I was in Chicago yesterday and today for the ASID Design Awards and NeoCon, one of the biggest interior design trade shows.   I spent several hours yesterday wandering around the hundreds of thousands of square feet of showrooms in the Merchandise Mart, a.k.a. interior design paradise.

My jaw just about hit the ground when I arrived at the Merchandise Mart.  It’s MASSIVE.  I got some serious exercise walking up and down approximately 2,934 flights of stairs.  With my luggage.

It’s a long story.

The moral of it is that you should always check your luggage at your hotel before any activity that requires physical exertion even if it means going 8 blocks out of your way.  Your back will thank you.

After those stairs, I loved any chair that I laid my eyes on, but I do believe this particular chair was made for me.

I love me some animal print, although I’m not a fan of killing animals for their hides.  Bad, bad.

It’s a little bit out of my price range anyway.

Hexagonal cooktop anyone?  It reminds me of molecular structures.

Speaking of the kitchen, one of my favorite parts of Neocon was the complimentary food in the residential showrooms, particularly the miniature cupcakes.  I ate three on one floor.  They were delicious.

Crazy chair made out of what looks to be tinfoil.

After a few hours at the Merchandise Mart, I was on design showroom overload and decided to head over to my hotel.

It was a really cool hotel.  Whoever designed it is my new favorite person because he/she is not afraid of wallpaper and lots of it.

This morning I explored a little bit more of downtown Chicago since it was my first time there.

This is an elaborate Tiffany dome in the Cultural Center.

Of course I was attracted to this piece of art in the Cultural Center due to the subject matter.

The Bean.  Can you find me in the reflection?

A beautiful garden in Millenium Park.

The wild-looking Jay Pritzker Pavilion.

Scary pillows at the Merchandise Mart.

It was a whirlwind trip, but a good one.

Y’all come back,

Sugarlump