The Minneapolis-based design firm Blu Dot has partnered with Urban Outfitters to retail a line of affordable furniture, including this Eames-ish console with colorful lacquered sliding doors ($548). The Too collection also includes side tables…
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Ever since Scout opened six years ago, it has been home to the unique conversation-starting lamps of Ted Harris. If you are a fan of these re-purposed beauties, made of everything from bases of desk chairs to old globes to bowling balls, then Scout is the place to be this Friday night at 6-ish, when the shop will be illuminated by dozens of them, made especially for this special Ted-fest. Of course they’ll be there until they’re sold out, but Scout throws a pretty good party.
-GINA BAZER
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The value of your home and your 401(k) may be keeping you up at night. Then again, maybe it’s your mattress. Economy be damned—sleep the sleep of kings. Haute Living just became the only U.S. retailer to carry the luxe Nilson beds, handmade in the Netherlands of horsehair, cotton, and wool on a beechwood frame. The beds are stylin’, too; the headboards are designed by Piet Boon. A complete bed will set you back $22,000, but you’ll sleep better, right?
—JAN PARR
Viking’s new outdoor charcoal smoker will take your barbecues to a higher level. Available 30 inches wide ($3,300) and 36 inches wide ($4,600), it’s built for smoking, grilling, and baking. A gravity-feed system automatically lights fresh coals as old coals burn off, so you can leave your meat to smoke for hours, without coming back … Read more
Q: We have a cat, and furniture. What’s the most attractive way to address the clawing situation? Is there such a thing as claw-proof upholstery fabric?
Alessi’s Programma 8 modular trays by Franco Sargiani are perfect for those who like to compartmentalize. A sleek update on TV-dinner design, the system allows you to mix and match bamboo cheese boards (from $54), ceramic and glass inserts (from $15), and metal grates for fish, meat, and vegetables (not shown; from $60), all … Read more
Design Within Reach has expanded its reach, having just introduced a bath collection (on display in Chicago at its Kingsbury location) that includes several sink and cabinet styles, a bathtub, and smaller items, such as towel racks and toilet-paper dispensers. (A toilet, though, is not within reach.) The company also launched a kitchen line this … Read more
How to redo an outdated, irregularly shaped bath in a 1914 bungalow? We asked three pros to weigh in
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We love hearing from our readers. We love hearing about your design projects, cool products you’ve seen, and how you’ve implemented ideas from our magazine into spaces. That said, we’re an inherently visual group. Hearing about décor and seeing it are two different things. So it’s about time we saw something from our readers. To make it easy, we’ve created nine Flickr groups for Chicago-area residents to share with us—and all of Chicago—their design style and aesthetic. We want these groups (ranging from kitchens and bathrooms to gardens and decks) to inspire great design throughout our city. Ideas should be shared and discussed. Once these groups grow, we’ll feature photos that showcase great design and innovation on our site. Happy sharing; we can’t wait to see from you.
To get started, simply add yourself as a member to one of the Flickr groups below. And be sure to add Chicago Home + Garden as a contact, too.
Chicago Home + Garden Flickr profile
Chicago Home + Garden Flickr groups:
Chicago-area Living Rooms
Chicago-area Decor Finds
Chicago-area Decks and Patios
Chicago-area Kids’ Rooms
Chicago-area Bedrooms
Chicago-area Bathrooms
Chicago-area Architecture
Chicago-area Kitchens
Chicago-area Gardens
—Elizabeth Riley
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Urban Archaeology is a great resource for reproductions of period lighting, plumbing products, hardware, and more. But it’s not the first place people think of for decorative tile. I love the Eastern Daisy pattern (shown above), inspired by the tapestry patterns of William Morris. It’s the kind of pattern that would look great in an Arts and Crafts–style home, amidst a décor reflective of its time, or it would work in a more modern setting, adding a little graphic naturalistic flair. Available in a 6-by-8-inch tile; $264 per square foot.
—GINA BAZER
