This year’s symposium takes place in Chicago, IL. A little over an hour drive, or a convenient hour and twenty minute train ride, made it for an easy decision to attend it this year. Hope to see you there!

Click HERE for more details.

We have painted all the walls, trim and door. We have scabbed existing but in a shameful condition hardwood floors; hung window treatments, put all sorts of furniture together, installed carpet tiles and now, all that is left are a few finishing touches.

As my side interest and a pretty recent hobby, I have painted a set of two acrylic abstract artworks for his home office. Naturally, a new space calls for a new painting. Larger and bolder, this rectangular piece evokes progress, transition in color, movement and a lot of drama. I know it will bring the space together and provide a great conversation topic.

Pictures of the finished space coming soon.

The more productive, creative and solution-driven the play, the greater the chance for more effective human development on levels ranging from analytical, innovative, social and problem solving.

The Red Rubber Ball at Work” brings forward some important early childhood research, which proves that “spontaneous play and fantasy play help children learn about the world, cope with life’s pressures, and process negative emotions such as fear, anger, and even worry”.

The book is divided in five sections: innovation, results, teamwork, leadership, and curiosity. Each part consists of 5-7 interviews with renown leaders and successful individuals, who prove the point that there is a significant connection between play and work.

I vividly recall begging for the newest and most hip toys when I was a child. Most often than not, I got to play with hand-me-down games and toys from my brother, cousins and neighbors.  Rarely did I get to enjoy a brand new toy. The feeling of disappointment sure didn’t last long, since my childhood memories are the strongest of those plays and activities that my friends and I invented ourselves and made the rules up as we went.

at play

We sure were creative kids. Being outside was a blast; we loved playing in the muddy roads right after a rain fall; using only our hands and sticks, we built canals, traps, water dams to move the rainwater between the puddles back and forth. We spent hours, sometime days on building an interior of a house in a neighborhood sandbox. The challenge was to plan the life-scale rooms, layout the bedrooms, make platform beds, chairs and tables…all from the sand, nothing else.

On the inside, I made numerous cardboard houses for my guinea pig, who ended up chowing down on the windows, doors and other elements of the house. I kept making her new paper homes, and she kept eating it up. Who would have thoughts that guinea pigs crave cardboard so much! I made Barbie houses, pillow forts, race cars with flipped around chairs and more pillows. I hosted a cooking show in my mom’s kitchen when she was at work. I wonder if she ever figured out why her spice and dry ingredients were always half-empty. My brother and I wrote news stories, TV and radio program schedules and recorded ourselves on audio tapes….our imagination was endless.

at work

Not a surprise that in my adult life, I have chosen Interior Design and Architecture as my profession, because I enjoy working in a three dimensional format, creating spaces that function, that make people feel safe, happy, motivated…you pick. I can lead or be a follower, when it comes to teamwork. I have been a class presidents numerous times, mainly because of my management skills, fearlessness and creativity that teachers liked and classmates craved. Growing up with older brother, I always ended up playing with group of kids older than me. I learned quickly the rules of hierarchy, respect and proving yourself to the team. I might have been the youngest one, but through hard work, I always found my way in. Similarly in my professional career, I have the guts, the risk-taking personality, and the “let’s see what happens” attitude that most of my peers lack. When a problem arises, my first reaction is solution-driven; the emotions come later.

How about you? What kind of childhood play do you recall? Were an outdoor or an indoor kid? Did you find joy in hands-on activities or were board and video games your thing? You too can find significant correlations between play and work. Just one more way to understand yourself better, and grow further.

I am anticipating The Reb Rubber Ball at Work to become one of my favorite cocktail table books. One of those quick reads, that you pick up in a spare moment and each page offers a word of wisdom and a topic of interest that sticks with you for ever.

RYAN BRAUN’S WATERFRONT

Yesterday was the most perfect day for a lunch on the Milwaukee River. It was an obvious choice to head to Ryan Braun’s Waterfront for a mid-day break. The old Fratello’s location, is quite possibly the best dining spot on the river. Credit must be given to Ryan Braun and his developer team for a great site selection. Plentiful of outside table seating and a giant u-shape lounge area makes it for an awesome summer cocktail destination.

SERVICE & FOOD

Despite a long wait to be seated and barely anyone in the restaurant at that hour, we received a very attentive service. We ordered from their regular menu, even though the specials sounded great. I tried the Bruschetta Salad (delicious) and two of my friends ordered the famous Fish Tacos. All dishes were brought out in a timely fashion and served in a visually pleasing way. The food tasted just as good, or better, than  it looked. Overall, we were very satisfied.

BRAND

I personally don’t find the exterior sign to be anything special. In fact, I don’t think it represents the brand very well. The interior would speak modern, sleek and big-city style, but the brand seems to have missed the boat. The serif font doesn’t do it for me, and I have mixed feeling about the water drop in place of an apostrophe. The menus are your standard laminated large scale type, which (again) I expected more from.

INTERIOR

Let’s talk about the interior. The space was done by Jose Carlino w/Peabody’s. I definitely liked the stripped concrete floors, the counter tops around a gigantic centrally-located bar, and the artwork (by Pamela Anderson w/Paint My Sky Studio).

I was not a fan of the carpet selection, the inexpensive (and painted?) barstools, and even the generic style booths. The front lounge area was nice, but seemed to have represented a more modern feel than the dining area.

Intentionally or not, the space seemed fragmented, and lacked cohesiveness. For a high-end interior, it’s just not meeting the standard that I have anticipated.

On the scale from one star (unimpressive) to five stars (genius), I have given this place the following rating in each of the categories:

1. Food – 4Stars ****

2. Service – 4Stars ****

3. Brand – 3Stars ***

4. Interior – 3Stars***

The food and the service were so good, that I would definitely go back, and sit outside, enjoy the view and the bridge being lifted up and down. I’ve had a positive experience overall. Thank you Ryan Braun’s Waterfront!

And this is what has taken over its spot!

36″x36″ canvas acrylic painting by Aga Artka (@agartka)

Built in 1910, this two and half story English mansion consists of 10 rooms, three and a half baths, a spacious kitchen with a butler’s pantry and a ballroom on the top floor. The total square footage of the house is 6,621. Since the property was a gift from a wealthy cigar baron Louis Kindling to his daughter, it had to have included a smoking room to reflect baron’s biggest passion. Amongst other unique areas, the redesign of the house encompasses a master bathroom with a spacious walk-in shower, a retreat room for the ladies, a nursery with a pass-through to the guest bathroom and an incredibly large linen’s closet. Photography was not allowed on the tour, but since the house has closed now, I am sharing some images from the brochure I received.

My very favorite room was the Living Room designed by John Anderson and Debbie Zunker with Boston Store Furniture Gallery & Interior Design Studio. I admired the use of pearl finishes on walls and furniture, the lavish upholstery and the most beautiful ‘head of a woman’ piece by Henri Matisse, which brought both feminine and classic feelings to the room.

My second favor room was the library by Tom Hoffman with Tom Hoffman Design. Although seldom used in the modern age, the library had a casual and modern feel. The color scheme derived from the original tilework on the fireplace ranged from soft greens and rich mahogany woods, to deep olive tones and vivid reds. I enjoyed the playfulness of textures and unusual furnishings and fixture selections.

The dining room was also quite tastefully done as well as the kitchen. The former designed by a team with Thomasville Home Furnishings,

the latter designed by Gay Saari with Artistic Interiors, LLC.

The third floor ballroom was definitely a nice addition. Originally a model train room, it now offers a plentiful space for entertainment, large gatherings, even intimate concerts and dance shows.

Lastly, I found Patricia Virnig’s (with Ivy Interiors) third floor bathroom a tasteful and well appointed space, with a masculine shell but casual, and relevant to both genders sense of humor.

Overall, the house underwent a huge transformation and thanks to the help of many sponsors and volunteers, this historical mansion was brought back to life one more time.