Ad Categories: Home and Garden

A friend of mine got this rug at Home Depot in Highland Park. It’s part of the company’s Home Decorators Collection and you can order it here in a variety of sizes. It’s one of those things I could see liking the looks of online, but being too scared to order. So I’m here to tell you this rug looks fabulous in real life (but I would still recommend calling a Home Depot near you and seeing if they have it in stock so you can check it out in person…don’t want to get stuck shipping a big rug back!) My friend bought it for her bedroom to match her bedding, which is cream-colored with some pink accents—just girly enough, without going overboard (she had thought about a shag rug, but felt it would be too predictable). An all wool, 8-by-11-foot rug for $1,099—not too shabby (or shaggy).

—Gina Bazer

We received this dispatch from interior decorator Michael Del Piero

After years of hearing rave reviews about the Maison & Object Show in Paris in September, I decided to go. This enormous show covers miles of indoor/outdoor space, where folks from around the globe come to view and purchase what’s beautiful, unusual, and trendy in the world of interior and garden design. I expected to see spectacular, cutting-edge furniture, accessories and art, things so incredible  I would gasp at every turn.  Unfortunately, this was not the case.
     Instead, I witnessed masses of people placing orders for merchandise we’ve been seeing here in the States for years. It appeared to be a show filled with continuing trends, not new ones. There were themes: ethnic (strong Asian), industrial, modern, and that which has most recently referred to as “Belgian style” (I suspect the French claim it as French style). I do adore those greige weathered, wood tops set on iron bases, black lacquered Chinese wardrobes, oversized industrial light fixtures hanging in multiples, fine glassware, luxurious cashmere throws and handspun linen bedding. But I was hoping to find something that would inspire and excite me. Then I saw a line of lighting created with mini sponge-like materials all connected, creating an irregularly shaped object resembling an alien (shown here is Formation by Ango). This piece would take any dining room from good to great simply by hanging it (I’ll be carrying the line in my shop). Now, I’m still wondering where all those French women got their cool shoes.

—MICHAEL DEL PIERO 

Robert Zizzo has relocated his mid-century-centric furniture, art, and accessories store Modlife, and as of October 1 he’ll be open at 3061 N. Lincoln Avenue. The new free-standing showroom, formerly a medical building, has been deconstructed into a lofty, minimalist gallery and will have twice the space and twice the inventory of the old locale. Zizzo told me that his clients have been looking for bolder colors and patterns for their homes these days, and he wanted a nice clean space to show off the goods. He’ll still be trumpeting the Danish Modern, Hollywood Regency, and iconic American pieces that Modlife is known for, but has also added some contemporary modern furnishings and Art Deco rugs. 

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

I recently bought a cute Room & Board chair on Craig’s List, and wouldn’t you know it, the seller was a student at Harrington College of Design. Keith had a highly personalized new-construction condo, wallpapered and painted in cheerful, mod colors. Among the things that gave his space character was his modification of the developer’s kitchen. The kitchen was square-shaped but not big enough for a standard island, so Keith ordered one from Seattle-based Kerf Design and plopped it smack in the middle, gaining a little extra storage and a pop of originality. “They will custom-make and ship anything to Chicago and they were really easy to work with,” Keith told me. “The top of our island is actually Boomerang Formica that Formica Company has reissued.” Fun design tips from like-minded strangers. Yet another reason to love Craig’s List.

—Gina Bazer

Do y’all know about 1stDibs? Because if ya don’t…well, ya should! A few years ago, a lot of designers I talked to started mentioning it as a favorite resource for finding those unique pieces that really joosh-up a project, so I checked it out and have been a loyal site-stalker ever since. It’s like shopping a Paris flea market from the comfort of your living room, and a great educational tool as well. Real-estate mogul Michael Bruno thought it up as a “multiple listing service for the design industry” in 1998 after seeing dot-com kids with nouveau money to burn and McMansions to fill, and started his empire in Paris by listing inventory from local dealers. In 2002 he expanded the site to include hand-picked (he visits and vets every vendor) U.S. shops, including local faves Thomas Jolly (that’s his 19th-Century carousel horse above), Richard Wright (Alvar Aalto Tank lounge chair, on the right), Malcolm Franklin, DouglasRosin, Architectural Artifacts, and Antiques on Old Plank Road. You can search the site by city, category, period—whatever—and the prices are usually posted, with links to the stores. 

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

For some time now, the Jolly Roger motif has been popping up in fashion—you can spy the skull and crossbones on hipster scarves and graphic tees from any Wicker Park crow’s nest, it’s all over Marc Jacob’s Bucktown locker, and even the uber-preppy Ralph Lauren has gotten in on the action—but arrrrrrrr you ready for a home invasion? I’m onboard with the trend, and added some cool pirate cred to my bathroom with this blood-red mat from the MCA shop—the curly plastic fibers feel great on bare feet. For (quite) a few doubloons more, here’s an interpretation I found at Orange Skin that shivers me timbers. As shown in pink and red, 78-inch  by  75-inch, this Popskull Rug from Floor to Heaven runs $5,607. Ahoy, matey! 

—BRADLEY LINCOLN