Interior Design Sense

{from the September/October issue of Lonny Magazine}

It seems I am always and forever suggesting banquettes to clients for their eat-in kitchens, breakfast rooms, or dining rooms. Banquettes are often a great use of space, they provide maximum seating in the most compact areas and can double as storage too. Most often, they are practical and functional (and even offer a cozier place to sit and read a book or work on a laptop). I currently have a client building one for her new house, in the open flow kitchen / breakfast room and recently completed one for a client’s kitchen that has a very small breakfast nook. Over time, I have collected images of beautiful banquettes for inspiration!

{via Pinterest, via House Beautiful}

{via Pinterest, via Design to Inspire}

{via Pinterest, via Because It’s Awesome}

{via Pinterest, via Southern Living}

{via Pinterest, via Rue Magazine}

{via Pinterest, via Lonny Magazine}

{Proposed custom built banquette for a client, by JSID}

{Proposed custom built banquette for a client, by’ JSID}

Off the top of our head (pun intended!), we can think of three reasons the Picciotto cool bar stool by Fabio Vinetta is a must-have, starting with its unusual chapeau-inspired seat. Call it what you will – the paper boy, drivers cap, derby, cheese-cutter or paddy – we call it “awesome”! Like its inspiration, this modern bar stool is a casual “personality” piece for your home. This brings us to the second reason we love this cool stool – comfort. Available in a bar stool and countertop stool design, you can add instant ahhh to the kitchen, breakfast bar or another type of bar that serves up something a little stiffer than eggs and coffee! Last but not least, the Picciotto bar stool comes in a full range of colors and patterns, and like a hat that you wear, these stools reflect your sense of style. Hats off to this one! For more information, click here.

My Office/Showroom nearly always functions as a shop, with virtually anything in it being up for sale at any given time. ‘ I have been an avid collector and antique junkie for many years, so acquiring and selling things has become a natural life cycle in my business and personal life. ‘ I have learned to not become overly attached to particular pieces, as I am always shifting/gifting/selling/moving things around, and thus acquiring more. ‘ In fact, my family has become accustomed to this “here today, gone tomorrow” mentality in which anything is fair game, including artifacts in my own home. ‘ I have about 10 treasures that will always remain in my possession (the inspiration items that mean so very much to me) and remain NFS-not including my three “Jewels” and my “Prince”-aka children and my husband.

It has happened on more than one occasion where I have been asked “Didn’t we used to have a different lamp here?” ‘ Like my love for fashion and searching for beautiful things, I am always craving something new and different for my own spaces.

The look of my Office + Showroom has changed ‘ along with my latest art exhibits. Since I initially opened my latest Showroom in the West Town Neighborhood of Chicago last year (check out a post featuring the original decor here), I wanted to share the changes and ‘ the current state of the BID headquarters. We have gone through changes all along- this keeps our inventory evolving and introduces our clients to many new and different artists and artifacts. Along with the virtual changes, we are thrilled to be aligned with the most amazing new clients- it is a pretty thrilling time on Grand Avenue.

If you are in the neighborhood, I’d love for you to stop by. ‘ As we all know, everything looks much better in person!

Buckingham Interiors + Design 1820 W. Grand Avenue, Chicago. ‘ All art and artifacts are available for relocation into your home-as always- but may change at any time

Check out these modern black and white animal print tiles by Bardelli – from their Mezza collection boasting four fun print designs: pig, duck, fish, and chicken. Each animal print is made up of two tile pieces, black on white. You can get totally creative with these tiles and arrange them in any way your heart desires, so that there are literally endless amounts of designs and patterns that can come to life. What a neat idea! All of the images here show how these tiles can be super fun and modern, even though the idea behind them is quite quirky. Absolutely love the fish tiles in that rustic bathroom – do you have a favorite? Visit Bardelli for more info and inspiration.

Wall tiles are an excellent way to create a unique interior atmosphere and maybe these modern Boudoir wall tiles by Villeroy&Boch can provide some inspiration. They ooze a modern glamor and elegance that is hard to beat. Glossy and mysterious, this tile collection can be put together to create different patterns and designs. You can use them to cover entire walls, to create an accent wall or to design decorative details for your walls like a border or stripe. They are especially stylish and Villeroy&Boch has described this collection as “extravagant and high quality – a concept for intimate confessions”. They do seem to hold secrets, don’t they? But try as you might, these walls won’t talk – they’re made to be admired only. Visit Villeroy&Boch to find out more.

Minimo is the newest kitchen faucet by Gessi and its minimal design will surely intrigue you. It’s perfectly clear that minimalism was the inspiration for this awesome faucet and its sleek, ultra thin swivel spout. Super skinny kitchen faucets such as this one are not very common, so its design really separates it from the rest and gives it a unique edge. If you have a modern, streamlined kitchen, wouldn’t this be the most perfectly fitting faucet you could imagine? We sure think so. Visit Gessi for more info.