In collaboration with Aimee Estes and Kim Cernek – Director of Sky Blue Scholars, we helped give the new center a pop of color and created a fun learning environment for the kids.

The center includes 3 classrooms, play room, library niche all in an open space plan.  The bright colors work well together creating zones anchored by the Begonia pink in the back.  All circulation areas are noted in orange to help the kids with wayfinding and direction.

Consider Sky Blue Scholars in Lisle, IL for your child’s preschool, prekindergarten, and kindergarten enrichment programs.

We typically spend the week, swimming, boating and biking the roads of Lawsonia.  Lawsonia was founded by the Lawson’s of Chicago in 1888.  Now owned by the American Baptist Assembly, the Lawsonia property is home to many of it’s earliest homes including the Anne Hathaway Cottage.

It’s my favorite property as it’s architecture is replicated of English style and a rolling cedar shake rooftop that’s enchanting and nothing you’d see today.

According to their site the 4th Generation family owners, the Rysdons, maintain and rent the property.  A family treasure.

“Anne Hathaway Cottage was built in 1939 by Walter and Elsie Smith. Mrs. Smith was a native of England, independently wealthy and a women of descreet taste. She hired an english architect to design a creative reproduction of the Anne Hathaway Cottage in Stratford, England. All of the lumber used to construct the home was taken from the property, hand carved, cut, sanded and stained. The unique steelcased windows and antique furnishings were shipped over from England to integrate into the design making the finished product the most pictured home on the entire lake.“

You’ve met your match, Cork Mosaics from Jelinek Cork Mosaic Floors.  Made from recycled wine corks, the corks are cut to 1/4′h and glued to a special backing paper to create mosaic patterns.  The tile patterns are then grouted to your floor typical of a mosaic ceramic tile installation.

Cork Mosaics are recommend for bathrooms, entry, kitchens and other rooms where tile would be installed.

Kinda cool, kinda 1920’s meets 2010! I like it.

This weekend at the Geneva Art Fair, I purchased a watercolor from D. L Brown Watercolors of Warrenville, IL.  Right in my backyard, Don Brown captures small town nostalgia in watercolors with vibrant colors that mimic the storefronts and porcelain signs of the past.  The wierd thing was he drew a sign from a storefront in Le Claire IA, I pass by all the time.  Had to have it, a little piece of home.

John Caruso of Caruso Photo, captures light hearted images that tweak my smile every time I pass his booth.  I’ve started collecting photographs for a wall above my dresser.  Most are fun little images that help kick start my day.  All framed in white, it’s the little things that are fun in life.

Enter > Earth Stone Products of Illinois, makers of 100% recycled marble and granite pavers for your driveway, flooring tiles or custom back splashes.  The intricate patterns and unique mixes of granite and tile make for an interesting take on color and texture.

Locally fabricated in IL, Earth Stone Products my just be on to something new and very green in the granite industry.

Hudson Goods offers a mix of vintage fixtures and furniture.  Pair the metal flower pendant with a 40 W Squirrel Cage Tungsten Filament bulb from Rejuvenation Hardware and you have a really cool industrial fixture.

You may have appliances in stainless, but mixing your hardware with a vintage fixture can keep the space interesting and not so out of the box adding character to your space.

Naperville’s Sustainability Partners, will host a post-race party with events for kids and family.

Event details:

Saturday June 26, 2010
Naperville North High School, 10-4pm
Free event!

• Event Highlights, as posted on the Sustainability Partners Website:

• Welcome the American Solar Challenge drivers to Naperville as they across the finish line! The ASC2010 is a 1,100 mile cross country solar car race that begins in Tulsa, Ok and ends in Naperville, Ill.  Cars are designed, built and driven by university students from the U.S., Europe and Japan
• Kids Learning Center anchored by the DuPage Children’s Museum
• Showcasing sustainable solutions for your home life and transportation needs
• Solar and renewable energy car display.
• Live performances and music throughout the day.Asparagus Interiors, Elizabeth Marusin, is excited to volunteer for this event and encourages families to attend.

We checked out stores that offer vintage products as resources for design projects.

• Check out Brimfield in Andersonville, they offer vintage and antique pieces with and outdoorsy tartan twist.
• The White Attic, also in Andersonville, offers refinished vintage furniture and custom “Lamp Bar.” Clean stylized and modern.
• At Millionaire’s Rejects, in Lincoln Park, you might just uncover that high end chair or accessory at a digestible price.

I worked with the Grier family of Naperville, to remodel their kitchen and living room. They are passionate about growing plants and we decided to reuse some of their existing cabinetry. We added glass shelves above for lighting the plants and making the space appear more open. Incorporating Ice Stone countertop surface, made of recycled glass, concrete and crushed mother of pear shell. A beautiful addition and use of recycled material.

Reusing existing cabinetry and repainting are easy ways to freshen up a space and save money.

Check out the article here: “Cheap Yet Chic Updates”.