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BRIGHT IDEA There are so many design tips worth stealing at the ornate and richly decorated Hotel Sax (333 N Dearborn St, 312-245-0333, hotelsaxchicago.com) that we had a difficult time narrowing it down to just one. That is, until we saw the image of a chandelier covering a portion of the wallpaper in our junior suite on a recent stay. Colum McCartan, founder of McCartan design firm in New York and the principal designer who oversaw the Sax’s renovation last year, told us he wanted to hang “nice, big chandeliers” in each room, but his budget didn’t allow it. “Instead I opted to give guests a flavor of sumptuous living,” he says. That came in the form of a vinyl wallpaper he had made especially for the hotel. Even though it looks as if the 54-inch-tall chandelier is painted on the wall covering, it’s actually part of the paper. If you can’t afford to commission your own wallpaper, McCartan suggests buying a roll of the standard stuff and simply painting on a design using a handcrafted cardboard stencil and some spray paint in complementary-colors. Another option: Buy a roll of wallpaper featuring a contrasting pattern, cut out the shape of a chandelier (or any object, really) and paste it on paper that’s already been applied to the wall.

—Kevin Aeh