Category Archives: Events

C.A.I. Designs Arlington Heights Celebrates New Showroom

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During recent renovations at C.A.I. Designs Arlington Heights, it was often heard that “Good things come to those who wait.” While this semi-comforting reassurance didn’t do much to instill patience, it did, in the end prove to be very true.  All of the hard work it took to create the 12,000 square foot space culminated in a Grand Reopening celebration on Tuesday, September 10th.   The event not only toasted the new space but gave the local design community a look at what teamwork and dedication can really do.  Take a look at some of the highlights of the evening below.

Click here to see more photos

Thank you to the amazing designers, reps and friends of C.A.I. Designs who attended our Grand Reopening.  A special thank you to Kravet sponsored guests Barclay Butera and Christine Philips for being here for a great presentation.  Thank you to acclaimed artist Barry Lantz for attending the event and displaying his gorgeous artwork. Our sincere appreciation to all of the hardworking employees who helped with the event and who made our new showroom a reality.

If you didn’t get to join us for the evening and haven’t visited us lately, here is what you can look forward to on your next trip to the showroom.  You and your clients will feel right at home with our fully stocked kitchen.  Plus, for your convenience, we now have a full-service conference room and spacious designer resource libraries.  And as always, our associates are ready to give you the excellent customer service you have come to expect from the C.A.I. Designs team.  

Meet Denver Design Contest Winner Shelley Sims

During The Design Contest from C.A.I. Designs Denver, four amazing designers created a vignette in the Denver showroom. Each designer teamed up with a preselected student of Interior Design, had one hour to select pieces from existing inventory, and one hour to create their most inspired design using their selections. At the end of the time limit, we photographed each design and gave other designers a chance to vote on their favorite. The winning designer was Shelley Sims of Thrive Design. We took a few minutes to find out more about Shelley and her student Design Assistant for the contest, Miriam Griffin.

Q. Which piece in your portfolio are you most proud of and why?

A. I have a client in Keystone that has a family house that I’ve been able to work for over the years. I’ve been able to do something in each of the rooms including completely remodeling the kitchen and the master bath along with the other five bathrooms. To me, it’s the most fun and exciting project. We were able to preserve some of the parent’s design aspects while bringing the house current. The end result was a beautiful place for people who come to Colorado to enjoy the outdoors. Plus the client has been so fun to work with because they have ideas of their own that we incorporate into the home. I also get the opportunity to offer all of my great ideas so the end result is even better than any of us could imagine. I’m very grateful for them. See more of Shelley’s work here.

Q. Which interior design course was the most difficult for you and why?

A. Oddly enough I didn’t actually go to design school. I went to fashion merchandising and marketing school. That’s where I realized my love for textiles, color and design. I was trying to become a buyer or a department manager for one of the big stores like Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s, but right after I finished school I realized I was way more creative than I thought I was. So when I left New York City to come back to Colorado, I started doing visual merchandising at the Denver Merchandise Mart. Not only was I doing window displays, I very quickly worked my way into working on rooms and remodeling pool show rooms. A few years later I got an opportunity to do a remodel on a home. It was then that I realized that I love Interior Design and that I had design skills that I didn’t even know existed.

Q. Who is your biggest design influence?

A. Kelly Wearstler

Q. Where did you draw your inspiration from for your vignette?

A. Based on a couple of comments that the student Miriam had mentioned, I just made up in my mind that she was going to be the client. So I asked her to go around and pick things that she loved. We made up a scenario that she had just traveled around the world and that she had returned with treasures from her trip. She was then hosting a party where she was inviting all her friends to come over and learn about her travels. It was a really great example for her to be able to be the client as well as the designer at the same time. It made it really fun.

Q. If you could give future designers one piece of advice, what would it be? 

A. Based on that experience I would suggest they go spend a day with a couple of different designers. By doing this, they can be inspired by how each of us work so very differently. There’s not one “right” way. Each one of us bring our variety of experiences, teachings, trainings, learnings and personalities into the projects. So every room is a one-of-a-kind custom art piece.

Q. Which school do you attend?

A. Pike Peak Community College

Q. What is your favorite design class?

A. It is a tie between Accessorizing and Space Planning.

Q. Who is your biggest design influence?

A. If I am being honest I don’t have a design influence. I don’t know much about the design world seeing as I jumped into interior design head first with no clue what to expect. I’m learning as I go and meeting great people. The people that I have met along the way, who have helped me and taught me, have been my biggest influencers, I cannot wait to either work with them in the future or be like them.

Q. What are your career plans after graduation?

A. I haven’t figured that out yet but I’m excited to. I’m hoping to go into commercial design and that’s all I know right now.

Q. What was the number one thing you learned while taking part in The Design Contest? And Why?

A. Being able to work with all four designers made me realize that they all think and work differently. Every vignette was beautiful but the path we took to get to the finished product was different for each designer. It was crazy to see how each performed and it helped me see which methods were more proficient.

Grand Re-Opening in Denver

Thanks to all who attended our Grand Re-opening at
The Denver Design District On Thursday, Sept 27th.

 

Guests were greeted with a welcome cocktail of champagne, wine and specialty cocktail custom created by our amazing mixologist Courtney Flynn.

 

While enjoying passed hors d’oeuvres by Footers Catering,
designers and vendors mingled throughout our relocated and expanded showroom including a lighting boutique, dedicated designer library, and many new product selections.
Special Thanks to our C.A.I. Designs corporate team and Denver Showroom Staff for making our new showroom a reality. 

 

Click Here to view all photos from our Grand Re-Opening. Feel free to contact our Denver Showroom with any questions on our latest expansion or product lines.

A Very GRAND Re-Opening

Thanks to all who attended our Grand Re-opening at
The Merchandise Mart Chicago On Thursday, Sept 20th.

 

Guests were greeted with live music by Moeller Music – guitar and cello duo playing popular songs with a cocktail vibe.moeller music

 

L: Steven Siedlecki shares a hug with Haley Pearson of JP Interiors R: Mark Robinson & Ruthie Stebbins of RHS Interiors & Design with Haley Pearson

L: Pipa Bradbury of Pipa Bradbury Design with Renne DiSanto & Christina Samatas of Park & Oak R: Kristen Olsen of David Olsen Design with her husband

While enjoying passed hors d’oeuvres by Catering by Michaels,
designers and vendors mingled throughout our newly renovated and expanded showroom including a lighting boutique, dedicated designer library and many new product selections.
Special Thanks to our C.A.I. Designs corporate team for making our expanded showroom a reality. Owner Joe Caminiti made a toast to Creative Director, Philip Chavez for all of his efforts. Our Denver Showroom will be hosting their Grand Opening as well on Thursday, September 27th.

 

L to R: Philip Chavez, Roberta Honquest, Joe Caminiti, Glen Kaplan

Click Here to view all photos from our Grand Re-Opening. Feel free to contact our Chicago Showroom with any questions on our latest expansion or product lines.

Welcome Burton James to Scottsdale

C.A.I. Designs is proud to represent Burton James in our Scottsdale Showroom. The Burton James line is now represented in all FOUR locations.

burton james seating area

Burton James was formed in 1983, with a mission to provide hand-crafted upholstered furniture with the premium on customer interaction and service. It’s three founding principals, all industry veterans, each brought their own specific talents to the company.

The company’s commitment to quality product and superior service has stayed true to its founding mission. 30 years later, Burton James has one of the most loyal customer bases in the industry.

burton james swivel chairJoin us at Desert Design Days

THURSDAY, NOVERMBER 30th

as we welcome
Mark Landres, Creative Director of Burton James together with Philip Chavez, Buyer/Merchandiser of C.A.I. Designs as they present a panel discussion
TRENDS IN THE MARKETPLACE

Lunch will be served at 12:30pm
Presentation will follow at 1:00pm

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Denver May Launch

Thank you to all who attended this years May Launch at the Denver Design District. It was a packed house as Jeff Lindquist of Hubbardton Forge gave an educational CEU on sustainability. Hubbardton Forge also raffled off a modern table lamp!Jeff Lindquist and staff 

With anticipation for Springs arrival, floral arrangements were custom created and displayed throughout the showrooms. Some of the arrangements were raffled off. Congratulations to our winners!

Blog Post-FlowerWinners
Raffle Winners Kristie Dinner and Chalea Fields

The evening continued with cocktails & hors d’oeuvres to end the days events. Thank you to all the guests who stayed throughout the day to make our evening a successful and relaxing end of the night!

Click Here to view all photos from the day’s event. We look forward to seeing you at our next event!