last year-and another BID gal Shannon is doing the same this month- and I have to say that I have always had a soft spot for weddings.  With two daughters (and a son) myself, I can’t help but dream about dresses, bouquets, cakes, shoes…(I am admittedly design obsessed, after all).

I was very excited when Chicago-based blog “The Every Girl” asked if they could use my Buckingham Interiors + Design showroom as the backdrop for their “Wedding Week” special!  This week long event highlighted budget conscious wedding decor, and I must say that I was very impressed!  Their styling was excellent and I was thrilled with their incorporation of antiques at my BID showroom.  Although they primarily used my bare white painted brick walls at the showroom, we certainly do have quite a bit on display…definitely stop by if you are in the Chi!  Buckingham Interiors + Design Showroom is located at 1820 Grand Avenue, Chicago. We have sold quite a few pieces in our latest exhibit of local artists-with day jobs-so the walls will be refreshed soon…I promise!

Every Girl co-founders, Danielle Moss and Alaina Kaczmarski

 

Have you ever read the section in Us Weekly about interesting facts that you didn’t know about your favorite celebs?  I love it!  I was asked to do a similar feature in Design Dose which is is the online extension of the inspiration, advice, and scoop that Chicago Home + Garden provides every other month, only in smaller doses. Editors Jan Parr and Gina Bazer of Chicago Home + Garden share news and trends from their in-boxes, confess their latest design obsessions and dilemmas, and take you behind the scenes to exclusive design events and showrooms. The fun questions about my personal taste, interests and loves in life made me smile. Of course, my family is at the top of my list, but I do have some spare time to dabble in a few other things. Design, design, and design related that is- mostly.  I enjoy the guests that they feature from around town and have learned some new things about some of my Chicago design pals. You should all join the fun and see what the CH+G gals provide us with next!

 

Check out how I finished each of the following sentences…

 

1. If I could live in any movie or TV setting it would be Gone With the Wind. I’m intrigued by every element—the fashion, interiors, Southern hospitality, and opulence.

 

2. I eat like a pig when I go to the Twisted Spoke. The fried-egg sandwiches and banana buckwheat pancakes (washed down with a Bloody Mary) are musts. My husband, children, and I head there after participating in the fun-runs around the city—it’s a family tradition that, when combined with a run, makes me feel less guilty.

 

3. My libation of choice is Veuve Clicquot. There is always a reason to celebrate with a glass of bubbly!

 

4. The most aesthetically pleasing place I’ve visited recently was the Hermès flagship boutique in Paris. The brand is iconic and true to its history, and this is reflected in every flawless display and vignette.

 

5. The best music for a dinner party is jazz pianist Bill Evans’s 1961 album, “Sunday at the Village Vanguard.” That is, of course, if my son, Alex, isn’t in town to put on a bass recital.

 

6. My turn-to item of clothing is BIG coats that make LARGE fashion statements.

 

7. Most people don’t know that I have an obsession with laminating. Over the years, I’ve collected images and clippings from design magazines and laminated them to archive in my inspiration bin. I love the glossy finish!

Leaping, Ocean, 1994
Todd Burris
1994

I have always loved 1stDibs, but since recently opening my own shop (check it out here!) on the site, I have been all the more intrigued by their incredibly amazing selection of all things beautiful.  Their tag line is after all “The Most Beautiful Things on Earth.”

One of my favorite parts of decorating is adding art to the space, and 1stDibs is one of my favorite places to go for inspiration/purchases.  It is like having the most fabulous gallery right at your fingertips!  Take a look at some of my picks from the 1stDibs fine arts collection.  Stay tuned…you might see some of these popping up in upcoming BID projects soon!

By the way, can you tell I have a thing for abstract?

 

La Femme aux Bijoux (The Bejeweled Woman)
Joan Miro
1968

The Princess Mnemosyme
Max Gimblett
2011

Untitled (Blue Tank Top) LM c17
Laura Craig McNellis
2010-11

Studio
John Baldessari
1988

DUST STORM, RAJASTHAN, INDIA, 1983
Steve McCurry

Convergence II
Sheila Hicks
2001

One World
Ayad Alkadhi
2011-2012

COURTYARD OF THE ZAYOUIYA, FEZ, MOROCCO, 1993
Bruno Barbey

VENICE BEACH ROCK FESTIVAL, CALIFORNIA, USA, 1968
Dennis Stock

Untitled #5
Thomas Nozkowski
2012

31-1/4
Frank Bowling
2011

FS3187CT12
Cecil Touchon
2012

PDP542CT12
Cecil Touchon
2012

Sleeper
Dan Christensen
1998

Atlantic Explosion (Diptych)
Conor Mccreedy
2011

It is always an incredible honor to have your work featured in print, and I was especially surprised and excited about the feature of my own home in the recent book “Chicago Space: Inspiring Interiors” by Jan Parr and the editors of Chicago Home + Garden magazine. The foreword is by Nate Berkus, a hometown guy.  Jan is a longtime friend and colleague of mine, so the inclusion of my North Shore home was all the more special. It makes me proud to see the stunning works within that were all designed by a very talented group of Chicago based designers. We can rock design here in the Windy City!

Take a look at the piece on my own home (love their title “Electric Eclectic”!)  and definitely grab the book (available on Amazon).  ”Chicago Inspiring Spaces” is at the top of my list- my favorite subject-well crafted interiors- and my favorite city-my hometown of  Chicago. I have purchased for clients and love seeing it placed on their coffee tables.

See more photos of my home and other projects on the Buckingham Interiors + Design website.

I had such a blast shooting a segment for Chicago Home + Garden’s “Bring It Home” series that was featured on WGN!  The host Rochelle Vayo Adkinson was such a doll-along with her assistant, Maddie Yastrow.  And, y’all know how much I love all my peeps over at CH+G Magazine.  The segment was all about how to create a functional and beautiful breakfast nook, and we featured a space in one of my North Shore projects in Evanston as inspiration.  This fun and active family has three young children, so the area had to be bright, cheery and kid friendly.  My “Modern-ique” mantra was a driving force here, as I brought in quite the mix of old + new pieces to create a feeling of layering and depth without overcrowding or cluttering the area.  Click here to watch the segment online and learn the tips and tricks to making a great breakfast nook in your home. And, not to miss the indulgence of a couple of Krispy Kremes for both of our teams. #loveagooddoughnut.

To see more photos from this particular project on the Buckingham ID website, click here!

Breakfast nook, pre curtains

Having fun at the shoot!

Cubist Woman
Judith Deim

I love sharing my modern + antique finds with my clients, MG followers and shelter mag readers.  Now, I am so thrilled to say that I will be sharing my favorite pieces from Buckingham Interiors + Design with 1stdibs members too!  I loved being a part of the One Kings Lane Design Blogger Tastemaker Tag sale, and now I have been asked to be a dealer on one of my other favorite sites.  I will have my collection up and ready for viewing tomorrow at 12pm CST!

I have long been virtually obsessed with 1stdibs, aka “The Most Beautiful Things on Earth” (love their tag line).  As a site dedicated to the highest quality of all things furniture, fashion, art…you name it, I feel strongly that 1stdibs has maintained the integrity of high end products while still making it all accessible to an internet audience.

Here are some of my current favorites on 1stdibs now-  from the only place where one can view “Storefronts” of 1200 of the most respected antiques dealers in the world!

Lip Streaks (Donna Mitchell), New York, 1967
Melvin Sokolsky
1967

Pair Of Hans Wegner ‘Halyard’ Chairs , Denmark 1957

 Silas Seandel Free Form Coffee Tables

Wicker Park project that will be featured in tomorrow on LXTV Open House

I had such a blast when I hosted an LXTV tour of my own home on Chicago’s North Shore, and was so excited when I was invited back as a guest designer to give a tour of one of my projects in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood.

This project was several years in the making, and I must say that it is one of my proudest achievements.  The home is loved and cherished by a lovely family and I was so lucky that they were willing to embark on this journey with me in pushing the design envelope a bit in a surprising fashion.  This house is an amazing 19th century Italianate manse that the family-along with the renowned Chicago architectural firm of Vinci Hamp and famed Chicago Landscape Design firm, Hoerr Schaudt and myself- completely gutted and restored from top to bottom.  No detail was overlooked in this massive undertaking.  It was definitely worth the years of waiting for the big reveal. The house is beyond amazing, especially since it sits on a rare 5 city lots in the heart of one of Chicago’s chicest and most historic neighborhoods.  It is like a suburban paradise in the middle of its urban surroundings!

Join me on the tour tomorrow (Sunday, March 4th) during LXTV Open House on NBC Channel 5 at 10:30 AM CST.  I would love to have my MGs tune in

Here’s a sneak peek of what you will be seeing tomorrow…

Photos all from Buckingham Interiors + Design website and photographed by Eric Hausman.

 

Get ready, get set…almost go time for the Design Bloggers Tastemakers Tag sale on One Kings Lane beginning this Tuesday February 28, at 6 PM PST!  I am thrilled to be included in this fantastic event, as I have always been a huge fan of the site, and it is a true honor to be in such good company with other talented design bloggers, including fellow Material Girls Emily from Dallas and Lauren from Houston.

The Material Girls for the Design Bloggers Tastemaker Sale!

In addition to being an interior designer, I have owned antique and art design showrooms from Cincinnati to Chicago, so exhibiting products that I am passionate about has long been an important part of my career.  I can’t wait to share some of the best from my collection with OKL followers.

Looking forward to the One Kings Lane Design Bloggers Tastemakers Tag Sale beginning this Tuesday, February 28th at 6 PM EST…I hope all Material Girls out there have a chance to check it out!

A new image from my Buckingham Interiors + Design Showroom at 1820 W. Grand Avenue, Chicago

Stop by to visit and check out what we’re featuring…we curate new goodies constantly!

Photography for my headshot by Anthony Tahlier

Exterior of this North Shore home

All of my projects are special and unique in some way, but one particular project was unlike anything I’d done before. Well, it was exactly like what I’d done before…it was the same house, but a different client!  I had designed this particular North Shore home for lovely clients back in 2008, but they sold the home a few years later to an equally lovely couple, who wanted me to overhaul the home and take it in a completely different direction than I had done for the previous homeowner.  Make no mistake- they loved the home as it was designed before and fell in love with it “as was.”  It was a surprise to see their home on my website after being referred by a mutual friend. I like this kind of surprise

Although they did keep some of the same features and fixtures as the previous homeowner, their design aesthetic was driven towards a more colorful and layered feel. I knew that we were moving away the “French” feel after several consultations and Merchandise Mart visits with them proved. The look of the home under the previous homeowner had been very “French Country”, but my new clients wanted more of a modern, eclectic feel.  Very different, but equally as fun!  This is a wonderful home, and I am so glad that it has had such loving homeowners!  Welcome fabulous art that we sourced in New York together.  A nod to Indian and Chinese influences.

Take a look at the “then” and “now” photos…keep an eye out for the new owners pup making a cameo

Photographs courtesy of Buckingham Interiors + Design.

Living room 2012

Living Room 2012

Living Room 2012

Living Room 2008

Dining Room 2012

Dining Room 2012

Dining Room 2008

Hallway 2012

Hallway 2008

Stairway 2012

Stairway 2008

Kitchen 2012

Kitchen 2008

Master Bedroom 2012

Master Bedroom 2008

Family Room 2012

Den 2012

Indoor Pool 2012

Backyard of house

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all.  I LOVE this day.  Hoping that you all have an amazing one! xx

Upholstered Bergere

So excited that several of the Material Girls (Lauren, Emily and I) will be part of the Design Bloggers Tastemakers Tag Sale on One Kings Lane!  OKL, which I now affectionately call it within my office, selected 10 of their favorite interior design blogs to participate in this grandiose event. Of all of the various projects inside the design world which I have been involved in, this one is definitely right up there towards the top…working with my fellow MG contributors is always a thrill. I am reminded of my previous years as the owner of an antiques store in Cincinnati and also of my exhibit’s within the antiques world at shows in Chicago, NYC, The Hampton’s and LA.  Bringing me back to my roots a bit

In prep for our big debut, I thought I’d feature several of my favorites on OKL today.  Be sure to stop by the Design Bloggers Tastemakers Tag Sale on One Kings Lane beginning Tuesday, February 28th at 6 PM PST!  Can’t wait!

Valerie Nesting Cocktail Table

Industrial Coffee Table

Pyrton Club Chair

Manhassett Console

Upholstered Sofa with Canopy

Would lovee this in my garden!

Pink Chenille Slipper Chair

Lauri Table, Gold Leaf