I stopped in to see my friend Tom yesterday (he’s in the midst of revamping his shop to include more mid-century items) and fell for this lamp—the base is a stunning clear blue. It looks like it came from Holly Golightly’s apartment, but it’d look great in yours, I bet. It’s one of a pair. 

—JAN PARR

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I stopped in to see my friend Tom yesterday (he’s in the midst of revamping his shop to include more mid-century items) and fell for this lamp—the base is a stunning clear blue. It looks like it came from Holly Golightly’s apartment, but it’d look great in yours, I bet. It’s one of a pair. 

—JAN PARR

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I stopped in to see my friend Tom yesterday (he’s in the midst of revamping his shop to include more mid-century items) and fell for this lamp—the base is a stunning clear blue. It looks like it came from Holly Golightly’s apartment, but it’d look great in yours, I bet. It’s one of a pair. 

—JAN PARR

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Thomas Jolly Antiques

I stopped in to see my friend Tom yesterday (he’s in the midst of revamping his shop to include more mid-century items) and fell for this lamp—the base is a stunning clear blue. It looks like it came from Holly Golightly’s apartment, but it’d look great in yours, I bet. It’s one of a pair. 

New Shop in Winnetka

   

By popular demand from her clients, Cindy Galvin of Bardes Interiors has opened a new shop in Winnetka called Maze Home, filled with new and antique furnishings ranging from sofas, tables, and chairs to lamps, pillows, and linens—all with a sophisticated-yet-cozy European feel. In addition to carrying her own line of upholstered pieces (in the most amazing, richly embellished fabrics), Galvin also exclusively represents in the area New Jersey–based artist John C. Traynor (a collection of his peaceful pastoral scenes and still-lifes fills a room in the store), along with the Parisian linen company D. Porthault, which was founded in 1920 and is famous for its colorful screen-printed patterns that have graced the beds of Audrey Hepburn, Coco Chanel, and many other luminaries (the company also makes towels, robes, and pajamas).

West Elm arrives; a new color for the new year

I was driving down North Avenue the other day and noticed the birth announcement of a West Elm home store, sprouting up at North and Sheffield, in the old Whole Foods space. The modern furniture chain has planted the seeds for its first Chicago branch, opening February 3, and creative director Alexandra Bates is pretty excited about it. “We are thrilled to be expanding into the Chicago market,” shae says, “especially with the success…

Win a Bathroom Makeover

Got a bathroom in need of serious revamping? The Tile Shop is holding a contest to find the ugliest bathroom in the area. When they find it, they will bestow upon the owner tile, cabinets, fixtures, lighting, paint, and professional design and installation advice. Find all the details and enter by February 4 here.

Photograph: Courtesy HGTV.com

Nice Curves

  It’s amazing the beauty that can result from the need to conceal an ugly steel post in the middle of a room. In this 3,000-square-foot penthouse on the curvilinear southeast corner of Helmut Jahn’s 600 North Fairbanks building, architect Jon Salzmann of Eastlake Studio (eastlakestudio.com) designed a floor-to-ceiling media cabinet to cover the offending … Read more

Enter Turquoise

Just the other day I blogged about the staying power of yellow, but the folks at Pantone have other ideas. The color authority has selected 15-5519 Turquoise as the 2010 color of the year. Come to think of it, I have been craving a turquoise purse lately, and I got a scarf in that color last year, and have been happy to have it this season. Stop controlling my mind, Pantone! Still, for my home, I’m not loving this hue. Too harsh, I think. (Although Kartell’s Frilly chairs by Patricia Urquiola, shown above, are pretty fun. So is the floor in this Nantucket boathouse kitchen, featured in the current issue of House Beautiful.) Any other opinions on the matter?

Move It or Lose It

Q: I’m not looking for a major redo of my home, but want to hire someone to help me rearrange, reorganize, and spruce things up. What should I know?

Spurlock Antiques

 

Spurlock Antiques & Decorative Arts, a relative newcomer to the antiques scene in Chicago, is offering discounts on existing inventory (such as this unique desk made of Jasper stone) and consulting services. Serena Newmark Mout, who has done stints as Alessandra Branca’s art and antiques assistant and at Carswell Rush Berlin in New York, opened her business last year. She’s offering 30 percent off all merchandise in her small warehouse (open by appointment at 1645 N. Francisco Ave.) and is charging $30 an hour (down from $50) for consulting. Wondering if grandma’s couch is worth reupholstering? Looking for a specific type of painting or furniture? Mout can help. She works with designers, collectors, and architects to quickly locate pieces and give advice. The sale runs through February 28.