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Dream Home 2012

April 13, 2012

Wednesday night Kristy and I had the pleasure of previewing the 2012 Dream Home at the Merchandise Mart. Some of the city’s leading interior designers collaborated with the the Mart’s incredible showrooms to design these unique and sophisticated rooms.

We wanted to share a few of our favorites with you … and where better to start than this stunning kitchen?

(Most of the photography is from the brochure we were given, done by Dave Burk Photography. Because there were so many people in each room for the event, it was difficult to get many of our own pictures … some rooms were very crowded with admirers!)

Gorgeous, right?

We swooned over the thick slab marble countertops, the crisp and clean custom cabinetry from Plain & Fancy, the glass-front cabinets painted black inside …

We loved the cozy butcher block table that was an extension of the island, perfect for a cozy dinner for two, breakfast for the kids or homework area.

The adjacent wall housed inset glass-front cabinets and a whole row of beverage refrigeration!

Here is my little snapshot … I cropped out some of the people …

I want this refrigerator!

And how’s this for a cute idea? Instead of the traditional chalkboards you see in a kitchen, they used pretty antique mirrors.

(We are trying to figure out what kind of marker you can write on a mirror with that will erase? Does anyone know? Maybe just a Crayola Washable?)

We also loved the dining room for its flexibility in functioning just as easily for large scale entertaining as for intimate gatherings.

The large reclaimed wood and iron table pushed up to a banquette sofa by Henredon serves as a place to dine or lounge. One of the designers suggested using the table to serve food buffet-style while your guests sit at the glass “Bubbles” table. It’s a great way to turn a “used-for-special-occasions” dining room into an every day living space.

We especially loved the huge sea urchin from Holly Hunt hanging on the back wall!

And check out this outdoor patio … the pergola is draped in rectractable sunbrella fabric for a waterfall effect. With that fantastic chandelier, lamps and upholstered chairs the idea was to create a space that felt as comfortable and stylish as indoors.

Dream Home opens to the public today, April 13.

Cheers!

Adventures at the Mart

April 11, 2012

Ok … this is me and the lovely Kristy Sweeney during our trip to the Merchandise Mart today. Stay tuned for a more complete introduction to this fabulous lady, designer, Mom, singer and friend. She is the newest addition to Swoon Interiors, Inc. and I am anxious to show you pictures of the amazing transformation she has made to her own home and for her to share with you a little bit about herself. A whole post all about her is in the works …

In the meantime, I will share with you a few snapshots of some of the dazzling eye candy we were enticed by today at the Mart.

One of our first stops was the Duralee showroom. We got caught up ooogling all of their lovely, colorful fabrics. They are really trying to take more traditional prints and bring them out in new, more modern colorways …

These would be charming in a young girl’s room.

I was excited to get a glimpse of John Robshaw’s new swoonworthy collection designed especially for Duralee. It is so new, in fact, that they still only have the swatch books.

We may have stayed a little too long in this next showroom, but we couldn’t help ourselves … everything just sparkled with sophistication and glamour. I seriously want to replace all of my light fixtures with ones from this showroom …

Gorgeous sconces and table lamps too.

I really liked these pieces with acrylic legs … a nice modern twist on more traditional pieces.

How beautiful is this silver leaf armoire? It would light up a room.

This whole set up makes me want to have a pool in my backyard. (And unlimited time to lounge.)

More gorgeous textiles …

I’m always a sucker for a lovely tufted anything … but I especially like the shape of this sofa … and my Kyle would love that table.

We really liked this idea for a long wall that we saw in Holly Hunt …

… a nice way to add architectural interest. I would love scouring the flea markets for antique gates like these.

And finally …

Bathtub Heaven.

Easter Centerpieces

April 6, 2012

I hope everyone has a lovely Easter weekend. Since we are not hosting brunch this year and just returned from vacation … I must admit, all of my pretty spring/Easter decorations are still in a box … but I thought I’d share a few of my favorite centerpiece ideas from Pinterest.

How sweet is this idea? Filling eggshells with dirt, succulents and other tiny blooming flowers. After brunch, you could plant them in the garden (as long as your hubby will do the dishes!)