1 Put four of these sleek seats in a circle and you’ve got an instant lounge: Soleil tubular steel mesh lounge chair with powder-coat finish, $329, at Room & Board, 55 E. Ohio St., 312-222-0970, roomandboard.com. 2, 4 Pablo Girones crisp, capacious Sahara molded polyethylene planters come in five graceful shapes. Inner fluorescent lighting is … Read more
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Sunbrella water-repellent acrylic Trestle by Waterworks Collection for Kravet Soleil, shown in Admiral, Kravet, Merchandise Mart, 312-527-0505; kravet.com. Latex-backed stain-repellent acrylic and polyester Escher by Waterworks Collection for Kravet Soleil, shown in Grass, Kravet. Linen and cotton Autumn Bean by Seacloth, shown in Forest, Lee Jofa, Merchandise Mart, 312-644-2965; leejofa.com. Linen … Read more
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My latest design obsession? Tabletop terrariums. These lush little vessels can be filled with moss, succulents, or flowers (I’d probably go with moss because it’s easy to keep alive). If you dig the trend, options abound. This model at Amazon has a gambrel roof and looks like a mini green house. Anthropologie’s take is more modern. A smooth glass lid tops a wood base for an effect that’s rustic, yet sleek. My favorites, though, are manufactured by Roost and available at Asrai Garden (see photos above). The interiors are custom-designed by owner Elizabeth Cronin. Among the foliage, Cronin artfully arranges ceramic figurines from Brooklyn Rehab. Bonus: She can customize the tableau with your chosen figurines and plants.
–BRIDGET HERMAN
Have you been to the BoConcept website lately? The Danish design company just released some really fun products, but first, I just have to point out their new irreverent marketing campaign—right on the homepage, the words “no limits in small spaces,” stamped across a photo of what looks very much like a jail cell, decked … Read more
The International Vintage Poster Fair is rolling into Chicago again this weekend at the Chicago Cultural Center, and this year there will be more than 10,000 vetted art nouveau, art deco, and mid-century modern posters on display and available for purchase from worldly dealers including our own Poster Plus and the Chicago Center for the Print. A feature exhibit within the exhibit is “The Art of Persuasion: 100 Years of Propaganda Posters,” exploring advertising and promotional posters designed to persuade (They really-really-really want you to see it. Pretty please?)…
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If you haven’t been by Workroom lately, now is a good time to do so. The upholstery, window treatment, and wallcoverings studio has just received its spring offerings, including a slew of fresh prints with flowers, birds, and insects that the owners promise will add “whimsical sophistication” to your home (Thomas Paul’s designs for Duralee definitely fall into this category). Also just in: Marimekko wallpaper, which was released last summer, is now available through Workroom (exclusively in Chicago, according to the owners).
-GINA BAZER
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Love this new lamp ($299) from Z Gallerie. For other great options in tripod floor lamps, which can add some Old Hollywood drama to a living room or den, check out our new issue, on newsstands now.
—JAN PARR
These shops offer that extra something—a colorful pillow, a bold lamp, a zippy rug—that makes your home feel fresh and with-it. Display it for one season; tuck it away the next. These are the types of pieces you’ll turn to whenever you need a quick shot of energy. PLAYFUL GLAM JONATHAN ADLER Nothing says … Read more
The Montgomery Technically, the 28-story Montgomery is in River North; in reality, the gleaming blue glass and travertine tower exists in a world of its own. Built in 1972 as HQ for Montgomery Ward & Co., the crisp-lined structure (designed by Minoru Yamasaki, who also designed the World Trade Center in New York) was converted … Read more
Haute Living At Haute Living, chairs with a modern spin (left) and Bosa’s faceted Cut Series ceramic bowl and other tabletop items (right). This operation has definitely raised the bar on design in Chicago. With pieces by Vladimir Kagan, Piet Boon, Hans Wegner, Marcel Wanders, and other iconic designers, Haute Living constantly wows us. 222 … Read more
