02/09/09
Dear Valentine (and those of you who might think that all special deliveries are created equal). I know you always mean well. You believe the promise of the florist on the other end of the line, assuring you with kisses on top, that your lovely sentiment will be delivered with love and care in swoopy-goopy script along with the bursting assortment of fresh blooms you’ve ordered. Sorry—not always so. I had my first “I am sure this isn’t what she ordered” moment in college when my Valentine was dear sweet Mom. A wilted mess arrived at 9:03 p.m. just as I was letting the day of love fade into oblivion. I quickly called the number on the card and assured them that if my mom could take a peek at what had just crawled to the door, that I was crystal clear she’d probably want her money back. I’m lucky to have had my share of floral deliveries that have made the grade (I heart a hand-tied bouquet, loose bunch of flowers I can arrange or selection of mixed whites). I think I am a florist’s worst nightmare. On the giving and receiving end. I’ve never told a single sender about my escapades, but often wonder if I am on some blacklist for my blooming bad behavior. Is it a right to get what you think is right? Or do you simply get what you get and don’t get upset? That said, I just received the most refreshing and promising press release from Jayson Home & Garden. While the shop is probably best known for delivering a new sofa or garden bench about town, its floral is always chic. Its Valentine arrangement ideas make me swoon. Not just for the artful mix—hot pink orchids in a black glass vase, a tight bouquet tucked in an onyx box—but for the “I want to keep it” containers. Many are under $100, delivery included. Dear Valentine, I’ve cc’d you here, in case you are still braving arrangements for the 14th. Happy Valentine’s Day.
—Barri Leiner
|
02/06/09
 |
I’ve seen dozens of wall-mounted coffeemakers in magazines and showrooms, but never actually had hands-on experience with one until visiting friends in Park City for the Sundance Film Festival a couple weeks ago (Zooey Deschanel says “hey,” by the way—she’s as cute as you’d think, and I wanted to put her in my pocket). I knew that Nassir was planning to redo the kitchen, but not much else, so I was curious to check it out. Wow. Deep chocolatey-gray Poliform cabinets line facing walls, and on one there’s this built-in stainless steel Miele coffeemaker that is just a dream. Punch a few buttons, and in about a yawn-and-a-half you’ll have a freshly ground espresso, cappuccino, or plain old cuppa. Sure helped kept us bright-eyed at 8:30 a.m. film screenings. It is practically silent, everything is stored behind the façade, and the grounds are tamped into neat pellets and plopped in a container until you’re ready to dispose of them. I investigated prices at Abt and found one I like for about $3,000, which translates into about 750 venti caramel macchiatos at Starbucks. Maybe I could switch to Folger’s for a few years….
—BRADLEY LINCOLN
|
01/29/09
Need a great gift idea for someone with a little more than your average green thumb? The type of person who actually knows the ideal time to plant bulbs and loves to talk about the life cycles of herbs at parties? We’ve found just the thing. Local graphic designer (and self-confessed obsessive gardener) Bob Zeni has created The Obsessive Gardener Disorder Calendar, a fact-filled and beautifully designed piece that helps the obsessed track everything from optimal planting dates to average daily temperatures in Chicago. Plus it looks great on your wall or even flat on your desk, and it’s a steal at $10. The best part: your friend satisfies his inner botanist and you share in the wealth (who doesn’t love free veggies?) To see the calendar close-up and to order, check out the equally well-designed Web site here.
—ADAM MOROSCHAN
|
12/15/08
Greg Steffens of Haus in Andersonville just emailed with a smart alternative to traditional holiday décor: these porcelain logs from the Brooklyn-based art studio KlienReid, he says, are not only perfect for putting in your non-functioning fireplace, but also make for a cool-yet-cozy centerpiece for your dining room table or a sideboard. Evoke the spirit of the holidays in less predictable way.
—Gina Bazer
|
11/03/08
 |
 |
I just checked out Bucktown’s Mongo Home (1753 N. Damen Ave., 773-486-6200), a joint venture between the owners of Architectural Artifacts and Urban Remains, both of which are very cool but pretty messy and unedited salvage shops. This more-polished destination is amazing! It has unique pieces galore, from a working vintage foosball table ($2,400) to a great little pair of knee-high nude iron statues ($4,800 for both) that would be great in a foyer. There is a lot of furniture, too. I just about flipped when I saw the low, wide vintage vaulting bench from the Czech Republic shown above (and not because I was channeling my gymnastics days—I cannot even do a cartwheel!). I’ve been on a hunt for an unusual (and unusually large coffee table) for months now and this one was perfect for my needs, though at $4,800 a little out of my price range. Still, there was plenty there that was affordable, including a whole pile of charcoal sketches on charmingly yellowing old paper for $55 a drawing. Mongo Home also offers free consultations by on-site interior decorator Kara O’Connor, who will come to your home and help you figure out if the piece you are considering will work for your space.
—Gina Bazer
|
10/27/08
Crimson Lounge was packed for the final event in the Basil Hayden Tastemakers competition, where Nate Berkus presented an oversized $10,000 check at the end of the evening to crowd favorite Rion Stassi for his chandelier, and gave a heartfelt speech about the effect such an award can have on the trajectory of a young designer’s career. I was impressed by the quality of the prototypes that he, Sarah Tranum, and Bryan Lump crafted—each semi-finalist got $2,500 to bring their Berkus-selected designs to life—and they’re all winners in my book!
BRADLEY LINCOLN
PHOTO: Frank Failin
|
09/26/08
 |
 |
Do y’all know about 1stDibs? Because if ya don’t…well, ya should! A few years ago, a lot of designers I talked to started mentioning it as a favorite resource for finding those unique pieces that really joosh-up a project, so I checked it out and have been a loyal site-stalker ever since. It’s like shopping a Paris flea market from the comfort of your living room, and a great educational tool as well. Real-estate mogul Michael Bruno thought it up as a “multiple listing service for the design industry” in 1998 after seeing dot-com kids with nouveau money to burn and McMansions to fill, and started his empire in Paris by listing inventory from local dealers. In 2002 he expanded the site to include hand-picked (he visits and vets every vendor) U.S. shops, including local faves Thomas Jolly (that’s his 19th-Century carousel horse above), Richard Wright (Alvar Aalto Tank lounge chair, on the right), Malcolm Franklin, DouglasRosin, Architectural Artifacts, and Antiques on Old Plank Road. You can search the site by city, category, period—whatever—and the prices are usually posted, with links to the stores.
—BRADLEY LINCOLN
|
09/25/08
For some time now, the Jolly Roger motif has been popping up in fashion—you can spy the skull and crossbones on hipster scarves and graphic tees from any Wicker Park crow’s nest, it’s all over Marc Jacob’s Bucktown locker, and even the uber-preppy Ralph Lauren has gotten in on the action—but arrrrrrrr you ready for a home invasion? I’m onboard with the trend, and added some cool pirate cred to my bathroom with this blood-red mat from the MCA shop—the curly plastic fibers feel great on bare feet. For (quite) a few doubloons more, here's an interpretation I found at Orange Skin that shivers me timbers. As shown in pink and red, 78-inch by 75-inch, this Popskull Rug from Floor to Heaven runs $5,607. Ahoy, matey!
—BRADLEY LINCOLN
|
08/07/08
 |  |
I’m a sucker for the words “Paris flea market” or “Paris café.” Use them in the description of your product and I’m like Pavlov’s dog with measuring tape. Yes, I’m very nostalgic about the several months I spent living in Paris after college (though I don’t miss stepping in Pavlov’s dog's poo every day as perfectIy dressed and irritatingly smug Parisian women looked on pityingly). Anyway, I love these chairs not only for how they look, but for their associations. The white one, described on the Willow website as “styled after a 1940's Paris flea market treasure,” caught my eye yesterday while I was checking out Willow’s new offerings online. The galvanized steel chair has been on my radar for a long time. It’s available at DWR and through the Sundance Catalog, where it is described as follows: “First manufactured in 1934, these ever-stylish steel chairs were designed to withstand the wear-and-tear of bistro and brasserie patrons while remaining ever-recherché.” They are still made in France today. Oh charming chairs, take me away! —Gina Bazer Photos courtesy of Willow and Sundance
|
07/17/08
For more than 40 years, these incredible fashion photos by Mark Shaw (best known for his work documenting the family life of the Kennedys at the White House) went unviewed. In the past few years, Andrew Wilder of Svenska Mobler worked with Shaw’s only heir, David (a childhood friend), and his wife, Juliet Cuming, to make the photos available to the public. Svenksa Mobler in River North, the fantastic showroom filled with Swedish Modernist and Argentine Functionalist furniture, has about 15 of the photos, which Shaw shot in the 1950s and early 1960s for LIFE’s coverage of the European fashion collections, on display. They range from about $800 to $2,000. —JAN PARR
|
Subscribe to the Design Dose Feed »
| A Godengo Technology | Privacy Policy | Copyright and Terms of Service