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If you want to learn about sustainable housing, be sure to check out the Smart Home at the Science and Industry Museum in Chicago. I had a chance to tour it recently and found the free standing structure on the Museum grounds to be fascinating and informative. It is modern and modular, built...
I recently viewed a Japanese Kimono exhibit at the Chicago Art Institute and was absolutely amazed with the variety and changes in the this, the national dress of Japan, between the years of 1915-1940. Kimono actually means...
Experiencing Chicago from the water is a whole different experience than from land. After crossing the lake with several hours with only sea and sky surrounding us, the hint of the skyline was a welcome and stunning view. It seemed impossible to me that what appeared to be tumbled piles of...
I have always wanted to go this Art Extravaganza and this year I got my wish. Expanding over the entire 12th floor of the Merchandise Mart, Art Chicago is worth a trip to the Windy City if you want to see some of what’s current and happening in the art world. It happens every year […]
I recently tasted and snacked and nibbled my way through Chicago. Not hard to do. Plenty of great restaurants in the Windy City. This was different. A friend and I took a Tastebud Tours, a culinary adventure that took us to a variety of eateries in the Gold Coast area, exposing us to hot...
“Retail Design is all about creating an experience,” I was told recently at a program at Kendall College of Art and Design, a little jewel of a school in Grand Rapids, MI. One of the Interior Design instructors made this remark when I commented on how challenging it must be to teach...
Whenever I go to Primitive at 130 North Jefferson Street in the Fulton River District of Chicago, I wonder what to call it. A store? A showroom? A meditation site? A museum? A party palace? It’s all of those places and more. For me it’s like taking a trip to an exotic destination. The...
I arrived in Chicago the day AFTER the big snowstorm expecting to see lots of snow and I did. What I didn’t expect and thoroughly enjoyed were the hundred colorful and artistic acrylic HEARTS lined up on both sides of Michigan Avenue. The Hearts, a project sponsored by Northwestern’s Bluhm...
Wow! I looked at my blog stats page recently and noted that I had done 124 posts. In Old Media terms, this is 124 articles (of sorts). I never dreamed when I launched DesignDestinations in August of 2009 I would find this so much fun, be so stimulating and receive such positive responses. I...
Last week I had an opportunity to attend SOFA in Chicago. No, I didn’t lounge around in a furniture store. SOFA is a massive and annual art happening in Chicago. New York and Sante Fe also have SOFA events. The Chicago event occurs at Navy Pier the first weekend in November. It’s a three-day...