Griffins and Gargoyles and Bargains, Oh My!
To celebrate 34 years of business, the family-run antique store Griffins & Gargoyles is having a 34-34-34 sale (sounds like the measurements of a very sturdy Centerfold, but it actually just means they are discounting all merchandise by 34 percent for 34 days). The celebration commences this Friday, Oct. 2 at 2140 W. Lawrence Avenue, with extended store hours from 11–9 p.m., and the deals continue through Nov. 4. G&G primarily handles American and European antique wooden furniture and accessories and customizable contemporary pine pieces, but owner Kelly Donovan likes to keep it fresh with ironwork, statuary, and quirky pieces like this jazzy party painting. “Large-scale art is not the norm for us,” she says, “But this is fun and different, and that’s what it’s all about.” It’s by a Belgian artist/antique dealer, measures a whopping 80-by-106 inches, and will be sale priced at $1,285. Opal is the traditional gift for a 34th anniversary, but I bet they’d be even more pleased if you brought plastic.
Mod Milestone
Also celebrating an anniversary this week is ModLife, the cool-cat midcentury furniture shop that specializes in top-quality Danish and American pieces, as well as European art ceramics and glass from the same era. Owner Robert Zizzo is a gentleman and a scholar who travels the world scouting and researching inventory that he also rents out for photo shoots and film sets. He has had the store for five years now, (only one of those years at his current 3061 N. Lincoln Ave. location—we blogged the last move exactly a year ago today) and in honor of the occasion Mssr. Zizzo has mounted an exhibit of contemporary abstract paintings that complement the inventory, which includes the 1950s mahogany flip-top Kent table and chairs, pictured. The show is up through October, so stop by to see the work and thank Robert for five fun years of retail.
Clark After Dark
The streets of Andersonville will be bustling this Friday night as dozens of home stores and other businesses kick off the Arts & Home Weekend with an evening of parties, art exhibits, and performances at 45 locations. The event is organized by the Andersonville Chamber of Commerce, and continues through Sunday evening, Oct. 4. That’s a shot of the party at Foursided last year—these are always lively, social events with a lot of interesting people, art, and furniture to ogle. A complete schedule of shows/talks/demos is online—some that I want to check out are Room Service’s vintage poster show, Betsy Robinson’s silhouette-cutting demo at Painted Light, (I haven’t clipped a cameo since grade school; it would be fun to break out the safety scissors and construction paper again…) and a space-planning seminar at Urbanest emphatically titled “Get Cozy!” (Okay! I will! I promise!)
Breakfast With Champions
You probably already have your cards sent and your decorations up, but in case you forgot: October is National Kitchen and Bath Month. To celebrate, I’m going to go take a shower and fix a snack, but the Merchandise Mart has some arguably more exciting events planned for the occasion, including two stylish breakfasts with star power. On Friday, Oct. 2 at 9 a.m., Chicago Home + Garden and LuxeHome’s fancy new 7,800-square-foot tile/kitchen/bath boutique Porcelanosa are joining forces to host a meet-and-eat with D.C.-based designer Darryl Carter before his talk at 10 a.m. Carter, a lawyer who switched to more creative gears, designs a line of furniture for Thomasville, and Clarkson Potter has just published his first book, The New Traditional. The breakfast is free, and there will be gift bags if you register here with the code MMPIVIP. And on Saturday as part of the LuxeHome Open House (10-3 p.m.), designer and host Nicole Facciuto of HGTV’s Red, Hot & Green will be special guest at a Chopping Block breakfast from 9-10 a.m., before she gives the keynote presentation at 10:30 in the north lobby.
More Mart Happenings
Also at the Mart this weekend, but switching gears from the vanguard to the old guard, is the enormous (more than 100 dealers) International Antiques Fair, an eclectic, vetted show running Friday through Monday. There will be talks and walks every day, including designer docent tours by the lofty likes of Todd Haley, Julia Buckingham Edelman, and Greg Jagmin. All programs are free with admission, but RSVP here. For thrifty Domestica readers only, mention code DCP02 when ordering tickets and you’ll get five bucks off the $15 admission. You’re welcome.