Opened, Moved, and Happenings

Lalique’s Les 3 Lionnes Table, 45,250 (excluding the Glass Top), was designed in 1992. Opened Aquae Sulis, a 9,800-square-foot, open-to-the-public kitchen and bath showroom featuring names like Delta, Grohe, Kohler, and Basco, at 2211 N. Elston Ave., 773-772-7272. Recherché Fine Furnishings, featuring French cottage-style hand-painted resale furniture, vintage china, linens, and other home accessories, at … Read more

Pick Me Up

Sturdy, lightweight dishes and cutlery made from (renewable) bamboo make for eco-friendly, unplastic picnics. Plates and utensils, $7.99 to $12.99 for multi-item packs; Bambu Lacquerware serving utensils, $10.99 each, and bowls, $12.99 each; at Fox & Obel Market, 401 E. Illinois St., 312-410-7301. "Sporks" ($10 for 24) at Museum of Contemporary Art Store, 220 E. … Read more

Seed Money

  Turn over a new leaf this spring with local independent publisher Front Forty Press’s Green Dynamite, $10. The biodegradable tubes contain seeds of more than 50 of the Chicago area’s native wildflowers and grasses-enough to spread over an estimated 400 square feet. The seeds are easy to plant (sorry-there’s no actual explosion) and satisfying … Read more

Buyer's Guide

ABOUT OUR SOURCES: We attempt to provide as much information as possible about the products and professionals involved in designing the homes we show in our pages. Items not included here are probably not available for sale; they might be antiques or part of an owner’s personal collection. When an item or product line is … Read more

Home Pages

  Looking for the perfect adornment for your coffee table? Dream Homes Chicago (Panache, $34.95), a pay-to-play book, is filled with luscious photos of projects designed by the Chicago area’s most prestigious architects. We guarantee you’ll be inspired, if not seething with jealousy. Available at major bookstores in Chicago.   Photography: Matthew Gilson

Backstory

What’s hiding behind a modest cottage in East Village? A shrewdly contemporary addition, a lush private garden, and (surprise!) a boathouse