I got a sneak peek at the Merchandise Mart’s DreamRooms the other day. I was there to be interviewed for a video that will play on a loop at the Mart promoting the show. (Chicago Home + Garden is the media sponsor of the event.) Some of the Mart’s biggest showrooms—Holly Hunt, Donghia, Henredon—had designers showcase their wares in lovely living spaces. DreamRooms doesn’t feel as personal and eccentric as DreamHome (which features the work of individual designers who source from all over the Mart), but there’s a lot to like here. The mood of the rooms is overwhelmingly glam and sexy: rich, touchable fabrics (love the unfinished drapes in the Green room), gold- and metallic-toned colors, curvy furniture. It’s not ’til you get to the last room, an outdoor space designed by Holly Hunt, that straight, modern lines come into play. I really liked the luxe drapery fabric that gets carried over as wallcovering in the Donghia room. My favorite? The C.A.I. bedroom designed by Christopher Guy Harrison—really sexy. Check out this vanity and chair. See it April 25 through July 12.
—JAN PARR