Kenmore is heating up. Last December, the brand rolled out a string of stylish appliances. I’m smitten with the retro-looking Elite Steam CareT Washer and Dryer. The Elite Stand Mixer is on my wish list, too—it’s certainly charming enough to coax me into the kitchen. Thursday at 7 p.m., the brand will debut Kenmore Live Studios, a pop-up gallery meant to showcase its design-savvy. Appliances will be spot lit, suspended from the ceiling, and generally displayed as if they were works of art. Swankier than shopping at Sears, eh? Top Chef Stephanie Izard will also be on-hand to host cooking demos, and a troop from The Second City will perform sketch comedy about domestic duties. Thursday is the just the beginning, as the Studio is slated to span at least four weekends. Stop by 678 North Wells Street, Fridays from 6 to 9 p.m. or Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. or 6 to 9 p.m. Look for more guest chefs to appear, including from Roger Herring of Socca and Matt Wile of Moonshine.

–Bridget Herman

If you love Arclinea kitchens and cooking demos of Italian food (that you later get to eat!), we recommend stopping by Arclinea Chicago at 314 W. Superior St. on Thursday, March 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. for the event Italia in Cucina. Chef Federio Comacchio of Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush will be manning the stove.

—GINA BAZER

Dad always said it’s what’s on the inside that counts. So when he sent along an e-mail filled with these kitschy but clever photo tarpaulins, I finally figured out what he meant! They’re made by a German firm that went from window and door decals to Style Your Garage. Neighbors will certainly stop in their tracks (or move!) at the sight of your swanky new Cesna, mid-life crisis mobile, stable doors, garage band, or any of the many hilariously designed cover-ups SYG offers on their site for $200 and up. So whether you have a warped sense of humor or no solution to your unsightly “up and over” garage door—they’ve got you covered. The site says they are as easy to attach as a screen in a window. All it takes is the Velcro fastener system they include, 15 to 30 minutes, an extra hand, measuring tape and a bit of moxie.

—BARRI LEINER GRANT

Naomi Cooper, director of marketing and public relations for Pierre Deux, the French Country boutique, was in town last week to present a preview of the company’s new spring line. If French Country isn’t your style, fear not: We spied plenty of things at the new store in River North that would blend beautifully with many types of décor. In particular, we loved these mega bottles ($120) of hand-blown glass (they’d look terrific grouped on a side table) and this line of pillows (shown: 12 inches by 18 inches, $250) from Ankasa, hand-embroidered, from France. Couture for your couch.

—JAN PARR

I stopped by Kneen & Co. a week or so ago for the trunk show for the Côté de Bastide fragrance line from Provence, which Mary Jeanne Kneen is carrying exclusively in the Chicago area. Made of all-natural ingredients, the line includes hand-poured candles, as well as soaps and bath salts and other yummy and beautifully packaged items that make great hostess gifts. Speaking of which: check out these notepads with prestige Zip codes.

—JAN PARR

MCM Grand has just received a huge shipment of vintage Danish furniture direct from Denmark. Designers include Kristian Vedel, Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, Johannes Andersen, Kai Christiansen, Ole Wanscher, Oman Junior, Borg Mogensen, Illum Wikkelso, and H.W. Klei. MCM’s owners believe they now have the largest selection of this style in the Chicago area.

—JAN PARR

Love these mouthblown glass lamps by Tracy Glover, available at At Home in the City. Prices range from $550 for a table lamp to $885 for a floor lamp.

—GINA BAZER

Photo courtesy tracygloverstudio.com

The Nantucket-vibing Winnetka home furnishings shop Seagrass has just issued a very enticing offer: “We’ll come to your home before you come to our store. For free.” Not bad if you need a little advice before making the plunge on a home accessory or piece of furniture. And it’s a darling shop, too.

— GINA BAZER

Photo: Denise Orlin

A handful of design boutiques in Oak Park are shifting shape, and we’ve got the scoop. Careful Peach is relocating from 128 Harrison St. to 1024 North Blvd.—and gaining 300 square feet of retail space. The new location, slated to open April 1, will boast more room for vignettes and an expanded inventory of home goods. We can’t wait to browse imported French dinnerware by Jars and upholstery fabrics from Broderies Langlet, not to mention jewelry by Parisian designer Anne-Laure Frizot. Tres chic, non? Nearby Maison Suzanne is shaking things up, too. Mid-March, the antiques dealer will close its Glen Ellyn location and expand its 206 S. Marion St. shop to encompass the neighboring storefront at 208 S. Marion, a space that’s currently occupied by Michael FitzSimmons Decorative Arts. (FitzSimmons will be shacking up with Barley Twist over at 144 N. Oak Park Ave.) The expansion will boost Maison Suzanne’s square footage from 4,000 to 8,000, allowing for a deeper selection of European and Asian antiques, custom pillows, and vintage textiles.

–Bridget Herman

As if we needed any more convincing that Holland is totally cool, this tulip-happy design-savvy country that serves spacecakes at its cafes has recently launched a marketing campaign with the slogan “Just Be. In Holland.” I would love to just be. In Holland. Right about now. But here I am blogging about it instead! I suppose it’s to make us all feel better (and to get us on their promotional email list) that the tourism board of Holland has launched a contest (that started yesterday and lasts until March 3), offering the opportunity to win a Moooi Carbon Chair, designed by Dutch designers Bertjan Pot and Marcel Wanders. All you need to do is visit www.holland.com and answer the quiz displayed after you hit: "Just click. To win."

—GINA BAZER

Recently I went to see my friends John and Frances to view the new art-furniture piece they had commissioned. They had asked the artist Matt Hanner (thebuildup71@gmail.com) to have his way with an old wooden dresser. They gave him no restrictions on the design, and now they are so in love with the results that they actually display the dresser as sculpture. In my friend’s own words: “Matt surprised me today when he asked what we were keeping in the drawers. I still don't think he has any idea how much we enjoy these drawers as living-room sculpture. We do not find this chest to be empty... it is quite full.” Just shows that there are no rules when it comes to decorating.

—JAN PARR

We’re crazy for the Liberty of London line for Target! It will be available around March 13.

—JAN PARR

This is the coolest fan I’ve ever seen. The Air Multiplier from Dyson is safe, easy to clean, and generates smooth airflow (for about $300, in 10- and 12-inch table models). “The blades on conventional fans cause unpleasant buffeting because they chop the air before it hits you,” Dyson says. Who needs unpleasant buffeting? It’s sold at Luminaire here and will be at Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, and Target the end of March.

—JAN PARR

The scene: Chicago magazine conference room. The cast: a couple of WGN staffers, Shelterrific blogger Katie Donbavand, me, and some Tile Shop folks, fresh off the plane from HQ in Minnesota. (They brought beer! A local brew called Lakemaid.) Our task: to find the ugliest bathroom in the Chicago area. Some 300 Chicago-area homeowners submitted photos or video of their sorry bathrooms, and made a case for winning the prize from The Tile Shop: all new tile and fixtures for a new bathroom, valued up to $50,000. You may ask: what qualifies a person to judge an ugly bathroom contest? And I would answer that I’m not sure, but we knew ugly when we saw it, what was workable and what was atrocious. Mostly we agreed. A few entries we reviewed were deemed just not ugly enough. The stories were good, and so many people seemed truly deserving of a new bath. In the end, we chose the entry shown above, belonging to Suzanne and Matt Witt of Evergreen Park. The Witts bought the home seven months ago from an owner who had lived there 30 years. It shows: The bathroom floor is covered with pink linoleum square tiles, circa 1960s. The walls are covered in a combination of green and light yellow plastic tiles, some missing. The shower stall is built with a plastic surround with stubborn mold. The Witts, who are expecting a baby, will take on the project themselves, with design help from The Tile Shop. We spread the love around: Rich Richter of Rolling Meadows won all new tile to remodel his classic 1970s gold bathroom, and Jennifer Healy of Palatine won a $500 gift certificate from The Tile Shop to remodel her lime green bathroom. All in all, good clean fun!

—JAN PARR

—JAN PARR

Sunday is the last day for the pink tag sale at Anna’s Mostly Mahogany. Save 30% on all items marked with a pink tag (there’s still lots to choose from in this 25,000 square-foot space, a sales clerk reports). Lamps, both table and floor models, are half off. The other antiques vendors in Anna’s space are also holding a sale.

—JAN PARR

Vintage collector extraordinaire Katie Ernst is opening the doors to her normally by-appointment-only showroom Revision Home at 2132 W. Fulton for her second three-day sale this Friday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. There will also be a preview of the merch on Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Also on Thursday night, nearby Supreme Novelty Fabrics  at 2156 W. Fulton (open to the trade only) opens its doors for a reception. Though Supreme stocks a big selection of bridal fabrics, it carries about the same amount of home decor fabrics.

—GINA BAZER

A few weeks back I was rushing through the Mart and Robert Briggs of Granite & Marble Resources beckoned me into his showroom to show off Stonewood, a pioneering product exclusive to Granite & Marble in the U.S. If you like the look of wood but need your floors to have the properties of stone, check it out. Made mostly of quartzitic limestone or marble, which is dense and non-absorbent, it doesn’t warp or contract when in contact with water and can be placed in the bathroom (even showers), lower levels, and kitchens. It’s scratch-resistant, looks like exotic wood, and comes in eight colors. It’s stocked in the Chicago area for faster delivery, and you can get countertops in large slabs or mosaics to match. If there are some other materials out there that you’d like to mimic with good old durable tile, check out our story Copy Cats, which features tile that looks like linen, wood, bamboo, and more.

—JAN PARR

—JAN PARR

I just snagged this 1958 painting by Allan Erwo at Midnight Sun Antiques in Libertyville for half off. I’ve had my eye on it for some months, and owner Annika Christensen was savvy enough to contact me when she started her sale. All old inventory (certain items excluded) is marked down through February 20.

—JAN PARR

Back from the New York International Gift Fair for a week, but can’t stop thinking about a few of my favorites making their way to a store near you soon. Kikkerland’s “fake grass” charging station is kitschy meets practical. I am unpatriotically obsessed with Union Jacks these days, and loved Halo’s giant Union Jack Bensington foot stool. Jill Rosenwald’s pottery and lamps made me have to lie down. The vintage reproductions made the Go Home, and Design Legacy booths feel like a trip to the flea market. Loved the ‘Tini tables from Oomph—just tiny enough for your martini—get it? We’ve been obsessed with the tiny table trend for quite some time—I think every chair should have a table. Rumor has it Chiasso picked up Camilla House Imports clear-backed and patent Louis chairs, and I saw a buyer from Branca taking a peek at Alice Supply Co.’s cheeky chic household helpers. We have more showstoppers up our sleeve—but have to save some for upcoming issues. Stay tuned!

—Barri Leiner Grant

The name of the game for covering the New York International Gift Fair is not just what’s new—but hedging your bets (and byline) on what’s next. I remember covering my first show for Chicago Home + Garden in 2008. After combing the football field–sized scores of floors, I rang the office to weigh in on my trend declaration! Hey, breaking news—“peace sign = the new owl,” “mushrooms are the new birds,” “metallic is the new black.” And boy, do we LOVE when we’re right! This show, the BIGGEST news was SMALLS. Jonathan Adler introduced more than 200 new products this season including Jonathan Adler Junior. Diminutive and witty little versions of his furniture and furnishings for only the coolest kiddos. We heart the idea of buying a teeny alpaca throw,  included Oly Petite Seating—tables and shelves too! Look for them this spring at Jayson Home & Garden. Little Nest had the most mod of the minis, replicas of iconic favorites scaled down to suit “budding design enthusiasts” (see photo). Stay tuned so we can share their imminent whereabouts here in town. Garden spot Sprout was ahead of the game with its recycled outdoor offerings from Iman, look for them in our March-April issue.

—Barri Leiner Grant

Lots of changes are afoot on Kinzie Street near the Mart. This week the 100 West block is getting a new resident: Pauline Grace, a contemporary furniture showroom that had been on Kingsbury. Pauline Grace joins Thomas Jolly Antiques and Oscar Isberian Rugs , which moved next door to a new space. P. A. Larkin closed its storefront but is now selling its Asian furniture out of Vintage Pine. Evanstonia also closed its River North doors, but is still open in Ravenswood. Got all that?

—JAN PARR

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

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 and Carla Schultz of Carla 1 Design, (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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I just got an email from the Careful Peach in Oak Park about these soaps by Savon de Marseille. Don’t you just want to eat them? Perhaps I felt this way because it was about 4 p.m. and my stomach was growling when they appeared, in all their lusciousness, in my InBox yesterday. Available in five varieties (including unscented, rose petals, and lavender) these guys are made of Mediterranean sea salt, ash from Mediterranean sea plants, olive oil and, in some cases, crushed flowers or herbs. You can use them not only to clean your skin, but to do laundry, and wash your dishes (just don’t eat them). They come in 300-gram bars (unscented $8, with pressed flowers/herbs, $13). What a lovely counterpart to any sink.

—GINA BAZER

These fabulous poufs have just arrived at @Work Design in Forest Park. Think of them as throw pillows for your floor. Frank (red), 13½ inch diameter by 15¾ inches high, $617, and Henry (black), 16 by 16 inches, $317.

—GINA BAZER