Ad Categories: Home and Garden

Vintage collector extraordinaire Katie Ernst is opening the doors to her normally by-appointment-only showroom Revision Home at 2132 W. Fulton for her second three-day sale this Friday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. There will also be a preview of the merch on Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Also on Thursday night, nearby Supreme Novelty Fabrics  at 2156 W. Fulton (open to the trade only) opens its doors for a reception. Though Supreme stocks a big selection of bridal fabrics, it carries about the same amount of home decor fabrics.

—GINA BAZER

A few weeks back I was rushing through the Mart and Robert Briggs of Granite & Marble Resources beckoned me into his showroom to show off Stonewood, a pioneering product exclusive to Granite & Marble in the U.S. If you like the look of wood but need your floors to have the properties of stone, check it out. Made mostly of quartzitic limestone or marble, which is dense and non-absorbent, it doesn’t warp or contract when in contact with water and can be placed in the bathroom (even showers), lower levels, and kitchens. It’s scratch-resistant, looks like exotic wood, and comes in eight colors. It’s stocked in the Chicago area for faster delivery, and you can get countertops in large slabs or mosaics to match. If there are some other materials out there that you’d like to mimic with good old durable tile, check out our story Copy Cats, which features tile that looks like linen, wood, bamboo, and more.

—JAN PARR

DIY-ers take note: you can win prizes for your decorating prowess. Show off a great bedroom, living room, or dining room by entering The Painted Lady’s design and decor competition. The judges, including The Painted Lady’s owner Beth Harlow, Annie Wasserman of Nate Berkus Associates, and yours truly—will review photos of the spaces for originality of vision, layout, and proportion, and overall ambiance. Winners will be announced on April 8 during a cocktail reception at The Painted Lady. Prizes include gift baskets from North Bucktown merchants, subscriptions to Chicago Home & Garden magazine, and gift certificates from The Painted Lady. Deadline is March 11. More details are at thepaintedladychicago.com.

—JAN PARR

I just snagged this 1958 painting by Allan Erwo at Midnight Sun Antiques in Libertyville for half off. I’ve had my eye on it for some months, and owner Annika Christensen was savvy enough to contact me when she started her sale. All old inventory (certain items excluded) is marked down through February 20.

—JAN PARR

Back from the New York International Gift Fair for a week, but can’t stop thinking about a few of my favorites making their way to a store near you soon. Kikkerland’s “fake grass” charging station is kitschy meets practical. I am unpatriotically obsessed with Union Jacks these days, and loved Halo’s giant Union Jack Bensington foot stool. Jill Rosenwald’s pottery and lamps made me have to lie down. The vintage reproductions made the Go Home, and Design Legacy booths feel like a trip to the flea market. Loved the ‘Tini tables from Oomph—just tiny enough for your martini—get it? We’ve been obsessed with the tiny table trend for quite some time—I think every chair should have a table. Rumor has it Chiasso picked up Camilla House Imports clear-backed and patent Louis chairs, and I saw a buyer from Branca taking a peek at Alice Supply Co.’s cheeky chic household helpers. We have more showstoppers up our sleeve—but have to save some for upcoming issues. Stay tuned!

—Barri Leiner Grant

The name of the game for covering the New York International Gift Fair is not just what’s new—but hedging your bets (and byline) on what’s next. I remember covering my first show for Chicago Home + Garden in 2008. After combing the football field–sized scores of floors, I rang the office to weigh in on my trend declaration! Hey, breaking news—“peace sign = the new owl,” “mushrooms are the new birds,” “metallic is the new black.” And boy, do we LOVE when we’re right! This show, the BIGGEST news was SMALLS. Jonathan Adler introduced more than 200 new products this season including Jonathan Adler Junior. Diminutive and witty little versions of his furniture and furnishings for only the coolest kiddos. We heart the idea of buying a teeny alpaca throw,  included Oly Petite Seating—tables and shelves too! Look for them this spring at Jayson Home & Garden. Little Nest had the most mod of the minis, replicas of iconic favorites scaled down to suit “budding design enthusiasts” (see photo). Stay tuned so we can share their imminent whereabouts here in town. Garden spot Sprout was ahead of the game with its recycled outdoor offerings from Iman, look for them in our March-April issue.

—Barri Leiner Grant