There is nothing like getting out of town to open your eyes to the world. We sometimes get into our Charleston routine and don’t look up from our desks. That is why MDI loves to road trip! Chicago’s architecture is not the only thing we enjoyed this past week while up at NeoCon. We enjoyed some of the big city’s more eccentric things. Well, they probably aren’t truly eccentric…just in comparison to what Charleston has to offer by way of “city sites.” What better example than the Bean aka The Cloud Gate? As the centerpiece of Millennium Park, it evokes awe, wonder, excitement, respect. What a sculptural marvel. It is made of stainless steel plates that are welded together so that they appear seamless. We couldn’t resist…

Doesn’t the architecture make you want to go into this Target?  Do you think their inventory is fancier that the one at Citadel Mall?

Chicago’s Crown Fountain…is it a fountain or is it art?  We say, both.  Perhaps the most notable feature is that it is interactive.  We love the idea of people enjoying the water, seeing a friend’s face on the structure.

There you have it…an ever so brief glimpse at our sightseeing in Chicago.  As Charleston Designers, we are stimulated by our city’s historical architecture daily.  We are inspired by creative restaurant interiors, new fabrics and furniture, maybe even an abstract painting.  But we like to stretch beyond our usual drive across the Ravenel Bridge.  Here are some things that we hope to bring home from Chicago: we need to continue to look for creative interactions with items of art and of function, something can be purposeful and well executed but with an element of whimsy, it can help to go back and study some of the greats (think Frank Lloyd Wright), it is always better to be inspired together.  Next week, we are excited to share images and product from Neocon.  Enjoy your weekend and we’ll see you next week.