Rexx Rug Get ready to find yourself in a 6,000-square-foot crush of high-end carpet—silk, wool, cashmere, yak, jute, and more. Some stock is ordered directly from mills and in quantity, so it can run half the price of buying elsewhere. Offerings from Missoni, Schumacher, Wilton, and Rexx’s popular exclusive line, S. Julian (which clients can … Read more
FourSided, TwoSided Filled with such quirky items as old rubber Big Boy figures ($32), theatre marquee letters ($5-$13), and vintage educational flashcards ($.50-$5 each), Andersonville’s FourSided (primarily a frame store) and Lake View’s TwoSided inspire all manner of inventive gift-giving. Owner Todd Mack is also a fantastic collage artist and represents several other people who … Read more
Patina Alan Shull’s take on the cottage concept is on display at this charming, uncluttered, burlap-walled shop in Andersonville. Shull is sticking to his country-boy roots (he grew up in Oregon, Illinois), dotting Patina with large-scale reproductions of small-townish signs he paints and distresses (at press time, he had one advertising a general store), old … Read more
Grucza Studios For the past 25 years, Michael Grucza has been restoring 20th-century decorative art, furniture, and sculpture for up-there clients like the Art Institute of Chicago and Wright auction house. He can work in virtually any medium (be it matching a leg for a wooden chair, rebuilding a crumbling stone statue, or returning the … Read more
Careful Peach, Geneviève Lethu Careful Peach is a charming little shop that feels like it could be stumbled upon in Paris. Owner Karen Morava carries everything from Juliska glass and dinnerware to bamboo bedding, vintage jewelry, and imported preserves, mustard, and honey, as well as vibrant—mostly French, all machine-washable—table linens. For a slightly more contemporary … Read more
Northern Lights Swiss cowbells, Jordan-signed basketballs, and Chinese porcelain vases are just a few of the things these pros have wired up and topped with custom shades. This beloved old Winnetka shop and its lamp artisan extraordinaire, Sam Boulos (here 25 years), are the secret weapons of many prominent designers—Michael Del Piero, Christine Garrett, and … Read more
Carlisle Wide Plank Floors Founded 44 years ago by a historic preservationist frustrated with the sterile monotony of modern wood flooring, Carlisle has longstanding relationships with sawmills that give the firm first pick of old-growth timber from sustainable forests. “We’ll find the widest boards with the tightest grain possible,” says product management director Scott Jones, … Read more
Clark and Barlow More than 500 manufacturers represented, with about 10,000 knobs, pulls, hinges, and other pieces to choose from. In business since 1894. Knowledgeable salespeople. A favorite with design pros. Free parking. Plus a no-kidding, nuts-and-bolts, hardcore hardware store, right there. What more could you want? 353 W. GRAND AVE., 312-726-3010, CLARKANDBARLOW.COM
Loomcraft Find 15,000 square feet of high-end fabrics (think Kravet, Waverly, Duralee) at 50 to 75 percent off retail prices at Loomcraft. “We’re one of the largest suppliers of in-stock home-decorating fabrics in the Midwest, maybe nationwide,” says store manager Avon Cote, who presides over a vast sea of sample racks and bolts encompassing everything … Read more
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Dad always said it’s what’s on the inside that counts. So when he sent along an e-mail filled with these kitschy but clever photo tarpaulins, I finally figured out what he meant! They’re made by a German firm that went from window and door decals to Style Your Garage. Neighbors will certainly stop in their tracks (or move!) at the sight of your swanky new Cesna, mid-life crisis mobile, stable doors, garage band, or any of the many hilariously designed cover-ups SYG offers on their site for $200 and up. So whether you have a warped sense of humor or no solution to your unsightly “up and over” garage door—they’ve got you covered. The site says they are as easy to attach as a screen in a window. All it takes is the Velcro fastener system they include, 15 to 30 minutes, an extra hand, measuring tape and a bit of moxie.
—BARRI LEINER GRANT
