Remember when we told you about that fun launch party we attended for Hestia & Bear? Well, the online boutique is up-and-running with fabulous European-inspired housewares, jewelry, and lifestyle products (including outfits for your pets). We were immediately taken with their large-scale butterfly prints and, right now, we are coveting this tea towel and palladium pillow. Visit their blog for style advice, recipes from around the world, and a glimpse into the lives of the artisans and suppliers behind Hestia & Bear.

We’re on Instagram! Be sure to follow us at Chicago Home + Garden or search for us using the hashtag, #ChicagoHome. Take a sneak peek at our day-to-day adventures; find out what we are currently coveting, see pretty things we find inspiring, and more. Also, be sure to “like us” on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, @chicagohomemag. We would love to hear from you!

Add personality and city pride to your décor with these Chicagoland-themed throw pillows. From your local neighborhood to your lake house and everything in between, these babies give a whole new meaning to pillow talk. First up, bethie b.’s handcrafted neighborhood collection, which we spotted at Design Harvest. This mother-daughter design duo uses feather down pillow forms and high quality fabrics to create pillows that boast “Bucktown” or “Oak Park” (or whatever you want them to say — custom orders are welcome). These simple black and white typography pillows from The Painted Lady immediately caught our attention. Perfect for the person who can’t commit to one area. If you have a lake home, why not make it known. The “Great Lakes” option is our fave. Looking for less verbiage? Zerobird Studio has a series of pillows with the Chicago el. Available in a variety of colors that match each line; these graphic goodies were created from photos taken while biking around the city.

A recent survey shows that Americans will spend almost $8 billion on Halloween decorations, costumes, and candy this year. You’re on your own for the costumes and candy, but we’ve got some Chicago shops that offer super-spooky décor. Classic Remix (1015 W. Webster; 773-661-6796) has skull decanters and a skull candy jar. Create an eerie tabletop with clawed candlesticks, insect pattered plates, and creepy apothecary bottles (perfect for mixing potions) from Jayson Home (1885 N. Clybourn; 800-472-1885). Showcase spiders and seasonal décor inside this cast-iron lantern from Pottery Barn (1000 W. North Ave.; 312-944-0467).

This month, the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust is hosting October After Hours at Robie House (5757 S. Woodlawn Ave.). Taking place every Friday in October from 5 to 8 p.m., these casual gatherings will include acoustic jazz, beverages, and light bites. You’ll also get to explore all sorts of private spaces in the Robie House, the gorgeous Prairie-style Frank Lloyd Wright home in Hyde Park. While you’re there, don’t forget to stroll out to the balconies to see an amazing view of the University of Chicago campus. Go to www.gowright.org/afterhours for tickets (they are $30 for Preservation Trust Members and $35 for non-members).

Not everyone has the luxury of hiring an interior designer or knows how to go about purchasing high-end pieces for the home. That is why we are big fans of One King’s Lane tastemaker tag sales. If you aren’t familiar with One King’s Lane, it’s an online home-goods boutique that launches multiple sales daily.  Find brand name, vintage, and designer items without breaking the bank. Even better, design professionals curate regular tastemaker tag sales. And it just so happens that, right now, Julia Edelmann of Buckingham Interiors + Design is having a sale. She incorporates a mix of styles and eras, modern and antique.  Shop her top selections until October 10. Quantities are limited, so this gives you an excellent excuse to make an impulsive buy.  Check out our story about Edelmann’s home here and another project we featured in our most recent issue, here.

Every now and then we stumble across something that makes us chuckle and then wonder, does this have decorating potential? Enter Slightly Insulting Chicago Posters. These posters poke fun at some of our beloved Chicago hoods’ more unique attributes (read: borderline offensive stereotypes). Insults aside, we appreciate the graphic-design aesthetic. If you don’t see your neighborhood on this tumblr page, you’re not entirely in the clear. In bold print on the website it states, “Don’t worry we’ll insult you and your neighborhood soon.”  Available on Etsy.

Want your kitchen to feel more French? Whether it’s a Provencal country home or a Parisian flat you’re striving for, these fine taps by THG Paris have just that je ne sais quoi. The recently launched Traditionelle Series has four styles—the Bastide, Alliance, Montmartre, and 1900—which have either vintage-inspired wall mounts or bridge faucets (or both). But they’re anything but old-fashioned. From extendable spouts to pot-filling options, these foreign faucets make for a no-fuss sink that’s easy on the eyes. Available in bronze, polished chrome, or matte nickel finish.

It seems Jayson Home always has some great sale or event going on. Well, this weekend is the awesome-est of them all: the Fall Flea Market. They pitch a tent in their brick courtyard next to their store at 1885 N. Clybourn from Friday through Sunday and fill it with one-of-a-kind vintage furniture, lighting, artwork, and other unique items picked up by their buyers in Europe. The first 100 customers on Friday (the store opens at 8 a.m.) will receive a free, made-in-Chicago Jayson Home candle. And if all that browsing works up an appetite, there are going to be food trucks from Sweet Ride, Falafel Bros., e.leaven, The Tamale Guy, and Southern Mac & Cheese. Can’t make it? Starting Monday October 15^th you’ll be able to find some of the items on jaysonhome.com. 

Paying homage to his native land of Great Britain, designer extraordinaire Tom Dixon released a new sister line called Eclectic by Tom Dixon.  The aptly named line of home accessories and giftware gives more than a passing nod to British heritage and innovation with decorative trinkets made from cast-iron, marble, copper, stone, and wood. Choose playful curiosities ranging from children’s jacks to copper dishes hammered in a hexagonal pattern. Each item is designed with a function, but can also stand alone as an object of art. First introduced earlier this year, Eclectic officially launched in North America earlier this fall and starting mid-October it will be available at ID (3337 N. Halsted St.).