• Design Spotlight,  Featured,  Photography,  Print Edition

    Behind the camera:
    Feinknopf Photography 

    Photography has been an important tool in documenting the human experience since early experiments in the heliograph and daguerreotype captivated both innovator and subject alike nearly two centuries ago. It is an art and practice in visual communication; both objective and subjective in recording the cultural, social, and natural world.  It is a craft that is arguably one of the…

  • Featured,  Form

    Layer and texture

    Amy Kartheiser, principal designer at Amy Kartheiser Design in Chicago, Illinois, discovered a love for design while working on a personal project. Though her background is in business, Kartheiser grew up with design in her blood and when working on her first condominium—involved in designing an entire interior from floor to ceiling with the help of her mom, who is…

  • Creative Endeavors,  Featured,  Print Edition

    Precious bonds 

    There is something both timeless and romantic to the narrative of precious stones and metals. It is an industry that has transcended as its artisans and designers instill their skill and passion into every polished diamond and each finely wrought metal. There is a story to be told, one of nuanced characteristics that make each stone and metal unique, and…

  • Featured,  Form

    Varied in form

    It was a home economics textbook that led Chicago-based fashion designer Masha Titievsky to discover the career opportunities in the field. Then, a high school student with an interest in figure drawing—and a path carved in business—she set out to merge the two tracks; later studying fashion and entrepreneurship at institutions like Parsons School of Design in New York City,…

  • Design Spotlight,  Print Edition

    Dream boat

    Water, in its many forms, could be considered a first and final frontier. A fundamental element of survival, its freshwater bodies are a priceless resource and have led to vast, complex cities developed at its shorelines. Its waterways have proven to be vital conduits for the transportation of commercial goods and services, and in the Great Lakes region, offer a…

  • Creative Endeavors

    Purposeful rebuild

    Though the idea of sustainability is often associated with environmental impact, an organization in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood is adding social and economic sustainability to the circuit. Rebuilding Exchange is a nonprofit, social enterprise that strives to create value in its surrounding communities by repurposing discarded building materials—from architectural salvage down to plumbing fixtures—and responsibly developing Chicago’s underserved communities through education…

  • Featured,  Form,  Print Edition

    Modern lodge

    Reposed on a cresting dune, this contemporary, coastal lodge is built for the drama of the offshore shoals, turbulent weather, and proud lighthouses that line the Lake Michigan waterscape. It is a home whose beauty is in its implied simplicity, honest materials, and integrated design; where its rich tones are matched only by its memories as a family reprieve in…

  • Architecture,  Featured,  Form,  Print Edition

    Aimee P.C. Buccellato, LEED AP

    Aimee P.C. Buccellato, LEED AP, partner at Buccellato Design LLC in South Bend, Indiana, and Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture, was drawn to the beautiful and complex process of design and architecture early on in life. From Lego building blocks, drawings, and summer visits to her mother’s childhood home—a Pompeiian villa replica—to witnessing…

  • Creative Endeavors,  Featured

    Style Profile: Everyday USA

    Usually when designing a residential interior, the goal is to create a timeless space that captures homeowners’ personalities while also anticipating their growth. When the time came for Grand Rapids, Michigan-based interior design firm, Vision Interiors by Visbeen Architects, LLC to craft an interior for a young, growing family in East Grand Rapids, Michigan, the team exercised a timeless new…