05/09/08

InBox | Not Your Neighbor’s Sunbrella


SilverState just sent along samples of its newest Sunbrella collection of outdoor fabrics, called Casual Elegance by Joe Ruggiero. Still packed with all the good no-stain-no-fade-couldn’t-wrinkle-if-you-tried properties of its well-known past. But, wow.  Yes, WOW. It’s soft. The patterns are swanky. The colors are sophisticated. Why leave it outside? Bring it on in! Make a shower curtain. Cover a small bench for the bath. Heck—cover the whole family room in the stuff. If it resists mold and mildew, surely it can stand up to a stampede of messy kids. Available through designers only (it’s about $50 to $70 per yard).

—BARRI LEINER

Images courtesy of SilverState

Posted at 07:44 AM in InBox | Permalink | Comments (0)

05/08/08

Happy Hour | Wall Royalty

A quick check reveals Maya Romanoff doesn’t make the list of claimants to the Russian throne, but in the world of glam wall coverings (think gold leaf and mother-of-pearl) he’s unchallenged royalty. Last Thursday night Maya and family hosted 200 guests from 14 countries (and me) at the opening of Maya Romanoff Corp’s new 40,000 square foot inter-galactic headquarters in Skokie. Seems the company burst from its old downtown Chicago space when sales doubled between ’05 and ’07. Maya, his brother, and son-in-law held court in crimson czarist-era sashes while the Romanoff women (representing the Czarina and Princess of Wallpaper) wore Swarovski tiaras that would have brought tears to a Bolshevik’s eyes. Champagne flowed, and from somewhere deep in the warren of cubicles the fabulous Maxwell Street Klezmer Band belted out the swinging sounds of old Odessa. This warehouse/workroom/showroom is open to the trade only, but judging from the babel of languages at the party the pros are already wearing a path to the new door. (Party chatter had it that the walls of Dubai’s newest palaces are lined in Romanoff.)

—LISA CREGAN

David Seaman (left) and Maya Romanoff
Credit: Photos courtesy AngelaSwan.com

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05/07/08

Scoop | Budget Design

 
If unearthing cheap and chic home stuff and Target and T.J. Maxx gets your adrenaline running, stop by the new shop Home Accents in Andersonville (5653 N. Clark St., 773-754-8466). Owner Kevin Idlewine is a wholesaler who decided to open his own storefront, while still selling to retailers such as Home Goods and Marshalls. He goes to the Maison d’Objets trade fair in Paris regularly, notes the trends, then calls on his manufacturers in China and India to reproduce them for less. Find vases (including some pretty good Jonathan Adler knock-offs) for $25 to $50 and pillows ranging from $20 to $25. The most expensive item in the store is a $225 chandelier-style lamp covered with a string shade (it’s made with real crystals). He also has a good selection of pots and ornaments for the garden. Everything in the store is conveniently arranged by colors.  

—  GINA BAZER

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05/07/08

Happy Hour | Michael Del Piero

“Welcome!” an enthusiastic and happy Michael Del Piero greeted us at a party to celebrate the opening of her new design showroom, Good Design. “The best part is this,” she said, motioning to the back, where her desk is. No more working from home. For us, though, the best part is the front of this Damen Avenue storefront, where Del Piero has arranged a selection of stylish, earthy, and often oversized accessories that just wowed us. It was no surprise to us that in attendance were stylistically compatible friends who included Larry Vodak of Scout and interior designer Laura Soskin.

—JAN PARR


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05/06/08

Happy Hour | Arik Levy


I’ve been going to a sporadic series of lectures at the Museum of Contemporary Art called “People Who Shape Our World,” featuring various muckety-mucks of the design and art communities. Recently it was Arik Levy, an Israeli-born designer who lives in Paris and has collaborated with firms like Ligne Roset, Baccarat Crystal, and Zanotta to market his furniture, tableware, jewelry, and lots of other stuff, some of which is ending up in pretty prestigious museum collections. Levy gave a charming, cerebral slide presentation that made me think about how people connect to what they fill their houses with. If you put a light bulb in a chair, does that make it a lamp? Hmmm...thinky. I really like this origami-inspired coffee table for Baleri Italia, and these tables for Zanotta. I’ve spotted his furniture at Orange Skin and Luminaire. You can also find his candleholders at the MCA gift shop.

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

Baleri Italia table image courtesy unicahome.com; image of wire tables courtesy Zanotta

Posted at 04:48 PM in Happy Hour | Permalink | Comments (0)

05/05/08

InBox | Pretty Pottery


We’ve written about the history of Teco Art Pottery, which is now being reproduced in Carol Stream by Prairie Arts. Two new shades, aqua and orange, have been added to the palette of glaze colors. This “Kiss” vase is my favorite shape. And love the new modern shades.

—JAN PARR

Posted at 01:24 PM in InBox | Permalink | Comments (0)

05/02/08

InBox | Ann Sacks Rocks!


Just got a press kit from Ann Sacks featuring all of the incredible new designs the company introduced at the recent Kitchen/Bath show. The colorful Paccha line (see red and white tile above) is the real Moroccan deal, handmade in Marrakech. I’m not sure where I would put this bold flooring—perhaps in a powder room? Kitchen? Probably a small space to pack a punch. Also love the carved stone by Robert Kuo (see the Hua, or “bunches of flowers,” design above). It’s marble hand-chiseled with subtle Chinese motifs that feel both modern and ancient at the same time. Finally: the Perennial line of ceramic mosaics (see the royal blue and white photo above). What a cool alternative to wallpaper.

—GINA BAZER

Photos courtesy of Ann Sacks

Posted at 02:06 PM in InBox | Permalink | Comments (0)

05/01/08

InBox | I Dream of Teepees

  

Two long months.  Two hundred–plus listings. (Shelia Starr from Baird & Warner deserves two million gold stars for patience alone!) A two-block radius to stay within the desired school district. Two exhausted kids. Two losing bids. Too many grim rentals to even consider. Then, one fine just-when-you’re-not-looking-day, the answer arrives by way of email. Leave it to Orange Skin, that bastion of hip furnishings. They call themselves a “complete resource for modern design,” but who knew they had entered the real estate game? My girls are so excited when they see the snaps of the modern wigwam designed by Jose A. Gandia for Gandia Blasco. Comes complete with a small interior mattress made of nautical plastic. We’ll add some Piramide portable lamps (see the lighting leading up to the teepee in the photo) and be done. What more could a girl ask for? I think we’ll take three. Hope Nettelhorst school will let us put up our teepees on the playground. You can’t get more chic—or in-district—right?

BARRI LEINER

Images courtesy of Orange Skin

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04/30/08

Spotted | Ikea, Easier

Aside from Trader Joe’s, perhaps no store makes me happy as Ikea, that bastion of inexpensive, smart Swedish design. Now Karin Sullivan, a long-time friend and contributor to our magazine, has clued me in to a tip that made shopping there more fun. In a word, Bolingbrook. All things considered, if you can go to the Bolingbrook Ikea over Schaumburg, do it. It’s a straight shot out 88, and it’s much less crowded and easier to navigate. I bought tons of cute paper napkins for outdoor parties this summer (50 for $2.95), and fell in love with this printed canvas for $80. I also bought a fab coir doormat for $9.99 and a couple of frames for $13.99 each. For her daughter’s room, Karin made off with a loveseat that converts to a bed, colorful pillows, and some discounted fabric emblazoned with peace signs that will become curtains. A Sunday well spent!

—Jan Parr

Posted at 09:13 AM in Spotted | Permalink | Comments (1)

04/29/08

Spotted | Toast Master


When I was over at my friend’s house for a dinner party, I complimented a robin’s-egg-blue toaster in her kitchen. Turns out it’s from the British company Dualit, it was designed for heavy-duty crumpet-crisping in hotels and restaurants, and she picked it up at Sur La Table on Clybourn. It was also, gulp, over $300. My Pop-Tarts usually warm up in a decidedly more low-rent oven, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it over the next few days. I did a little shopping around, and before long this sexy red two-slot version was hanging out with my KitchenAid mixer on the countertop. I bought mine at Cooking.com for about $240, and every day it makes me smile. I love how solid and simple it is, and the manual lever means muffins keep warm until you’re ready for them. For my sister’s birthday, I gifted her with the same version in pink. (She lives in Boston—does that make us bi-toastal?)

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

Posted at 09:56 AM in Spotted | Permalink | Comments (0)

About This Blog

Design Dose
Design Dose is the online extension of the inspiration, advice, and scoop that Chicago Home + Garden provides every other month, only in smaller doses. Editors Jan Parr and Gina Bazer—as well as special guest bloggers—share news and trends from their in-boxes, confess their latest design obsessions and dilemmas, and take you behind the scenes to exclusive design events and showrooms. Have a local design fave, scoop, or dilemma of your own? Share it with us here.

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Chicago Home + Garden’s trends and products editor Barri Leiner has her finger on the pulse of all things stylish in the world of home design
Contributing writer and copy editor Bradley Lincoln is our turn-to guy for everything from placing commas to tracing trends.

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