I went to college in Lake Forest, and used to ride my bike up and down Lake Road, checking out all the estates, daydreaming about getting adopted, hoping to spot Daisy and Jay (or Mr. T. I’d have settled for Mr. T.). Most of the really big places are hidden away behind gates and walls, but one of my favorites was always Bluff’s Edge, a stately red-brick manse near the ravine and the lake, so it was cool to see that Leslie Hindman Auctioneers is opening it up for a veddy, veddy proper tag sale this weekend. There will be English and French antique furniture, Italian carved marble urns, important Oriental carpets, wingback chairs, a big collection of Audubon prints, and even a Steinway piano, all up for grabs on Sat. Dec. 6 and Sun. Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 620 Lake Rd. Oh and should you have an extra $7 million rolling around in the bottom of your Birkin, this Georgian peach of a home is up for sale itself. For more info on that, contact Baird & Warner’s Mona Hellinga at 847-814-1855. 

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

" />

I went to college in Lake Forest, and used to ride my bike up and down Lake Road, checking out all the estates, daydreaming about getting adopted, hoping to spot Daisy and Jay (or Mr. T. I’d have settled for Mr. T.). Most of the really big places are hidden away behind gates and walls, but one of my favorites was always Bluff’s Edge, a stately red-brick manse near the ravine and the lake, so it was cool to see that Leslie Hindman Auctioneers is opening it up for a veddy, veddy proper tag sale this weekend. There will be English and French antique furniture, Italian carved marble urns, important Oriental carpets, wingback chairs, a big collection of Audubon prints, and even a Steinway piano, all up for grabs on Sat. Dec. 6 and Sun. Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 620 Lake Rd. Oh and should you have an extra $7 million rolling around in the bottom of your Birkin, this Georgian peach of a home is up for sale itself. For more info on that, contact Baird & Warner’s Mona Hellinga at 847-814-1855. 

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

" />

I went to college in Lake Forest, and used to ride my bike up and down Lake Road, checking out all the estates, daydreaming about getting adopted, hoping to spot Daisy and Jay (or Mr. T. I’d have settled for Mr. T.). Most of the really big places are hidden away behind gates and walls, but one of my favorites was always Bluff’s Edge, a stately red-brick manse near the ravine and the lake, so it was cool to see that Leslie Hindman Auctioneers is opening it up for a veddy, veddy proper tag sale this weekend. There will be English and French antique furniture, Italian carved marble urns, important Oriental carpets, wingback chairs, a big collection of Audubon prints, and even a Steinway piano, all up for grabs on Sat. Dec. 6 and Sun. Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 620 Lake Rd. Oh and should you have an extra $7 million rolling around in the bottom of your Birkin, this Georgian peach of a home is up for sale itself. For more info on that, contact Baird & Warner’s Mona Hellinga at 847-814-1855. 

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

" />
Events Newsletters Podcast Subscribe
Events Newsletters
Podcast Subscribe

Ad Categories: Home and Garden

To the Manor Bought

by

I went to college in Lake Forest, and used to ride my bike up and down Lake Road, checking out all the estates, daydreaming about getting adopted, hoping to spot Daisy and Jay (or Mr. T. I’d have settled for Mr. T.). Most of the really big places are hidden away behind gates and walls, but one of my favorites was always Bluff’s Edge, a stately red-brick manse near the ravine and the lake, so it was cool to see that Leslie Hindman Auctioneers is opening it up for a veddy, veddy proper tag sale this weekend. There will be English and French antique furniture, Italian carved marble urns, important Oriental carpets, wingback chairs, a big collection of Audubon prints, and even a Steinway piano, all up for grabs on Sat. Dec. 6 and Sun. Dec. 7, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 620 Lake Rd. Oh and should you have an extra $7 million rolling around in the bottom of your Birkin, this Georgian peach of a home is up for sale itself. For more info on that, contact Baird & Warner’s Mona Hellinga at 847-814-1855. 

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

Drinking Buddies

by

Whilst strolling the Boul Mich the other day, the new window displays at Cole Haan caught my eye. They have a new line of leather bar accessories, and they’re swell for the dipso holiday season. These leather wine totes are over-the-top—they also come in shiny red patent leather and the signature C.H. woven pattern. At $98, it’s a pretty classy chassis for your two-buck Chuck, so you might want to just use and reuse yourself when you go to BYOBs or over the river to Grandmother’s house. This leather handled corkscrew ($55) comes with its own carrying case, and the witty set of coasters ($65) is printed with the options olive/twist, straight up/on the rocks, dry/dirty, and stirred/shaken. 

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

Presents of Mind

by
 

I was a personal shopper for a day. A personal shopper with an assistant (our art director, Megan Duffy Rostan), and no actual client. Our mission: to identify some great holiday gifts in the 900 North Shops. We focused on home décor and accessories, and came up with a great group of items, from stocking stuffers to expensive gifts for a very special person. The gifts were on display at a Four Seasons luncheon hosted by our magazine, Chicago, and 900 North Shops. You can also see them on display at the mall on Level 3 next to Mark Shale. Here’s what we found:

A hot pink Burberry cashmere scarf from Bloomingdales that would double as a fab table runner, art books beautifully packaged from Silk Trading Co., L’Occitane candles and soaps (you can never go wrong with this wonderfully packaged stuff), and a heat- and cold-resistant silver bowl from Northern Possessions.

Tumblers that can double as votives from Genevieve Lethu (a bargain at $78 for a set of 6; I want these for myself!), cardboard coasters (just $15!) and a paperweight from Jane Weber, Ink!, tissue covers from Silk Trading Co., and an adjustable silver candelabrum from Christofle.

A glass cheese board and knife from Genevieve Lethu, Rosle’s life-changing garlic press (it’s amazing! I have one) and paper-and-resin cutting board from Williams Sonoma, and elegant goblets (put pencils or toothbrushes in them) from Bernardaud ($70 each).

—JAN PARR

Photography: Randy Belice

Holiday Gifts at Golden Triangle

by

We received an email from The Golden Triangle with some great ideas for gifts. The good news: many are on sale! New Thai celadon ceramic vases are just $22; the 11-inch Chinese fishing float glass globes (circa 1970) are $175 each; new Peking yellow glass objects are (left to right) $280, $145, and $325.

—Jan Parr

Maine Event

by

Leon Leonwood (his friends call him L.L.) Bean has opened a huge new store at the Old Orchard mall in Skokie—only their second retail location in Illinois—and I think that there’s something very comforting about that. In trying economic times, chunky warm Bean boots, aromatic Maine balsam wreaths, and striped Hudson’s Bay blankets are appealingly nostalgic. Prices are reasonable, quality’s sturdy, and you can’t beat their customer service. I liked this line of Mission-style hardwood furniture (that bookshelf is only $179) and some surprisingly modern hand-hooked wool rugs (that’s the Multi Windmill pattern, and it’s $499 for a 6’ x9’ size). While you’re at it, get yourself one of those prepped-out monogram tote bags for greener grocery runs, and a set of buffalo-plaid flannel sheets to tuck in with the latest issue of Chicago Home + Garden. Just stay away from the mom jeans.  

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

White Attic

by

Our friend Tate Gunnerson, who blogs about home design at Strange Closets, reports that Terry Ledford has opened a second White Attic in Bucktown at 1842 N. Damen Ave. (773-252-8844). See more photos of this wonderful store—known for painted furniture—here.

—JAN PARR

Photo: Tate Gunnerson 

Tray Chic

by

I just saw these on the Stitch Web site. How fun for serving appetizers on Thanksgiving (you know, the whole bird theme and all). Or just hang one on your dining room wall and get your guests talking. They are so bizarre but in the most fabulous way. Price: $175; 10 percent off through November 28.

—Gina Bazer

United Nations: Design Division

by


Teroforma is an interesting new Connecticut-based company that just debuted at the New York International Gift Fair this past August. This company is built around (from the description in their press materials): “identifying promising young designers around the world and ‘matchmaking’ them with master artisans who hand-craft their works—a designer of glass tumblers in Norway was introduced to a master glassblower in the Czech Republic; a small studio outside Beijing keeping a vanishing traditional pottery craft alive was the perfect choice to hand-fabricate bone china designed in the U.K….” Not only do we like the idea of this global consortium of talent, but we like the results: all sorts of beautiful tabletop wares, from glassware to dinnerware to linens. In Chicago, Teroforma is carried at Elements. The shop currently carries only glass (“all non-lead crystal, mouthblown by master blowers”; tumblers are $20 to 28), but can order other pieces as well.

—Gina Bazer

Silk Trading Company

by

Our art director, Megan Duffy Rostan, and I went on an unusual shopping spree today. Our mission was to find great holiday gifts at the 900 North Michigan Shops. We were selecting items for a lunch I will be hosting to promote shopping at the mall. I’ll post our finds later on this blog, but one thing that really impressed us today was Silk Trading Company. We wrote about the company’s “Drapery Out-of-a-Box” collection when it debuted, but neither us of had ever been in the showroom. We loved the teal blue ottoman displayed at the foot of a bed, and really admired the furniture styles, such as the chairs shown here (I don’t care for the striped fabric on the one chair, but the chair itself has great bones). All furniture can be made in any one of the hundreds of fabrics Silk Trading carries.

—JAN PARR

Blu Dot at I.D.

by


I.D. has carried select Blu Dot pieces for some time, but now the store is expanding its Blu Dot selection and creating a store within-a-store for the line. Blu Dot’s founders will be on hand tonight at a party at I.D. to celebrate the partnership. (If all goes well, we’ll be there, too.) Hooray, we say! We can’t get enough Blu Dot.

—JAN PARR