Brett Clark is an exclusive designer for BoConcept Chicago. He recently moved into the historic Marina City building downtown. Here, he gives us a tour of his new home and some insight into his personal design style.
“Studying interior architecture and living in Chicago’s Marina City has always been a point of interest for me. It feels like I’ve come full circle that I get to now call Marina City my new home.
There’s such innovation in the form and materials. Bertland Goldberg designed Marina City at the beginning of the 1950’s and since its conception it has been an iconic building, not only to Chicago, but to the era of mid-century modern design. Chicago is home to fascinating architecture, both old and new and when searching for a new place to live, I wanted to capture something special and unique.
After visiting many newly constructed and polished buildings, I was coming up short. Nothing had the character that I was looking for. Finally, I found an available unit in Marina City and my search ended. The apartment had been remodeled in certain aspects, but the quirky lines and atypical floor plan were still intact.
In choosing the design style for the furnishings of the apartment, I wanted to pull from the architectural aesthetic. It was important for me to pay respect to the architecture but to not have the space feel dated. I accomplished this by using a neutral color palette and brought color in through accent pieces, allowing me the flexibility to change things in out easily.
I chose pieces that had characteristics of mid-century modern and joined them with personal touches, such as my dads old album covers from the 60s and 70s which I framed and used as wall art. Overall, the design style is contemporary but feels like home. Using personal touches can have a wonderful impact to a space.” -Brett Clack, Conceptor, BoConcept Chicago