I am happy to say that after three weeks of very hard work and at least two sleepless nights we created a unique dining space that shows the true creativity of an interior designers mind. The Harrington College of Design team, Megan Klock, Kevin Scott, Tomas Alvarez and myself really wowed the design industry at this years Dining by Design event to benefit DIFFA. (Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS) The design concept really came from the image seen on the back wall of Roy Lichtenstein’s Drowning Girl. We extracted the idea of the waves and translated them into the wall panels which we repeated to give depth. From there we were lucky enough to borrow the table and chairs from the Vallcucine showroom located on the first floor of the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. W saw the chairs and were really lucky that they had them availiable for use in the space. Also, my good friends over at Speakers and Events-R-Us allowed us to use the blue spot lights that really painted our space with color.

The flooring came from an architectural glass suppy company and are actually repurposed 1′x1′ samples mixed with white porceline tile we purchased at Lowes. One of my favorite details is the place setting which was mostly purchased at World Market and Ikea. The plates are actually two of the same style laying next to one another to create a wave shape. The napkin is a simple white cotton with a blue ribbon placed over the top. The glasses are three shades of blue and although they are petite they really work as a low glass giving the print in the background the attention. The lights that are on the table are actually drinking glasses that have shot glasses inside of them that house blue and white LEDs we found in the camping section at Home Depot.

Overall I think the process went rather smoothly and I’m looking forward to what next years team brings to the table.  If I had to give any advice to a team considering being apart of Dining By Design I would say nail down the concept from the beginning and elect a project manager who will responsibly hand out tasks, listen to opinions and make the necessary decisions in order to see the design to completion. My favorite comment of the event came from an older designer who compared the space to one of Valentino’s gowns featured in his documentary The Last Emperor. Not exactly what we were going for but I’ll take it. To see more images of the space check out Klick_It’s Photostream on Flickr.

What do you think of the design? Leave a comment below.

Dining in the Dark – Table with heavy black themes made for dramatic spaces and great designs. Clockwise starting on the left: A dark setting with a great ceiling light fixture, Interior Investments by Gensler Chicago and Dining by The Dobbins Group

This years Dining by Design event in Chicago which is held by DIFFA (Design Industry Foundation Fighting Aids) was a complete success. Over the coarse of three days we wined and dined while talking shop with design professionals from all over the Chicagoland area. I had the pleasure of working on the Harrington College of Design Table which allowed me to walk the floor at this great industry networking event. The table this year had a very creative edge. I have organized the table by the trends that were most relevant. Thursday night started the event with my favorite evening of Cocktails By Design. This is always the best night of the event because everyone has completed their tables and just want to have fun. I always enjoy this evening because everyone is talkative and fun. Drinks and appetizersare served and the party begins. Thi year I was lucky enough to have friends volunteer at the event and they were alot of fun to party with.

Warm Country – Another popular  trend was dining in warm, friendly environments Top Left: The Merchandise Mart Design Center designed by Scott Arthur Yerkey, Sponsor table Gabbiano Winery and crowd favorite from Richar Interiors INC

Dining Under the Stars – This very popular design theme was seen in several dining spaces. Here are a Handful of designs that really spoke to me. Top Left: Patio Dining from Stephanie Wohler Design, This dining space reminds me of the television show Brothers and Sisters on ABC designed by Melissa Edelman and another fun space from Soucie Horner LTD

More Outdoor Dining – left a showcase of artwork from Kathy Taslistz, Top Right: from the minds of RL Home and a modern designer balcony scene from the folks at Vesta Hearth and Home for CS Interiors.

White Light – Visions of white take hold of these visionary spaces. Left: Kohler designed by Susan Fredman Design Group, Le Soupir Amoureux from VOA for Artistic Tile and Gasp! by Harrington College of Design Students.

Top Left: Sponsor table from Elit by Stoli, Leopardo by Interior Architects and Allsteel by Epstein International