01/16/09
As he installed my new pedestal sink the other day, my handyman mentioned that in his spare time, he makes hubcap clocks in a workshop out of the basement of his Beverly home. Interesting, I thought. Later, I looked them up on Etsy (under the shop name All Gearhead) and they are pretty darn cool—great for a teenaged boy’s room, dad’s home office, or any space that needs a little found-in-the alleys of Chicago grit to give it some edge. I like the 1960s Volvo one, shown above (he’s got four of them, $30 each). And wouldn’t you know it, his wife is on Etsy, too—with a slightly daintier offering: hand-silkscreened organic pillows that she designs and makes herself under the shop name KarenBucinaDesign (also $30). I’m a fan of the zebra print. Oh, and I like my new sink, too! The Bancroft from Kohler, which I found at Lowe’s.
—Gina Bazer
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01/10/09
All three Illinois locations of the eco-responsible furniture store Arhaus—Lincoln Park, Oakbrook, and South Barrington—are having complimentary in-store interior design classes this Sunday, Jan. 11, from 10 a.m. to noon. All you need to do is call and reserve a spot, and the wisdom of Arhaus visual-display experts and managers is yours for the taking (along with a nice little goodie bag, I’ve been told). Topics covered include maximizing space with savvy floor planning, faux painting, wall decorating, clever ways to freshen up for spring, and flower arranging.
—BRADLEY LINCOLN
PHOTO CREDIT: ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
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01/07/09
While cutting into some lovely ravioli the other night, I noticed the simple-but-nicely-done lighting fixtures at the Bristol. How were they made? Co-owner John Ross was kind enough to share: “We built the boxes [that are attached to the ceiling] and dropped three cords from each,” he says. The key, says Ross, was in choosing just the right bulbs to set the mood. Ross and company got their amber-colored ones through Rejuvenation. The result is subtle and stylish. We also loved the artwork on the exposed-brick walls—acrylic paint on wood, featuring mainly trees—by local artist Evie Ogborn (evieogborn.com). The food and cocktails (try the Apple Pie drink—yum!) was pretty darn good, too.
—Gina Bazer
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12/17/08
Paging Bob, Carol, Ted, and Alice: The funkiest bed I’ve ever seen—a large round vintage number that converts to an oval—is on display at Uber Modern, a great little store in the burgeoning Grand Ave. design district (of COURSE I forgot to get a photo of it; you’ll just have to go see for yourself). I was there for a little holiday cheer (Brandon, the owner, poured champagne into cool vintage glasses he’s selling) and fell hard for this bar cart. There’s also wonderful glassware, pony-skin end tables/benches, and tons more authentic midcentury treasures.
—JAN PARR
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12/03/08
I was a personal shopper for a day. A personal shopper with an assistant (our art director, Megan Duffy Rostan), and no actual client. Our mission: to identify some great holiday gifts in the 900 North Shops. We focused on home décor and accessories, and came up with a great group of items, from stocking stuffers to expensive gifts for a very special person. The gifts were on display at a Four Seasons luncheon hosted by our magazine, Chicago, and 900 North Shops. You can also see them on display at the mall on Level 3 next to Mark Shale. Here’s what we found:
A hot pink Burberry cashmere scarf from Bloomingdales that would double as a fab table runner, art books beautifully packaged from Silk Trading Co., L’Occitane candles and soaps (you can never go wrong with this wonderfully packaged stuff), and a heat- and cold-resistant silver bowl from Northern Possessions.
Tumblers that can double as votives from Genevieve Lethu (a bargain at $78 for a set of 6; I want these for myself!), cardboard coasters (just $15!) and a paperweight from Jane Weber, Ink!, tissue covers from Silk Trading Co., and an adjustable silver candelabrum from Christofle.
A glass cheese board and knife from Genevieve Lethu, Rosle’s life-changing garlic press (it’s amazing! I have one) and paper-and-resin cutting board from Williams Sonoma, and elegant goblets (put pencils or toothbrushes in them) from Bernardaud ($70 each).
—JAN PARR
Photography: Randy Belice
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11/19/08
Friday night I hit Andersonville for dinner at Hopleaf (love!) and to check out the work of Meriellen Johnson at Scout, where owner Larry Vodak was hosting a reception for her. I’d seen her primitive yet somehow sophisticated and very endearing charcoals and pastels of plants and flowers before at Scout, and was eager to see more of her stuff. The pieces, many in vintage frames from Argentina from Architectural Artifacts were vivid and wonderful and the place was packed. There are still some left, so be sure to check them out. Across the street at Las Manos Gallery was another great exhibit by a local artist: Chuck Meyers (shown at right). Most of the paintings there were of scenes in Andersonville. How appropriate for a night out in this always fun hood.
—Gina Bazer
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11/12/08
Dining by Design, DIFFA’s big annual fundraiser, roared into town again last week at the Mart. At the cocktail party on Thursday, designphiles munched on crab cake, chicken, and shredded-pork sliders, sipped cocktails and Beringer wines, and took in the designer-designed tables. Shown here: Kara Mann’s goth forest space complete with Nymphenburg china, a mod and totally happy table by the students at Harrington College of Design (the trend of mixing modern chairs with traditional wood tables is one we’re seeing everywhere—these vintage chairs were donated by a faculty member), Sheri Zeman of Faux Design Studio’s faux-finished space (table, table base, walls, and floor are all faux-finished), and Susan Fredman Design Group’s elegant entry. Delicious.
—JAN PARR
Credit: Fredman photo by Nick Novelli, Novelli Photodesign.
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11/10/08
Vintage wallpaper rollers become candle holders. Chicken coops become light fixtures. A vintage sieve becomes a mirror. Found objects find a new home as furniture and accessories in the hands of Philip Sassano and his crew at Refined Rustic Studio & Gallery. Last week Sassano threw a party for the opening of his new showroom at 3924 N. Milwaukee Ave. (he has a studio in Harvard, too). He also does design consultations and is the exclusive area retailer for Romo, a fabric and wallcoverings company out of England with fantastic designs that would work equally well in modern or more traditional interiors.
—JAN PARR
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10/31/08
Interior designer Susan Fredman's new shop, At Home in the City, celebrated its grand opening last night with a crowded bash. The River North space-part store, part design workshop-features tabletop items, kitchen accessories, throws, and all matter of home accessories (love the Bon Bon ottoman of looped wool), including about a dozen private-label items available only here. I really loved the small dog paintings by Bruce McGaw (affordable at $50 each) and the way they were grouped on a wall. I also loved the chairs that look like chicken wire by Design Workshop ($362 each). This is the second retail venture for Fredman (pictured here); her other is a more resort-home-oriented store, At Home With Nature, on Red Arrow Highway in Union Pier, Michigan.
-JAN PARR
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10/29/08
The French were out in full force last week at Golden Triangle, famed showroom of Asian furniture. That’s no typo, the genius of Golden Triangle’s merchandise is that it mixes so well with so many other styles. The interior designer Martial and his pal Didier Milleriot, who owned Le Magasin, were among those at this party to celebrate Golden Triangle’s new line of modern furniture handcrafted from ancient woods, called Exposed (see table in photo). We also spotted furniture designer Jill Salisbury of EL: Environmental Language. If you haven’t been to Golden Triangle’s relatively new location, this is as good a reason as any to stop in. The showroom is a stunner and this collection is great.
—JAN PARR
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