Monday, April 15, 2013

Merchandise Mart Trip

The busy week continued with a trip up to Chicago touring showrooms at the Merchandise Mart in downtown! Several of us IED students boarded an early train, on our way to the hub of interior design in Illinois.

Our first stop was the IIDA headquarters. Here, we heard a little bit about IIDA and the design industry before getting a tour of their LEED Gold Certified space.



Next, we headed over to izzy+ showroom. We got to try out all their furniture pieces and hear about all the products they have.  izzy+ is a young company (began in 2001) that sells furniture to designers.   http://www.izzyplus.com/

 izzy+ had a great magnetic concept board

 After the tour, they kindly let us take home some samples!

The group at izzy+


After lunch, the group headed on to Kravet for the next showroom tour. Kravet is a home furnishings company that has high end fabrics and finishes for residential design. Their showroom housed countless materials from designers such as Ralph Lauren and Jonathan Adler that can be used for upholstery, drappery, etc.   http://www.kravet.com/

Jonathan Adler collection on display at Kravet


After Kravet, we hopped over to the Maya Romanoff showroom to learn about their incredible wall covering.  We were told several stories behind the hand crafted materials that make up the amazing collection of wall coverings.  Each of the coverings have their own special story of how it is made and who makes them as well as the part of the world they come from.   http://www.mayaromanoff.com/

 Wall coverings on display

Covering called "Bedazzled"

More free samples!

Materials can also be used as counter tops or table tops



Coverings used on light fixture shades


Our last stop of the day was a home furnishings showroom called CAI Designs. They offer luxury accessories and furniture for every taste and lifestyle.  http://www.caidesigns.net/index.asp




At the end of the day, our group dispersed and went our own ways. A few of us stayed back and wandered over to the Trump Tower to see the wonderful architecture and beautiful interior. We were immediately greeted in the hotel lobby where we were told countless facts about the building and Mr. Trump's obsessive love for French limestone and zebrawood and Italian marble. Talk about expensive taste... The man who greeted us in the lobby allowed us to travel up to the 16th floor which is also the first tier of the three tiered building. Here, we were greeted by another kind and helpful man who also gave us numerous facts about the building as well as the surrounding architecture. It was such an unexpected but amazing experience!

IIDC Annual Capital Day

On Wednesday, April 11th a large group of us IED students jumped on a bus and rode down to Springfield for the day. The day began setting up some of our projects in the main corridor of the State Capitol to show off our hard work!
Then the bus took us over to Resource One a few blocks away. This is a furniture showroom in downtown Springfield that doubled as our meeting grounds for the day. Here, we were briefed on the rundown for the day's activities and our lobbyist gave us a few tips. Then we were paired up with a professional designer and headed over to the State Capitol to meet with some legislators to "educate them on the importance of a Practice Act for Registered Interior Designers, otherwise known as the Economic Opportunity Act". While wandering around, attempting to navigate the century old building, we were able to see the amazing architecture that is the State Capitol.
Excuse my lack of photography skills...

After exploring the State Capitol Building and the Stratton Building and talking with legislators, we headed off to lunch then over to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum for a special guest speaker and tour. We heard the story of the inspiration and research behind the design of the museum and the path it takes through Lincoln's life from childhood to assassination.
We weren't allowed to take photos once inside each exhibit so here are a few that we were able to snap before entering!
 The Presidential Library





If you haven't seen the museum yet, it is definitely worth the trip down to central Illinois!


After the tour, we headed back to Resource One for the reception. Here, we relaxed and talked with the professional designers and invited the legislators to join!



The whole group with Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford!
Such a great experience to meet legislators, professional designers, and networking. If you were unable to make it this year, join us next year!

Monthly Meeting of April

This is has been a very busy month for our IIDA chapter! So much involvement and many events going on in the month of April!

During our monthly meeting, our very own Alyssa Hall's mother Donna Hall came to talk to us and tell us about her business and role as an interior designer in Hinsdale, IL. Donna has over 12 years of experience in interior design and has created her very own residential company, Savvy Interior Design Inc. She told us about some of her best and worst experiences over the years and encouraged us to make the best of the endless possibilities in the design world.

You can read more about Donna Hall, her business, and view her projects at http://www.savvyinteriordesign.com/index.php

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Get to know your board!!



Want to know who is on your board?? Read on and find out!



Mary Kate Duffy
I'm from the Chicago South suburb of Lansing, IL.  I chose to major in interior design because I've always been creative, but not artistic enough to go into the fine arts, and I whenever I would watch home makeover shows on TV, I'd always think, "hey, that looks really fun and I'd like to do that!"  I joined IIDA my freshman year and wasn't very involved, but as I went to more meetings and did more with the club, I realized it was giving me all of these cool opportunities to meet people and go places that I would have never had otherwise.  Being President has opened my eyes to what it's really like to run a club like this, and it's been challenging but I really love it.  I have a passion for helping people and IIDA has given me an outlet to help those who are in the same position I was 4 years ago, so getting to expose other students to the things I've been exposed to in the industry is very rewarding.
Elana Zusman
My name is Elana Zussman. I am a senior and Vice President of IIDA.  I am from Buffalo Grove. Illinois. I chose Interior Design because I used to redo my room all the time when I was younger.  I would rearrange my furniture and create zones in my room for doing certain activities.  I started watching HGTV and learned what Interior Design was and knew that is what I wanted to do. I like being on board because it is great to be apart of a club that does a lot of activities for our major.  Being on board you can talk and become friends with other people who want the same thing out of our experiences and want to share them with the other people in the major.  It is a great way to get involved and learn something from everyone.
 

Victor Lee
My name is Victor Lee, and I'm proudly the current GA of IIDA ISU chapter. 
I've always had a passion to live smart and comfortably, so interior design was a no brainer to me. What I love most about being with IIDA, is that I am constantly connected to the real world. Through IIDA, I've received an abundant number of opportunities to attend valuable events such as student mentoring week, guest speakers, continuing education, and field trips to Chicago, Merchandise Mart, and many other design/architecture firms. 
What you learn in school is undoubtedly important, but experiences outside the classroom a lot of times is what makes you stand out in a crowd of (friendly) competitors. Giving yourself an edge through IIDA is definitely a smart and fun choice, and I would absolutely recommend everyone in our sequence to make the best out of our professional student organization. 

Rachel Bohlmann
I'm from Ashkum a small farm town about an hour north of here. I've always loved design and have been interested in it. My Dad's an architect so I was lucky and able to grow up around the design industry, which played a big part in why I chose this major. I love all the detail that goes along with design. I enjoy being on the board because I get to help bring in speakers and make other fun design events happen.
 

Kathryn Cullen
Kathryn Cullen: Junior and the IIDA Treasurer. Born in North Carolina but moved to Bloomington, Illinois when I was a baby, and I have been here ever since. I have always had a love for design and art, and at age 8 I realized I wanted to study interior design when I grew up. I have been in the program since 2010 and continue to love design more and more with every class that I take. I have also been an IIDA member since I was a freshman and this is my first time on the board... and I love it! I am currently obsessed with everything grey and have an addiction with coffee, skinny jeans, and my bright red planner.



Lindsey Jungk
I am a junior Interior & Environmental Design major here at ISU. I am from a small rural town in southern Illinois called Jerseyville where I live on a farm.  I have always loved ISU, as my parents and older sister are alums of ISU. I’ve always been interested in interior design since I was a child, deciding how to arrange my room and what my dream house would be like. I pursued the dream of an interior designer because my sister shared this interest, as she has a degree in IED. I am also on the board for ISU’s chapter of IIDA as the Public Relations Chair. I notify everyone about meetings and events within our chapter, as well as the state chapter. I am responsible for getting students to join our chapter and continually get members involved. I also help other board members when they need help with their own duties. It is an important and fun chair with differing tasks!

Kristina Michelsen
My name is Kristina Michelsen, and I am finishing up my Junior year as an IED major with a minor in Business Administration. I am from the Northwest Suburbs, and I chose interior Design because my father had been a project manager at McHugh Construction in Chicago, and now works in Real Estate Development for Calamos Investments in Naperville. This summer, I am picking between two firms for an internship on hospitality or corporate design.  I love being on the board of the IIDA ISU Chapter because it is a fantastic addition to your resume, and it provides multiple opportunities to network, to gain leadership skills, and to make lasting friendships.
 


Caitlyn Roberts
Hello!! Okay I chose interior design because my grandpa designed custom range/stove hoods for high end homes throughout the Chicago land area and I always enjoyed watching him work and learning from him. I like being on the board because it keeps me up to date with what is going on in the department and from the career stand point. I enjoy setting goals for myself and working hard and being on the board pushes me to do just that. I enjoy being surrounded by IIDA and it's members. I believe it had taught me a lot about the profession and interior design in general. I am from Roscoe, Illinois.

Kayla McDonough
I am Kayla McDonough. I am a senior this year in IED.  I am from southern Illinois, by St. Louis.  I chose Interior Design because I love being creative and helping people, interior design is the best of both.  I am the service chair and I love being on the board.  I like organizing volunteer and service work for IIDA to do together.  


Kurstin Holcom
I am a senior here at ISU! I am the chapter’s webmaster. I am from the Southside of Chicago, near Midway airport. I am in charge of all of the posts you see here on the blog and event pages on the Facebook page. I really enjoy being a part of the board. It allows me to give input on ways to make our chapter better. It also allows me to be more involved in events and what is going on in the design industry. It is also a great way to network and make connections! I chose design because I always wanted to help people. I also wanted be able to use creativity in the work that I do. Design is the best of both of those!  

IIDA Mentor Week



Take a look at some of the experiences that people from our chapter had this year in the Mentor Week!



The IIDA Mentoring Day was one of the most beneficial experiences I have ever had.  Being able to spend the day with a professional in the design industry allowed me to experience what it would be like to work day by day in this field.  I learned a lot and the people I met were friendly and welcoming.  My eyes were opened up to new technologies and attributes.  I now know that I will always have a future contact to help me in the future as well as a mentor for life.  I think that it is definitely worth your while to take the time to be part of IIDA mentoring week in the future.
 -Justine Scrimilla (Sophomore)

For IIDA Mentor Week, I visited Farnsworth Group’s office in Peoria, IL and shadowed Sarah Kathro. Sarah is one of three interior designers at the firm. This company is an all-inclusive business incorporating all aspects of design in one building: architects, engineers, surveyors and designers. When I visited, I sat in on a meeting where Sarah walked the architects through her design ideas involving paint colors, flooring, ceiling patterns and discussed the options as well as giving her recommendations for the project. Sarah let me choose finishes for a doctor’s office and place them into a finish plan. I utilized the company’s library and called product companies to ask questions about specifications of their projects. It was great to see how every little detail goes into the design process in the real world. I learned a lot throughout the day and didn’t hesitate to ask any questions. Overall it was a wonderful experience and I recommend everyone should participate in IIDA Mentor Week, as it is not only a great experience, but you are making connections and you get a glimpse into how things are run in the real world.
-          Lindsey Jungk (Junior)


This is the first time I participated in the IIDA Mentor week. I had a fabulous time! I wish I would have taken advantage of this opportunity before, because it was such a great experience. I visited the Inscape showroom in the Merchandise Mart and shadowed Suasan Sahar. I started off by sitting in on a conference call about the design of the new showroom for NeoCon. I then got a tour and really just spent the day hanging out and helping where I could. I helped with some design issues they were having and felt that I was truly helping, and not just looked at as “some student”. I think the best part was all the one on one time I got with my designer. It allowed me to ask questions that I may not have the opportunity to ask in group settings. I also used this time to network and make some connections on the Merchandise Mart! I ended my day with getting some valuable feedback on my portfolio and resume! I definitely recommend everyone take advantage of this opportunity!! 
- Kurstin Holcom (Senior)