Highland Park home décor devotees have probably noticed the relocation of the once teeny (well, 1,200 square feet is teeny when your furniture is scaled for North Shore homes) Jolie Maison at 640 Central Avenue to its roomy new headquarters across the street at 643 in the 6,500-square-foot space of a former Banana Republic (phone number is 847-433-4555). It’s kind of refreshing to see a chain being replaced by an expanding independently owned biz (not that I don’t gladly swoop down on the sale rack at Banana whenever given the opportunity!). For those who don’t live in the HP, here’s the DL: In addition to carrying luxurious traditional-feeling furniture, accessories, and bed and bath wares, the store offers design services and in-home consultations. It is the largest distributor in the Midwest of Burton James furniture (see photo of sofa to get a feel for this swanky line). Jolie also carries hard-to-find brands, including the Parisian line R&Y Augousti, known for its signature exotic skins on everything from purses to furniture. This is a no-minimalists zone.

—Gina Bazer