I don’t like the words, “trendy” and “trends” when it refers to kitchen design. Trendy almost always suggests a negative connotation, and it implies that your design will inevitable go out of style. The last thing you want to do is spend a large sum of money on your kitchen then realize it is out of style as soon as
Read moreMy husband and I are in the process of designing a small addition to the back of our brick, 1930s Cape Cod. As much as we dislike the idea of altering the architecture of the original structure, it is becoming a necessity to fit the needs of our growing boys who are headed for adolescence (btw, this scares the crap
Read moreMy client needed to update her small bath in her condo in downtown Chicago. The bath was built in the late 70s with sterile, white tile and dated fixtures. She wanted to introduce a little color, but we still needed to make it light and bright – there is no natural light in the space. We also wanted to add some texture to
Read moreTerrazzo is a custom flooring that originated in Italy. Venetians developed terrazzo floors, because they wanted to reuse leftover or broken marble chips from large, marble slab and/or tile projects. These chips of marble are laid in a pattern, then a concrete or epoxy resin is poured on top of the marble pieces. After the resin dries, the floor is ground
Read moreI have entered many rooms in houses, stores and restaurants that consist of either all warm or all cool colors. They make me yawn. When everything is the same, nothing catches your eye or provokes interest. I don’t want you to make this mistake on your next room remodel, so here is a quick lesson on color schemes and color temperatures:
Read moreEach district in Hong Kong has terrific stores, so I want to focus one of my favorites… SoHo. Take the Central-Mid-levels escalators up to Hollywood Street. Turn right onto Hollywood, then turn left on Aberdeen. There are 2 large, white buildings just up the hill on your right. This is the PMQ (Police Married Headquarters) that I wrote about in My Hong Kong
Read moreFor all you Mad Men fans who lament over the end of the series, I hear you! Not only is Mad Men a smart drama, but I am drawn to the smart set design. I decide that I can potentially like a tv show or movie based on the set design alone – it plays a big part on whether
Read moreMy friend and fellow interior designer, Betsy (who took all of the fab photos of my work), and I discussed how we totally obsess over certain furniture and accessory stores where we live. So, here’s a quick sample of just a few of my many favorites (plus one of Betsy’s). Most are located in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, and
Read moreI recently visited the Serena & Lily website, and I was pleased to find it a great source for dining chairs. I was so pleased, in fact, that I encouraged a friend to purchase the Riviera indoor/outdoor chairs. She loves them. Not to sound cliché, but they remind me of Paris. They add a great pop of color and interest to any dining room. I
Read moreGet your vintage on! Vintage furniture pieces create a statement, and they already have a history. You get to tell your friends stories about where you found a piece… it’s all about the hunt. They are typically made with stronger materials using techniques that are constructed better than the typical “big box” furniture that you have to put together yourself. Vintage pieces can
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Rachael Franceschina 