Visiting Chicago: The Hotel Lincoln

Last week, I mentioned that my husband Adam and I were taking a brief trip to Chicago to celebrate our first wedding anniversary a bit early (it's today, btw!). We left on Thursday and arrived back in Philadelphia last night, so it was a quick couple of days.

I'll highlight more of our trip this week, but I wanted to begin by spotlighting our hotel in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood called the Hotel Lincoln. It was a fun, quirky place that I found myself wanting to photograph and share with you all. 

Sneak a peek, won't you?

The lobby of any hotel provides guests with a first impression of their overall stay, and the lobby of the Hotel  Lincoln had a smart, curated look to it that I immediately appreciated.

There was an eye-catching gallery wall that greeted guests as they entered and drew attention to a second-floor study and computer area.

Just look at those light fixtures! And the patterned carpeting! 

It sure beat the hum-drum aesthetics in most hotels.

And our room--though on the small side--continued the attention to bold, vintage-inspired details.

Walls were covered in a cozy grasscloth and a bevy of fabrics (including tweed, cut velvet, and chevron wool carpeting) were modernly masculine. Our headboard was an interesting touch: it was a screenprint of an abstract portrait of Abe Lincoln on a large canvas curtain.

(all images via Meet Me in Philadelphia)

The Hotel Lincoln was pretty great all around. As someone who nearly obsesses over all things decor, I really appreciated staying in a boutique hotel that expressed a modern, hip identity...even if I was reminded of this "Portlandia" skit more than once:

(via YouTube)

****

And, on a related note, today is my first wedding anniversary! 

I cannot believe it's already been a year since I became a wife to my best friend.

The vows we shared were personal, heartfelt, and continue to guide our commitment to each other daily.

Adam, I love you with my whole heart and I feel so lucky to be your wife.

Happy Monday, all!

TGIF, 5/18/12 Edition

 Sorry for the radio silence over here this week, friends, but I'm sneaking in a post before the week is out so forgive me!

Adam and I are in Chicago for the next few days to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and we thoroughly appreciated the warm temperatures and abundant sunshine we were met with when we arrived yesterday morning.

We are taking advantages of all of your super-helpful Chicago suggestions (thank you, btw!) and plan to see as much as we can while we're here. Just last night, we visited Wrigley Field to see the Cubs/Phillies game.

The stadium was great, as were the friendly and spirited Cubs fans we sat next to. 

Our hometown heroes beat the Cubs 8-7. It was a good night.

Chi-Town has been wonderful so far and we still have a few more days to see more!

Have a great weekend, blog friends.

And for those of you off to Blogfest next week, have an awesome time!

Chi-Town Recommendations Wanted!

At the end of this week, Adam and I will be heading to Chicago to enjoy a quick-but-fun first wedding anniversary celebration. I'm somewhat embarrassed to say this, but I've never been to Chicago before and everything I know about the city comes from Oprah and John Hughes movies (seriously).

So, I turn to you all.

What are some must-do activities in Chicago?

We're staying in Lincoln Park and I'm looking forward to sharing details of our trip next week.

Got a favorite Chicago place to visit?

I'd love to fit in a design-related spot or two, too!

Hotel Monaco Philadelphia at Independence Mall

Philadelphia is a real tourist town and my neighborhood in particular, just a few short blocks from Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and The National Constitution Center, is a prime place to stay. However, until very recently, there weren't too many accommodations within walking distance with a unique and fun take on hotel stays, until now.

A new hotel, called the Hotel Monaco Philadelphia, is being completed by the Kimpton Hotel Group and when I saw some preview shots of their rooms, I knew I had to share them.

(all via Hotel Monaco Philadelphia)

The Hotel Monaco Philadelphia is slated to open on November 1st and I hope that these sneak peak shots will have you anxiously planning your next trip to Philly. The brave and bold designs in this sneak peak suggest that the Hotel Monaco Philadelphia will a great spot for both tourists and design enthusiasts.

Have I intrigued you to finally visit Philly?

It's such a unique city, filled with fabulous restaurants, incomparable historical significance, obsessive sports fans and, now, one more spectacular-looking place to stay. 

Black in the Bathroom

On Friday, I felt a rush of inspiration from this dashing dining room with its bold black ceiling and lantern.

(via Dwellers Without Decorators)

Adding black to a room, even to often-ignored element like a ceiling, may seem like something only Lydia Deetz would do but...

...I decided to go for it.

If it's good enough for Lydia, it's good enough for me.

I wanted to paint the tiniest ceiling in my apartment black, specifically my bathroom. I've adding several black and white elements to my bathroom in the last few months, including my custom monogrammed shower curtain and custom fabric-covered tissue box, so the ceiling felt like a nice complement.

Around lunchtime on Friday, I began to paint.
I chose "Francesca" from Martha Stewart for Home Depot paint and taped off the ceiling's edge quickly.

Three coats was all it took to get an even finish and a whole new look for the tiny space.

That's when I installed a pretty new fixture over a flushmount bulb in the ceiling (Ikea's Vate ceiling lamp).

Though paper, the Vate fixture felt much more substantial and permanent, as well as being reminiscent of the lantern used in the inspiration photo.

Now, the whole bathroom feels more snazzy. Check it out:

In a rental bathroom with no special details (like mine), a black ceiling adds some visual interest. 

I couldn't be happier with a little black in the bathroom.

TGIF, 5/4/12 Edition

Whoops, I'm a little late on my usual Friday morning TGIF post but it's all for good reason.

The reason?

This is happening somewhere in my home and I'm in the middle of it:

(via Dwellers Without Decorators)

Actually, I'm taking a break and going to get back to work.

Can you guess, specifically, what I'm doing?

All will be revealed next week, blog buddies.

Tah-tah 'til then!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is a very special day--it's my wonderful mother's birthday.

I write about my mom often on this blog, mentioning how she's helped me so many times on projects, but she is so much more to me than her creative skills. Our relationship has taken many turns, as most do, and over the years I have come to recognize her unending generosity and support, her sage advice, her hardworking nature, her intelligence and her kindness.

She is the kind of mother, friend and woman I aspire everyday to be. 

Happy birthday, Mom.

I love you!