10/07/08

InBox | Framed

Sometimes the most mundane products get the kind of PR push you would expect from a Hollywood studio marketing the next Tom Cruise movie. I’ve been getting regular, inordinately verbose updates about the impending launch of the 5 Second Slide & Store™ frame for months now. Seems it’s “revolutionizing the framing business.” Although volumes could apparently be written about how great this frame is for stressed-out, busy people who are worried about the economy and are desperately looking for an affordable, universal (and, let us not forget, revolutionary) gift that anyone can enjoy, the concept is really quite simple: It’s a frame that has storage in the back for additional photos, so you can—and I did this myself with the sample they sent to our office—swap in a new photo when you’re ready for a change, and you can do so in… five seconds! Folks, I think I may have done it in four. Thank goodness, because I am so busy and stressed out that I can’t imagine spending any longer than that on a framing job. Not since the Segway have I seen something made so big a deal of by its inventors, and you can’t even get a good chuckle from observing this invention in action. Because it’s a frame, people. A boring frame. And even if it has a Hideaway™ Easel and a self-leveling Tru-Hanger™, that doesn’t change the fact that it’s just a Boring™ frame. And now here I am, writing about it, because mercifully it has finally landed in stores like Target and Bed Bath & Beyond. And I am so happy that I don’t have to get updates about its launch anymore. 

—Gina Bazer

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10/06/08

InBox | Rad Rugs

Harrington College of Design students recently competed in a contest to design rugs and have them made by weavers in Nepal. Now you get a chance to buy the winning rugs. On October 28, the rugs will be auctioned off at Orange Skin. Bidding starts at $1,000. You can preview the rugs at Harrington on the 5th floor until October 27. You can also see them here. We like the rug by Adam Frommelt. (Apparently the judges disagreed; it placed only fourth.)

—JAN PARR

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10/03/08

Happy Hour | MoSS Def

Through October 5th, check out MoSS (Museum of Sustainable Style) on Fulton Market, a show curated by Jessa Brinkmeyer, owner of Pivot, a clothing boutique specializing in eco-friendly fashion. Look for sustainable furniture and objects by Chicago Home + Garden subjects such as Ted Harris, Roscoe Jackson, Sean Scott, Jill Salisbury, and more. (Shown above, Sean Scott’s lounge and ottoman and Robert Wayner’s “Aardvark” bench.)

—Gina Bazer

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10/02/08

Spotted | Stylin’ at Home Depot

A friend of mine got this rug at Home Depot in Highland Park. It’s part of the company’s Home Decorators Collection and you can order it here in a variety of sizes. It’s one of those things I could see liking the looks of online, but being too scared to order. So I’m here to tell you this rug looks fabulous in real life (but I would still recommend calling a Home Depot near you and seeing if they have it in stock so you can check it out in person…don’t want to get stuck shipping a big rug back!) My friend bought it for her bedroom to match her bedding, which is cream-colored with some pink accents—just girly enough, without going overboard (she had thought about a shag rug, but felt it would be too predictable). An all wool, 8-by-11-foot rug for $1,099—not too shabby (or shaggy).

—Gina Bazer

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10/01/08

InBox | Maison & Objet

We received this dispatch from interior decorator Michael Del Piero

After years of hearing rave reviews about the Maison & Object Show in Paris in September, I decided to go. This enormous show covers miles of indoor/outdoor space, where folks from around the globe come to view and purchase what’s beautiful, unusual, and trendy in the world of interior and garden design. I expected to see spectacular, cutting-edge furniture, accessories and art, things so incredible  I would gasp at every turn.  Unfortunately, this was not the case.
     Instead, I witnessed masses of people placing orders for merchandise we’ve been seeing here in the States for years. It appeared to be a show filled with continuing trends, not new ones. There were themes: ethnic (strong Asian), industrial, modern, and that which has most recently referred to as “Belgian style” (I suspect the French claim it as French style). I do adore those greige weathered, wood tops set on iron bases, black lacquered Chinese wardrobes, oversized industrial light fixtures hanging in multiples, fine glassware, luxurious cashmere throws and handspun linen bedding. But I was hoping to find something that would inspire and excite me. Then I saw a line of lighting created with mini sponge-like materials all connected, creating an irregularly shaped object resembling an alien (shown here is Formation by Ango). This piece would take any dining room from good to great simply by hanging it (I’ll be carrying the line in my shop). Now, I’m still wondering where all those French women got their cool shoes.

—MICHAEL DEL PIERO 

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09/30/08

Scoop | Modlife Move

Robert Zizzo has relocated his mid-century-centric furniture, art, and accessories store Modlife, and as of October 1 he’ll be open at 3061 N. Lincoln Avenue. The new free-standing showroom, formerly a medical building, has been deconstructed into a lofty, minimalist gallery and will have twice the space and twice the inventory of the old locale. Zizzo told me that his clients have been looking for bolder colors and patterns for their homes these days, and he wanted a nice clean space to show off the goods. He’ll still be trumpeting the Danish Modern, Hollywood Regency, and iconic American pieces that Modlife is known for, but has also added some contemporary modern furnishings and Art Deco rugs. 

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

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09/29/08

Spotted | Island Style

I recently bought a cute Room & Board chair on Craig’s List, and wouldn’t you know it, the seller was a student at Harrington College of Design. Keith had a highly personalized new-construction condo, wallpapered and painted in cheerful, mod colors. Among the things that gave his space character was his modification of the developer’s kitchen. The kitchen was square-shaped but not big enough for a standard island, so Keith ordered one from Seattle-based Kerf Design and plopped it smack in the middle, gaining a little extra storage and a pop of originality. “They will custom-make and ship anything to Chicago and they were really easy to work with,” Keith told me. “The top of our island is actually Boomerang Formica that Formica Company has reissued.” Fun design tips from like-minded strangers. Yet another reason to love Craig’s List.

—Gina Bazer

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09/26/08

Obsession | Dibs on Design

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

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09/25/08

Obsession | Pirate’s Beauty

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

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09/24/08

Scoop | Sweet DreamHome

I went to the DreamHome press preview yesterday at the Mart and, as usual, much creativity by local interior designers was on display. Here’s what I took away from the viewing.

1. Anne Coyle designed a bedroom that felt like a London club. What a concept. She told me that clients often come to her and request a sanctuary of tranquility for a bedroom, a serene, calming place that will whisk them away from reality. Coyle pointed out that her own bedroom is constantly being trampled by her two sons and realities like a child being sick and needing to lounge around in mom’s bed all day while watching TV often trump the need to escape. So she created almost a hotel suite where one could hang out all day. There’s a sitting area in one corner with a wrap-around banquette and coffee table; a nice-sized flat-screen TV surrounded by pictures facing a big luxurious, fur-throw-covered bed (which feels almost like a sofa, with its curvy pink-velvet tufted headboard from George Smith); and the color of the room is not the least bit serene: Benjamin Moore’s Racoon Fur, which is almost black in person. Against this color, the accessories and furniture in Coyle’s signature lavenders, pinks, and pale greens popped like nobody’s business, and the mix of modern and traditional was just right. Ooh, almost forgot the black and white leather chevron floor tiles from Edelman—stunning, and apparently crazy expensive!

2. Erik Kolacz and Keitha Brathwaite created an impressive entryway that Apartment Therapy blogger Janel Laban pointed out really could be used as a room, with two comfortable yet elegant chairs and a bench for hanging out. The mohair and pony skin on the walls, and the python upholstery (“like a man’s belt,” said Kolacz) on the bench where all part of the “men’s fashion” theme that the duo chose as their inspiration (the show’s tagline was “Fashion at Home”). A big red painting above the bench acted as a sort of pocket square. Crystal 1920s sconces were the jewelry, lending a little femininity to the space.

3. I really adored Sanjay Singhal’s over-the-top bathroom, inspired by Coco Chanel’s loo and Belle Epoque Paris. The red and beige wallpaper and upholstery, the big pillow-covered ottoman in the middle, the massive statue on the table. Mon dieu! What a fantasy. I particularly loved the squared-off-style toilet and bidet from Duravit’s 1930s Paris collection. I’m a sucker for anything that reminds me of Gay Paree!

4. Joan Craig’s kitchen was also a highlight for me. I don’t have photos handy of the table right now, and will try to get some later, but I loved how it was set up in the limited space available: against the wall opposite the center island, there was a banquette punched up with red and white throw pillows (above it, there was beautiful hand-painted gray and white wallpaper, almost like subtle modern art), and a big table in the foreground, set with my favorite red and white Hermès china. Another wall, show here, had a charming display of hanging plates inspired by Craig’s 17-year-old daughter’s visit to a country home in France, where the owners had each of the family members’ plates hanging up similarly (they would take them down and actually eat on them). The actual functional kitchen portion was gorgeous, too, but I was so swept away by the non-utilitarian stuff.

So many great ideas at this show. Check it out Sept .25-Dec. 20 on the first floor of the Mart.

—Gina Bazer

Photos 1, 2, & 3, courtesy Merchandise Mart; photo 3, Barri Leiner

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