Sweeney takes pains to turn party venues, however mundane, into fun places. Photo Gallery::: Jenny Sweeney has built a career around being girlie. Her cute, you-go-girl greeting cards and stationery have a celebrity following that includes Courteney Cox Arquette, who sends thank-you notes on Sweeney’s customized cards. She also has a party-planning business, and … Read more
my grandmother had made for a rocking chair long ago, then covered the chair in a nondescript fabric. Every time I view her lovely chair, I am sickened by my youthful mistake. How can I find authentic needlepoint replacement pieces?
Eco-minded home design opens in Roscoe Village
New Polish furniture company surprises with slick designs
Branca’s European style boutique opens new location
The latest scoop on openings, relocations, happenings, and other notable information
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I stopped into Crosell & Co. in Bucktown the other day and boy is this one chockfull shop. I mean this in a good way. Table linens. Bar accessories. Dinnerware. A small selection of furniture. It’s mainly traditional stuff, but housed in a cute little cottage, it doesn’t feel stuffy. Owner Dianne Crosell, an interior designer, turned me on to a local artist whom she represents: Kelly Rauch, who refurbishes vintage furniture. She uses many techniques, including layering paint, stenciling, waxing, distressing, varnishing, reupholstering, etc. I was very impressed with this chest of drawers. It’s got a sort of quiet-glam quality to it that I find very endearing and it feels more sophisticated than a lot of other painted antique furniture out there.
—Gina Bazer
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When I stopped by the River West gallery/furniture showroom Caste (covered in our January/February 2008 issue) on a recent rainy afternoon, Ty Best, the artist behind most of the pieces in there, happened to be hanging out, working. He and co-owner Brad Rowley showed me these great new X-chairs, which called to mind African birthing chairs. The darker, faceted one is walnut that’s been treated with iron oxide to bring out the grain ($3,980) and the one joined by splines is Jamaican Blue Mahoe with a hand-rubbed wax finish ($3,770). The name of the store is Latin for “pure and clean,” not the repressive class system, and these sleek and surprisingly comfortable lounge chairs embody those ideals with aplomb.
—BRADLEY LINCOLN
Imagine how you’d look carrying this into Ravinia:
The Veuve Clicquot Globalight, designed by Karim Rashid, is a portable champagne cooler that features soft LED lighting. It’ll keep your bubbly cold for four hours (no word on whether it automatically ejects a non-Veuve sparkler). Hurry, only 500 were made ($4,000 a pop). We saw it last night at a launch party at the W Hotel. Buy it here. And no, the Clicquot is not included.
—JAN PARR
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On a recent visit to Stitch, I was drawn to what I thought was textile art hanging on the wall. In a way, it was. These linen “tea towels” ($48 each) feature limited-edition drawings that artists from around the world submitted to an Australian collective called Third Drawer Down. This organization aims to give lesser-known artists widespread exposure while offering consumers an affordable way to own original art. Sure, the towels can be used to dry dishes, but I love the idea of framing them and hanging them up.
—Gina Bazer
