For practical modern pieces with a whole lot of presence, Blu Dot rarely disappoints. Here are some of our favorite picks from their spring collection. All available at I.D., 3337 N. Halsted St., 773-755-4343; idchicago.com Son of a Bench Rubber-coated steel; 54 inches long, 16 inches high, $1,299 Shilf Powder-coated steel modular shelving, comprised … Read more
Two new wallpaper options are available for people who love a lot of choices. For an additional $40 per order, any of Kreme’s patterns (1) can be recreated in any color (rolls are $215 each)—just provide a swatch of the hue you’d like to match. Farrow & Ball recently came out with a pattern called … Read more
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I was in Michigan recently speaking at Susan Fredman’s At Home with Nature and I got a tour of Susie’s home, where I was one of the first to see her new table. Roger Boike, a designer for Fredman, had this giant granite boulder cut in half and shipped from Southeast Asia. The top was “flamed” to give it a pebbly finish without being uneven. It’s a more rustic alternative to a honed or polished finish, Roger says. All we know is, this table rocks!
—JAN PARR
New to Winnetka: a one-stop shop for the sartorial man
A roundup of July’s sales, store openings, and shopping news
Super-sized food has invaded our stadiums. Will monster pretzels and two-foot meatball sandwiches win over the baseball junkies?
Round smoothness envelops black cherry fruit and soft cinnamon spice
On Saturday our photographer headed to Wicker Park for the second annual Queer Prom, Subterranean’s contribution to a jam-packed Pride Weekend lineup. This year’s theme, Under the Sea, was straight out of the high-school yearbook but came with a musical headliner—the bluesy art rocker Miss Derringer—way cooler than anything we slow danced to as gawky teens.
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If you’ve walked by Ligne Roset recently you may have noticed the amazing three-dimensional fabric sculpture hanging in the window. Called “Clouds” and designed by the French duo Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, this DIY art installation is also on display at the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute. Want to try this at home? The fabric tiles come flatpacked in boxes of eight (starting at $440) and 24 (starting at $1,105) in 14 different colors. The package also includes mounting materials; all you need is a bit of your own artistic vision and you can create museum-quality art for your house. Only at Ligne Roset.
—Gina Bazer
May 14, 2009 — A Decade of Dignity: The 10th Anniversary Spirit Awards was held Thursday, May 14th at the Chicago History Museum. More than 400 attendees enjoyed a fabulous auction, cocktails by Grey Goose Vodka and honored The Kohler Company, Aimee Nemeckay and InterfaceFLOR for their commitment to Designs for Dignity. Over $100,000 was raised for Designs for Dignity which provides pro bono design services to area nonprofits in Chicago and Southwest Michigan.
