02/08/10

Spotted | Fun Faux Taxidermy

If stuffed deer make you queasy, you’re not alone. We’re over the Aspen lodge look, too. But there’s still a place for faux taxidermy—as long as it comes with a healthy dose of humor. Tamar Mogendorff’s playful hand-sewn animal heads (top row; about $135 to $800), available at Asrai Garden, are delightfully irreverent. Made with pretty hand-printed fabric, the collection of penguins, kangaroos, and horses are friendly enough to hang in the nursery. Look for unicorn heads to debut this spring. Anthropologie is also touting a cheeky take on the trophy head: Savannah Story Busts (bottom row; $68), constructed from recycled cement bags and vintage book pages, feel lighthearted and homemade.

–Bridget Herman

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

02/05/10

Happy Hour | Sub-Zero and Wolf Winners

Sub-Zero and Wolf announced the regional winners of their annual Kitchen Design Contest Thursday night at their showroom in Glendale Heights. Mick DeGiuilio of DeGuilio Kitchen Design won an award for this stunning white kitchen with its artful mix of style references. De Guilio, along with Patrick Landrosh of Landrosh Development (winning kitchen shown at right) and Denise Quade of Bella Domicile in Madison, Wisconsin, will be heading to Florida (all expenses paid) to participate in the national competition (winning prize: $15,000). Local winners, each of whom won a $3,000 credit toward their next Sub-Zero/Wolf purchase, were Cheryl Ryan of Kitchens By Design, Elm Grove, Wisconsin; Tina Muller of Drury Design, Glen Ellyn; and James Dase of Abruzzo Kitchens, Schaumburg. The real winners? City dwellers who found out that Sub-Zero/Wolf will open a huge demo/showroom in LuxeHome at the Mart at the end of the year. Why should suburbanites have all the fun?

—JAN PARR

Posted at 10:09 AM in Happy Hour | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/04/10

InBox | Win a Free Wedding!

Crate & Barrel and Daily Candy are teaming up on a contest that we think Design Dose readers ought to know about. If you’re engaged to be married and registered at Crate & Barrel, you can enter for a chance to win a wedding masterminded by celebrity wedding planner Jo Gartin, valued at $100,000 (see a photo from a wedding she planned above, from her website). All you have to do is submit 300 words about “your love story” (actually there are more specific directions than this; click here for details). The contest runs until March 31.

—GINA BAZER

Photo courtesy loveluckandangels.com

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02/03/10

Spotted | West Elm Opens

Yesterday our art director, Megan Duffy Rostan; associate art director Adam Moroschan; and I scoped out the new West Elm store, the first in the city and only the second one in Illinois (1000 W. North Ave., 312-867-1770). Located in the former Whole Foods spot, the store opens today and is bursting with happy colors (think dark turquoise and canary yellow), contrasting textures, and a few brilliant storage solutions. West Elm offers free design services—you bring apartment measurements, they’ll create a floor plan—and a smattering of original work from School of the Art Institute of Chicago students. We saw art pieces, some matted and framed, priced from $100 to $1,000 (see inset). Here’s a round up of what really caught our eye.

—Bridget Herman

Shown clockwise above:

• Centerpiece Candelabra, $39
• Tailored Stripe Coverlet + Sham, $29- $149
• Gray Bone Tray, $39
• Hammered Entertaining Serveware, $5- $99

Right photo:

• Hyounsang Yoo, “Art Book” digital photos, $1,000 each

Not pictured:

• Wood Boxes with Lacquered Lids, $16- $29
• Geo Side Table, $159
•  “Officer Blue” is the moniker of a color we loved. Find it in the Butler Stand + Tray, $59 to $179, or Globe Lamp, $299

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02/02/10

Spotted | Mark Pollack at Verde

I got the chance to meet textile designer Mark Pollack last week at Verde, Michele Fitzpatrick’s showroom in Pilsen. This was my first time seeing Michele’s new showroom (more about that later). Pollack was showing off his new green collection of fabrics, called Pure. A handful of designers and I sat in a circle as he discussed his fabrics and passed them around. It was like a baby shower, with us oohing and aaahing over the gorgeous texture and feel of the fabrics (not to mention how wonderful they looked.) I loved the checkered velvet (shown here), which reminds me of Chilewich’s vinyl creations and also of this Ann Sacks tile I’m considering for my bath. Except the fabric is incredibly, dreamily soft. See samples at Verde.

–JAN PARR

Posted at 09:25 AM in Spotted | Permalink | Comments (0)

02/01/10

InBox | Joe Cariati

Remember when we told you that Pantone had decreed turquoise the color of the year? More evidence: designer Joe Cariati is introducing the hue to his hand-blown glass oeuvre at the Gift Show in New York this week. Cariati’s got some new shapes, too, in his collection called Angelics. Cariati’s pretty glassware is available here at Barney’s, Elements, and Tabula Tua.

—JAN PARR

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01/29/10

InBox | Art at Scout

This Sunday, January 31, at 2 p.m., Scout will be showing eight watercolors by the late Chicago architect and artist Robert Tague, courtesy of Corbett vs. Dempsey gallery. At the same time, a sampling of wine will be served, courtesy of Andersonville Wine and Spirits. Soothing watercolors and wine in a cozy shop. What a pleasant way to spend a cold Sunday afternoon.

—GINA BAZER

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01/28/10

InBox | Porter’s of Racine

After 152 years in business, Porter’s of Racine, a fine furniture store, is closing. North Shore-ites are among the customers who have made the trek over the border for furniture by Stickley, Henredon, Baker, Century, and other big names. Now everything must go, and price reductions are huge. It’s a big blow for downtown Racine, but an opportunity for anyone in the market for new furniture.

—JAN PARR

Posted at 12:54 PM in InBox | Permalink | Comments (0)

01/28/10

Spotted | New Faves at Room & Board

Yesterday we checked out the new collections at Room & Board and let’s just say we were not disappointed. Every year the company introduces a new signature chair, and this year’s Louis is an elegant, well-priced one ($899) that’s stocked in a navy blue and houndstooth fabric (also available in leather for $1,699)—at once modern and classic. Another cool chair: the Tiffany, a lovely polycarbonate—it’s that Lucite look we love¬—number that’s durable enough for outdoor use and fabulous enough for your dining room ($199 for side chair, $249 for arm chair; available in solid colors as well). Moving on from the seating options, I really like felt rugs and I also like square-shaped rugs (so often area rugs only come in rectangular configurations—though you can get custom sizes through R&B), so I fell in love with the Fuller felted rug ($1,715 for 7 by 7 feet), shown above. I was also so impressed by the workmanship of the Munich storage/media cabinet. Available in solid walnut or cherry, the sliding veneered tambour door panels look completely smooth when closed (see photo above). With a stainless steel base and handles, it’s a true beauty ($2,799). I’m off to save my pennies.

—GINA BAZER

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01/27/10

Happy Hour | Table Jewelry

Over the holidays I went to a party at my friend Jeanne’s home (she of Figaro Parisian Interiors) and met Janet Torelli, who makes handcrafted silver napkin rings (featuring semiprecious stones), serving pieces, ice tongs, martini pics, cocktail stirrers, and more. Her designs, some of which have a Michael Aram vibe to them, would dress up any table. Shown here: sterling/semiprecious gem napkin rings ($675 for eight) and a ginkgo bonbon server ($160).

—JAN PARR

Posted at 10:01 AM in Happy Hour | Permalink | Comments (0)