CHICAGO - - While many college students spend their summer break working or tanning at the beach, students from the Harrington Institute of Interior Design opted for the art and architecture of Paris.

Fourteen Harrington students studied in Paris for one month.

"We wanted to give the students the opportunity to broaden their design perspectives," says Patrick Comstock, president of Harrington. "By providing a trip to Paris, we are allowing our students to develop an aesthetic sense that encompasses many centuries as well as a different culture."

OWP&P Architects, Chicago, hosted the trip. Michael Cummings and Bob Bunda, of OWP&P provided classroom instruction in the morning, and in the afternoon, led them through many of Paris’ architectural and design attractions, such as the Louvre; the Eiffel Tower; Versailles; Villa La Roche; the Tulleries; as well as contemporary design spaces (boutique shops). The students also visited several towns outside of Paris, such as Lyon, Satolas, Belfort, Ronchamp and Basel.

"I learned a tremendous amount during my trip to Paris," says Tonia Best, a student at Harrington. "We stayed in the popular Viaduct des artes, which is the perfect area for designers. There were furniture makers, artisans, textile creators (with large looms inside the windows), fabric stores, upholsterers, and design shops all around us."

The Harrington Institute, located in Chicago’s Fine Arts Building, 410 S. Michigan Ave., has long been recognized as one of the country’s leading schools in interior design.

Since its founding in 1931, Harrington has supported and enriched the evolving nature of interior design by providing the highest possible educational experience. Many Harrington faculty are practicing interior design professionals, and all staff seek to foster an environment that maximizes students’ intellectual and artistic potentials. The Illinois Board of Higher Education, National Association of Schools of Art and Design and Foundation of Interior Design Education & Research accredit the Harrington Institute.