As soon as you walk through the doors of the newly revamped Ethan Allen at 1900 N. Halsted St. in Lincoln Park and see the glamorous vignette pictured above, you sense the company has updated its look. It’s still traditional but feels more of-the-moment; some collections are downright modern. There is also a user-friendly component: The store’s first level is divided into rooms decorated in distinct styles—Global, Metro, Villa, etc.—with descriptive commentary printed on the walls for each one. (I find that sometimes it helps to have a definition of—or at least some words to describe—what I like.) If you go to the company’s Web site, you can also take a quiz to help you figure out your aesthetic. Take their assessment with a grain of salt—my style was deemed Loft and I just moved to a house in the ’burbs! But I found the words that Ethan Allen uses to define Loft to be pretty darn consistent with what I like: “Energetic. Fashion-driven. Practical. Materials borrowed from industry, architecture, and nature. Clean shapes. Punches of color. Spontaneous and fresh. Kids and pets? Bring them on.” Not bad at all, Ethan Allen.

—Gina Bazer