Furnished Friday...Neocon & the Merch Mart

I recently came to the realization that becoming a lawyer was my fathers dream for me and made a tough decision to pursue my passion instead, enrolling in interior design school. The design industry is incredibly competitive and I have also learned very tight knit (everyone knows each other!)- it is a great industry and I am so excited to be a part of it soon, but I know its going to take a lot of hard work to make a name for myself- but it is a challenge I am willing to embrace. Besides being truly blessed to have had so much support from my family and friends, the boy and his family have been active in the industry themselves for the last four decades, making the transition that much easier for myself.

My boyfriend attends Neocon every year for his own company and on behalf of his dad's company and I have had the pleasure of accompanying him as well. This year I chose to fly in on Tuesday night (missing the first two days of the convention) but did not miss the opportunity to hear Ian Schrager speak. We spent the morning walking around the extensive Merchandise Mart, which consisted of me swooning over the textiles on display. I am 100% smitten with Romo and thoroughly enjoyed their showroom, but I also discovered a new (to me)  line, that I cant believe has flown below my radar for so long- Elitis. I am a total lover of dramatic wall effects- such as painting walls a dark color, or covering them with rich, textured wallpaper and both Romo and Elitis have plenty of wallpapers for me to choose from.

SCHUMACHER | The Schumacher Display Window- I love chinoiserie, I absolutely do, and would love to do a  chinoiserie room or home for a future client, but it is totally not my style. I will admit it is 100% beautiful and i just love how the patterns mix and match beautifully. 

ROMO | This fabric is so me. Neutral greys+ animal print+ luxurious fabric (velvet) I would love to upholster a headboard in this grey fabric- a really dramatic oversized headboard, and then make accent pillows out of the lighter fabric. AMAZE

ELITIS | How amazing is this textured wallpaper- In my future home I plan on using this in the office - the boy would totally appreciate it, its so masculine and sexy. 

ELITIS- animal print. I just love it. This cognac colored Big Croco wallpaper was a million times better in person, although this photograph does a pretty good job of capturing its fabulousness. I'd love to wallpaper a guest bedroom in my miami home in this fabric and then contrast it with white leather furniture and really clean white linens with khaki embroidery. 

ROMO- another fabulous Romo print but totally different from the first one I showed.  I am thinking I need to buy myself a home in the Hamptons to fully make justice of these prints. Any takers?

ELITIS | so I am definitely not a mother yet, actually very far from it, but I am already designing my future girls bedrooms. I love pink- its my favorite color, but I now how fickle little girls can be and how fast they grow up, so I dont want to create a super girly/young room- I definitely want to create a girly room, but one they can grow with and this poppy wallpaper is a great option. 

a not so great image of Ian Schrager speaking...

Travel Thursday....Chicago, IL

So while Chicago may not be exactly the sexiest or most exotic location, the boy and I visit often (monthly about) as his family is still in Chicago and it is probably the easiest two hour flight (thank you Southwest for providing service from LGA to Midway!).  Since I sometimes feel like I split my life between Chicago and NYC, I think this architecturally fabulous city deserves its own post. 

While the boy has been out here since Saturday, I flew in Tuesday night so as to catch the last day of Neocon (click on the link to discover what Neocon is- and wait until tomorrow for some updates on what I saw at Neocon!). 

In the last three years of visiting Chicago religiously I have compiled a list of to do's, to see's, and to stay's for friends and family visiting the windy city. This list is by no means comprehensive but is definitely a starting point and has enough to keep you busy for a long weekend. 

I had the pleasure of hearing Ian Schrager speak yesterday at Neocon. It was all very appropriate especially considering he just opened his first Chicago Hotel- the Public, photographed above. The Public Hotel also houses The Pump room, the sexy and always lively bar, a great place to check out even if you choose not to stay at the hotel. Although, what I find most interesting is Schrager's public statement that he plans on keeping rates at the hotel affordable- around $200. 

Chicago's food scene seems to be ever expanding and while I am always open to trying new spots, some of my favorites are so delicious and can be found no where so I highly suggest you dont skip out on them. Yolk is this great, inexpensive brunch spot that is always crowded unfortunately. If you go early or just drop by to put your name in, its not as painful. My absolute, most favorite restaurant in Chicago, RL does take reservations (Thank you opentable.com), just make sure to book them WAY in advance. RL is the ONLY Ralph Lauren restaurant and staying true to the RL mantra, it will not leave you disappointed. The decor is exactly what you would expect - it mimics the wood panelling and buttery leathers you find at any RL store. The food manages to surpass the decor and I dont even know how that is possible because I give the decor a 10 (insider tip: lobster bisque, dover sole, steak salad). For dinner Table 52 is quite the little romantic spot. As the story goes, Oprah cut some deal with her chef basically stating that if he stayed with her for a certain number of years, she would help him open his own restaurant. Table 52 is quaint and the food is delicate and delicious. 

The best time to visit Chicago is by far in the summer. While the temperature heats up there is always a cool breeze. The city is architecturally divine and the river cruise is the best way to really see the architecture and learn the stories behind the buildings. The city is very walkable but from personal experience I only suggest doing one museum a day- all of the museums are enormous and have so much to see, its simply too exhausting to try to jam it all in one day. 
Photos courtesy of http://www.citypass.com & http://www.panoramio.com/photo/66068