Hidden Art

The Hidden Art Shop is brilliant! I could blog about nothing but its products. I stumbled upon it while searching for retro chairs, and I fell in love with its range, especially the Soho # line.

Soho Solo in Green


Soho Two in Brick Red


Soho Three in Navy and in Gold




On a final note, the inner greenie in me loves this leather grocery bag.


It's a shame they don't deliver to the USA!

Crush(es) of the day

I believe this mirror from Pottery Barn would make a great focal point in any room hung side by side, or a couple of inches above the other, also side by side for a more artistic look.







Now this next mirror looks great the way it is, but I think it would look even better with a vessel sink. I love its simplicity and thick wooden frame. Hmmm, wondering how beautiful it would look with 2 certain granite colors from my fiancee's collection. Golden Leaf and Santa Cecilia Light, I'm totally looking at you.

Daily crush

I'm loving the stainless steel simplicity of these overlapping square wall art pieces from West Elm.

Squared

Bare to Almost There to There

I’m ridiculously excited about redecorating our new condo, and I’m doing it over the internet and phone. Where there’s a will, there’s a way people! I strongly believe that the kitchen is the heart of every home, and the kitchen in our condo looks like it went under cardiac arrest and then some. I don’t care much for the way it looks with its white cabinets and wood paneling.

I'm unimpressed.

This is where my fiancee’s magnificent work comes in (Ed. note: shameless plug ahead); he works wonders with granite countertops, and I have my heart set on this beautiful emerald pearl color. At first I wanted to go for a black shade, but I fell in love with the Emerald Pearl's vivid green hue and pearl tones. I’m thinking of pairing it with honey maple cabinets and painting the walls a richer shade of ivory.

I’m going to keep posting entries of this redecorating process with pictures of our currently naked, sad house through its makeover, step by step, until it becomes the home that we will spend our first married years together in.


-Dalia

Official blog picture

Just a quick note where credit is needed. The official picture of this blog portrays just how gorgeous Chicago is. It was taken by the very talented Trey Ratcliffe in High Dynamic Range. You can check out his amazing work either on his his official website, or on his flickr profile.

And so it begins...

So not exactly 100% Chicagoan... yet. Only half of this duo is. The mademoiselle (soon to be madame) will arrive in Chicago by the end of 2007, if all goes as planned.

We are an engaged couple. Aladdin is settled in a Chicago suburb, waiting for his fair lady to join him. Dalia, his better half, is stuck in the Middle East waiting for a visa so they can get married, hop on a plane and live happily ever after.

Dalia will probably be posting most of the entries, seeing that she's unemployed with nothing better to do. Aladdin will participate a couple of times a week.

We were engaged December of 2006 and will be married December 22nd, 2007. We bought a condo together in a Chicago suburb a few months ago and are about to start redecorating (transcontinental style), when we came across the idea to start a blog dedicated to home and kitchen decor, furniture, accessories, and bits and pieces, related and random.

Aladdin is the vice president of Meadowbrook Homes, a family-owned homebuilding business in Willowbrook, and owns MidAmerica Granite, a granite fabrication business in Bolingbrook. Dalia is currently a student majoring in a bachelor's Marketing degree.

Through Aladdin's first-hand experience in the home building industry and granite business, and Dalia's love for the aesthetic and artistic, we hope this blog educates and entertains the readers and ourselves.


Enjoy!