Ad Categories: Home and Garden

Recently I met with Simon Doonan, all-around groovy guy and creative director of Barneys New York. You may know him as the genius behind the store’s traffic-stopping holiday installations or perhaps as Jonathan Adler’s witty Brit of a husband. I caught him sailing through town for a gig at Barneys. Want to know more of what’s on Doonan’s mind? See Barney’s Babble.

What was your most recent home design purchase?
Johnny and I just installed a ping-pong table in our Palm Beach home. It is a ridiculously important part of our lives. We covered it in vintage paisley wallpaper and play right over the accessories. I am a big believer in games and staying in for game night. I love Scrabble and Monopoly too.

Who wears the decorating pants in your family?
I am more of a prankster [he’s fond of putting kitschy books on his shelves]. I defer to Johnny. I see things as displays. I might see a great Pirelli calendar and frame it up. As far as tabletop, forget it. Stemware freaks me out.

What color combinations are you feeling?
I am happy to see orange about. Also with pink—in a sort of St. Laurent combination. In Victorian times, pink symbolized power and courage. You saw it used in hunting. It’s really much more poppy and bold, than girly. I am fascinated by the meaning of color. Like black—it is sexy, satanic, and seen on both widows and floozies. Some colors really have a complicated and complex association, don’t you think?

What’s new at Chelsea Passage at Barneys?
We are excited about new DL & Co.’s Essence of Green Home Fragrance collection—candles and diffusers. Kim Seybert bar accessories and placemats in great brown-and-white graphic prints. Celestina, a refined, glamorous home accessories collection that uses exotic materials and techniques in lacquer, shells, and shagreen. Resin home accessories from Tina Frey—very cool and Zen shapes in vases and bowls. Anything Fornasetti, from pillows and boxes to wall plates and trays. Sydney Albertini hand-painted abstract dinnerware. She will paint any custom design or color, don’t you love that?

—Barri Leiner Grant

If a tree fell on the Museum of Science and Industry’s campus, would anybody hear it? Yes, indeed they would—and did. Last year, an almost-120-year-old white oak tree originally planted for the World’s Fair went thud, and now it’s been reincarnated as a coffee table by Chicago sculptor and furniture maker Terrence Karpowicz. This lovely piece has just been installed at the museum’s Smart Home exhibit, replacing the prototype that was there before (the prototype shown above is now available for purchase through Karpowicz). Smart Home is open through January 9, 2011.

—GINA BAZER

There’s a new vintage store in town—West Town. Seek Vintage opened this weekend at 1432 W. Chicago Ave. Pals and diehard vintage hounds Chris Hunt and Audra Yeomans feature a mix of vintage fashion, jewelry, and home accessories in their 1,300-square-foot space. Buying a gift? They’ll put it in a groovy box handmade from vinyl record covers.

—JAN PARR

Jonathan Adler, the king of happy chic, stopped by his eponymous Chicago shop and threw a swanky little soiree last week. He sold and signed 84 pieces of pottery and 10 books in two hours. He was wearing his new Jonathan Adler/7 Jeans collection, sipping a cocktail from his new line of paper goods, and shaking hands with his fans, including a few who drove in from Peoria. I caught up with him the morning after.

Welcome back to Chicago. What do you think of our city?
People are just nicer here. Seems like less stress. In New York everybody has an agenda, here they are just living life. The architecture is so groovy. I fantasize about a Mies apartment on a terrifyingly high floor with arresting views on the lake. Oh, and The Art Institute, please!

Are you monogram obsessed?
In this super-clutter mass world, everything that cranks up the personalization is alright with me. I strive to make memorable items that heirs with fight over. We’re special. I have a desire for specialness in what I make.

What’s with all the whales?
Who doesn’t love a whale? Such a beloved sea mammal with cultural resonance, and their shape is nifty. They evoke a preppy patrician too.

Are you preppy? Not authentically. I dig the look and accouterment of preppydom and old money W.A.S.P.s. But I am proud to be a nouveau-riche Jew.

The Union Jack gets saluted lots in your collections, what’s up with that?
I am a raging Anglophile. It’s a nifty, mod icon. Rare that you can find something so graphic and recognizable that you can play around with—I love toying with the colors graphically and culturally.

What’s new at JA?
Nifty new pots, pillows. The baby line, Jonathan Adler Junior. I have two new books coming out as part of a series: Happy Chic Color and Happy Chic Accessories. Neat how-to’s with nifty pics.

—Barri Leiner Grant

The mid-century modern furniture dealer Converso has moved to the Merchandise Mart and on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. will host an interesting show in his suite, 1709—a collaboration between that showroom and Balloon Contemporary gallery. The two parties invited British artist Karen Ryan to use the medium of design to communicate her perception of Chicago. Using pieces from Converso augmented with finds from local thrift shops, Ryan has created a pretty cool homage to our town. If you miss it at Converso, catch it later at the NEXT exhibit, part of Artropolis, April 30 to May 3, also at the Mart.

—GINA BAZER

Thousands of tulips and daffodils greeted guests at The Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques & Garden Fair this weekend. My heart really gets racing for the display inspiration here. The dealer booths are packed with enough ideas to send you straight home to reconfigure and recover your furniture, rehang your artwork, and spruce up the tabletops arrangements in every room and on your patio. A vintage baseball mitt collection, shell assortment, even ‘40s swimsuits became art when framed. A pristine pink Salterini wrought iron patio set from Martha Peck was a show stopper. Ginsing root burl chairs from Pagoda Red were also faves. Michael Del Piero conducted a standing-room-only tablescape demo that had everyone swooning. William Heffernan Landscapes created a yards-long French picnic complete with white kites, moss covered stone benches, and baguettes that was beyond perfect. Molly Flavin floral design of Lake Bluff is a new favorite for her custom arrangements. Just think—just 11 months til next year’s show!

–Barri Leiner Grant