Like the tailored industrial look? You’ll like it even more when you’ve got Richard Abrahamson pulling it together for you. Check out RJA Design, just opened on the third floor of the Boylston Building in River North. Abrahamson calls on his background in painting, art and antique collecting, and event, floral, and landscape design to … Read more
Nothing evokes a sense of mystery like candlelight at dusk. This summer, invoke that steamy tween flick Twilight and work some of these vampy lanterns into your decor.
Not the First, Not the Last
After years of gaining popularity across the United States through her designer sample sales, Colleen Schmidt opened the Midwest’s first permanent Thread Lounge (918 W. Armitage Ave.; 773-281-0011, threadlounge.com) last month. The new Lincoln Park shop offers up to 75 percent off wholesale clothing and accessories from more than 350 designers, including 2bfree, Gossip, and T-Bags. With two other permanent shops in…
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Is your yard full of demanding, design-conscious finches? Are you in need of a very cool, artist- or architect-designed birdhouse? This one, made of wood and aluminum by architect Sig Froelich, is one of 50 to be auctioned off June 6 from 6 to 10 p.m. at artist Wesley Kimler’s studio, 2046 W. Carroll Ave. Tickets, which cover an open bar and appetizers, are $20 in advance through the Friends of Pritzker. Proceeds will go toward the building costs for a preschool and kindergarten playground at the Pritzker School. Your local feathered friends are guaranteed to sleep better.
—JAN PARR
After two-plus years in the making, Loft Six Ten (1332 N. Milwaukee Ave.; 773-772-5017)—from the folks behind such hangouts as Cortland’s Garage, Goodbar, and newbie The Stretch—has opened its doors. Our photographer snapped the bar’s grand opening bash on Friday, when curious revelers roamed the two-level space with cocktails in hand…
April 16, 2009–Celebrating its 5th anniversary, DreamHome has become a permanent fixture at the historic Merchandise Mart, inspiring luxury design year-round. The University of Chicago Cancer Research Foundation and The Merchandise Mart Design Center hosted the 2009 DreamHome Preview Party on Thursday, April 16th. Guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and were the first to view the new DreamHome. The event benefited the UCCRF Women’s Board, which raises funds to support basic cancer biology research at the University of Chicago Cancer Research Center.
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Decorating is fun! Or so the legendary decorator Dorothy Draper reminds us. We were channeling Dot last night at Bedside Manor, where the linens boutique was welcoming its new partnership with Kindel furniture, and in particular, the Grand Rapid, Michigan company’s Dorothy Draper Collection. Draper’s painted chest was featured—in black and gold—in Vogue’s offices in the Sex and the City movie. Also shown here: the Dorothy Draper chair. The folks from Grand Rapids were in attendance to celebrate and tell their story—the firm was founded in 1912 and continues its commitment to traditional styles, with hand-carving, bench-assembly, and hand-finishing. See samples of Kindel’s furniture, available to order, in all Bedside’s locations.
—JAN PARR
List Price: $837,000
Sale Price: $805,000
The Property: The buyers of this big house on more than half an acre in Northbrook spent 49 percent of what its prior owners had paid for the place in 2007. Built in 2000 in a neighborhood where builders were replacing many small, older homes with far bigger residences, this house has eight rooms, each one oversized. Its white brick exterior carries through…
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I got a big white metal beverage tub at the Target Bullseye Bazaar yesterday, but what I really wanted was one of those French market baskets that were stacked up in front for shopping purposes. I asked one of the salespeople if I could buy one, and the answer was no. I asked her to ask the manager, and the manager, too, said no. No? How could that be? I was willing to pay for one! I felt like my four-year-old son: helpless in the face of authority. I didn’t throw a tantrum, though. After a quick Web search I found Medina Baskets, which carries plenty of similar totes. Also, I thought about it, and let’s say I really wanted to buy one of the big red shopping carts they have at the regular Target, the answer would also probably have been no. C’est la vie! Now if only I could teach my son that concept.
—Gina Bazer
Chicago native Roger McGuinn plays a homecoming concert in May.
