08/31/09

Spotted | American Craft Expo

The American Craft Expo has come and gone, but you can still check out the work of some of the local artisans who participated, including Andrew Stansell, who makes metal adaptations of traditional wooden furniture (such as this cabinet). Jordan Goodman’s X chair is a feat of engineering in ash with hand-tanned, cut, and stitched leather. 

—JAN PARR

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08/28/09

InBox | Bath in Black

The other day I blogged about the black sink and toilet in the bathroom at Nightwood. Shortly after, I got an email about the latest collection from Alessi: Il Bagno Dot in black (it came out in this color in May). This look is a bit more severe than that of Nightwood , but I gotta say, there’s something interesting about going noir in the loo. Il Bagno Alessi is available at Waterware.

—GINA BAZER 

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08/27/09

Scoop | Divine Consign

Oak Park will soon have a new consignment shop for upscale home furnishings and accessories. Kellie Scott, the owner, is accepting consignments at 111 N. Oak Park Ave. She says she’s already got a ton of great finds, from a 1920s vintage art deco dining set to ultra modern tables and couches. Of particular interest: some 80 pieces from a modern furniture store that closed in Wisconsin recently. These brand-new pieces are at least 50 percent off their original price. She’s also got a $7,000 sectional that a North Shore interior designer is looking to unload because it’s the wrong color—it’s just $1,999. Divine Consign is open from noon–5 p.m. through the end of this week to accept consignments. It will be open to shoppers beginning Friday or Saturday, Scott says.

—JAN PARR

Photos courtesy Becca's Blog at livehereoakpark.com

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08/26/09

InBox | Art for the Stars

I love the idea of Ellen Degeneres, Meredith Viera, Dr. Phil, and other daytime TV luminaries at the Orpheum Theatre for the Daytime Emmy Awards on August 29, chillin’ in the Green Room designed by Chicagoan Christoper Michiels. Michiels commissioned Sheri Zeman of Faux Design Studio to create some of her new custom textured art panels for the room. We can’t show you the Green Room, but here’s how this wall art might look in your living room.

—JAN PARR

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08/25/09

InBox | Live Like Barbie

You think you love Barbie? Jonathan Adler loves  her more! He has devoted an entire collection to the leggy plastic blonde, including his own glamorous incarnation of her (shown above, $50), which will be available in stores in September. Also shown above,  a needlepoint pillow ($165) and pink lacquer cubes ($150-$350), perfect for your grown-up Barbie dream house.

—GINA BAZER

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08/24/09

Spotted | Loving Restoration Hardware

Restoration Hardware has always had reliable, quality pieces, but this fall’s collection, which arrived this past weekend to stores, has a truly distinct French-industrial style going on, offering dozens of gorgeous large-scale pieces—trestle tables, mirrors, sideboards—made out of distressed salvaged timber, and others made with hand-welded steel. Some items, such as the reproductions of the vintage draftsmen stools shown above, would be ideal to acquire in their original state, but, hey, they look pretty good new, too. The company had me last season with its still-available Brickmaker's Table, made out of 100-year-old wood planks (once used to transport bricks in Belgium) built into a distressed steel base, but this fall’s catalog really completes the modern French country look.

—GINA BAZER

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08/21/09

Spotted | Frette for Less

Frette has a fun new line called Edmond that offers the status of this luxury linen company without the price tags. The styles are also a bit more youthful. Prices range from $75 for a pillowcase to $425 for a duvet cover.

—GINA BAZER

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08/20/09

InBox | Dreamy

Now that we’ve got several choices for ultra luxe mattresses in town (Duxiana, Hastens, and Nilson at Haute Living), it makes sense that someone would come up with customized luxe pillows. Jolie Maison in Highland Park has recently added a Pillow Bar, a freestanding “bar” that contains all the ingredients to create a down pillow just for you. Side, back, or stomach sleeper—you’re covered (the pillows were designed with consultations from a neurosurgeon and a chiropractor). In just a few minutes, you’ll walk away with a monogrammed, 300-thread-count, double-stitched 100-percent cotton sateen pillow filled with sterilized and double fluffed 650-fill white Hungarian goose down, complete with a scented sachet.

—JAN PARR

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08/19/09

InBox | New Maxine Snider

One of our favorite local designers, Maxine Snider, has introduced four designs for fall. Available to the trade through the David Sutherland showroom here, the pieces (available in different woods and finishes) are clean, elegant, and modern, as we’ve come to expect from Maxine. 

—JAN PARR

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08/18/09

InBox | Photo Shop

Catherine Edelman Gallery, a premier dealer of contemporary photography in Chicago, is holding a workshop called In Focus to educate people about the ins and outs of starting a collection of this increasingly popular medium. Led by Catherine Edelman and other prominent members of the local art community, the class will meet at CEG on four consecutive Saturday mornings from 9:30 to 11:00 am, starting October 17. The fee is $100 for all four sessions. Registration has already started on the gallery's website. Shown above: “American Gothic” by Julie Blackmon, photo courtesy of Catherine Edelman.

-GINA BAZER

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08/17/09

InBox | Book Keeping

Nice vintage bookcases are hard to come by, especially those charming cottagey ones with the glass doors. White Attic is now offering custom-made versions of such old-school designs, based on some of owner Terry Ledford’s favorite pieces that he’s sold at his shop over the years. Prices range from $695 to $1,100, depending on size, and you can choose your colors and either satin nickel or oil-rubbed bronze hardware. All locally made. Allow four weeks for delivery.

‑GINA BAZER

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08/14/09

Spotted | Still Lovin’ Lille

Remember Lille a Shop on North Avenue? I was so sad when it closed, but it does still live online—and it’s got some great stuff on sale right now!  Shown above, this Michael Ruh hand-blown vase is marked down from $198 to $85; the six-inch semi-precious agate tray is also on sale, and going fast, $20 for a set of two. Perfect for gifts or to decorate your own tablescape.

—GINA BAZER

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08/13/09

Happy Hour | Bathroom Break

I had dinner recently at Nightwood, a wonderful place from the Lula Café people (see our story about the fantastic artwork at Lula here that was designed by Kevin Heisner (Empire Liquors, Bar DeVille, Angels & Kings). While going to the bathroom was not the highlight of the evening, I was impressed by howstylin’ it was for a loo (don’t laugh—we take bathroom design seriously around here!). It felt like it belonged in a vintage apartment more than arestaurant, actually. Heisner and his team did all the moldings and painted them in Benjamin Moore’s Honey Oak to match the handmade Moroccan cement tiles on the floor (from the online dealer Mosaic House. I love the black sink, too, though it could use some nicer pipes sticking out underneath. If you want a vintage look that feels fresh, try this for inspiration.

—GINA BAZER

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08/12/09

Happy Hour | Light it Up

Ever since Scout opened six years ago, it has been home to the unique conversation-starting lamps of Ted Harris. If you are a fan of these re-purposed beauties, made of everything from bases of desk chairs to old globes to bowling balls, then Scout is the place to be this Friday night at 6-ish, when the shop will be illuminated by dozens of them, made especially for this special Ted-fest. Of course they'll be there until they're sold out, but Scout throws a pretty good party.

-GINA BAZER

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08/11/09

InBox | Haute Sleep

The value of your home and your 401(k) may be keeping you up at night. Then again, maybe it’s your mattress. Economy be damned—sleep the sleep of kings. Haute Living just became the only U.S. retailer to carry the luxe Nilson beds, handmade in the Netherlands of horsehair, cotton, and wool on a beechwood frame. The beds are stylin’, too; the headboards are designed by Piet Boon. A complete bed will set you back $22,000, but you’ll sleep better, right?

—JAN PARR

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08/10/09

Spotted | Get Flicked!

We love hearing from our readers. We love hearing about your design projects, cool products you’ve seen, and how you’ve implemented ideas from our magazine into spaces. That said, we’re an inherently visual group. Hearing about décor and seeing it are two different things. So it’s about time we saw something from our readers. To make it easy, we’ve created nine Flickr groups for Chicago-area residents to share with us—and all of Chicago—their design style and aesthetic. We want these groups (ranging from kitchens and bathrooms to gardens and decks) to inspire great design throughout our city. Ideas should be shared and discussed. Once these groups grow, we’ll feature photos that showcase great design and innovation on our site. Happy sharing; we can’t wait to see from you.

To get started, simply add yourself as a member to one of the Flickr groups below. And be sure to add Chicago Home + Garden as a contact, too.

Chicago Home + Garden Flickr profile

Chicago Home + Garden Flickr groups:
Chicago-area Living Rooms
Chicago-area Decor Finds
Chicago-area Decks and Patios
Chicago-area Kids' Rooms
Chicago-area Bedrooms
Chicago-area Bathrooms
Chicago-area Architecture
Chicago-area Kitchens
Chicago-area Gardens

—Elizabeth Riley

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08/07/09

Spotted | Tile With Style

Urban Archaeology is a great resource for reproductions of period lighting, plumbing products, hardware, and more. But it’s not the first place people think of for decorative tile. I love the Eastern Daisy pattern (shown above), inspired by the tapestry patterns of William Morris. It’s the kind of pattern that would look great in an Arts and Crafts–style home, amidst a décor reflective of its time, or it would work in a more modern setting, adding a little graphic naturalistic flair. Available in a 6-by-8-inch tile; $264 per square foot.

—GINA BAZER

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08/06/09

Spotted | P.S.: We Love You

As art directors, there are many days where we feel like we have the best jobs in the world. We get to go inside some of Chicago’s best-designed homes, meet the talent behind them, and then work with great photographers to feature these amazing spaces in the pages of our magazine. At the end of the day, however, our feelings of inspiration begin to mix with a healthy dose of envy as we return to our own homes. The reality is that appreciating good design, and being able to afford it, is not always a package deal. We certainly get that, especially now—which is why we love luxe for luxe but often live luxe for less. Maybe that’s why a low-budget, high-design store like IKEA is such a mecca. Last week we were invited to test-drive some of their new products in advance of the launch of their 2010 Catalog, and we were excited to see that their commitment to affordable good design is still in check. Not only have they lowered their prices on some of their best-sellers (that’s a new trick!) but they’ve expanded some of our favorite lines, including the IKEA PS Collection. This line includes furniture, glassware, textiles and lighting, and is created by collaborations between designers and students, which gives all of the products a unique and artsy feel. Here are a few items from the PS Collection that we fell in love with. (Not all have hit the stores or the Web yet, call first for availability):

1. A modern version of the Moroccan daybed, the Veranda bed frame is equally at home in the living room or bedroom, $499, stained and clear-lacquered solid pine. 2. Add sculpture to your table with the oversized Spraka spice mill, $19.99 each, of solid birch and feldspar porcelain. 3. We love the mid-century modern look of the Nybygge shelving unit, $229, oak veneer. 4. Keep warm with the super thick and soft wool Vadmal throw, $29.99. 5. Mies Van der Rohe meets Swedish chic in the August bench, $499, of solid pine and leather. 6. Impress guests with a couple of the Bjuda glass carafes at your next dinner party, $9.99 each. 7. No need for flowers with the modern, organic look of the stoneware Stock vase, $24.99 each.

- MEGAN DUFFY ROSTAN AND ADAM MOROSCHAN

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08/05/09

InBox | Happenin’ Hardware

Lake Forest–based Brimar, a to-the-trade trimmings, hardware, and textiles company, has just come out with a slick line of drapery hardware inspired by modern architecture called Manhattan. Instead of a typical cylindrical rod, this one is flat and narrow and the finials that go with it have the same streamlined quality. Sold through Kenneth Ludwig Home (Merchandise Mart, 312-467-0530), and Chicago Design Team (Arlington Heights, 847-394-1800).

—Gina Bazer

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08/04/09

Spotted | Patina Moves!

Once an off-the-beaten-pather in Ravenswood, Patina, an urban cottage–style antique shop, has joined The Andersonville Strip (at 5137 N. Clark St..), jumping on the Clark Street bandwagon with other great shops of its kind like Scout, White Attic, Brimfield, The Cottage, Room Service, and Roost. For other great finds in Andersonville check out our guide.

—Gina Bazer

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08/03/09

InBox | Crosell & Co. Sale

The dog days of summer are always a great time to stock up on furniture and accessories at reduced prices. One of our favorite shops, the charming Crosell & Co. is holding its annual floor sample sale, with furniture and lighting on sale from 25 to 75 percent off. Find upholstered furniture, tables, lamps, chandeliers, pillows, and more from  Cisco Brothers, Arteriors, Ankasa, Luna Bella, Kelly Rauch Designs, Soleil de Provence, and Arte Italica. In conjunction with the floor sample sale, accessories such as Lawrence Essentials hand-carved resin serving pieces, L’Object nickel and gold serving bowls and trays, Casafina Portuguese stoneware, Michael Aram, Riedel, Kim Seybert, and more are on sale. Shown here: A cast aluminum Louis 14th chair upholstered in black patent leather for $2,000 (down from $3,000) and  Preston Bailey for Egizia crystal from Italy, $20 each or four for $60 (originally $60 each). Save through the end of August.

—JAN PARR

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