Green Goddess
There are florists who make gorgeous arrangements. And then there are floral artists. Heidi Norton is one of the latter. She creates one-of-a-kind installations using plants, paint, wax, and more. Not sure what this means? Find out firsthand on September 11 at Sprout Home, which (in partnership with Monique Meloche Gallery) will host an evening with Norton to coincide with an exhibit of her pieces at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The artist will talk about her own work, as well as creative ways you can use plants in your own home. The event is free, but save yourself a spot here.
Festival Finale
The summer festival season may be winding down, but it’s not over yet. The Lakeview East Festival of the Arts is happening this weekend on Broadway from Belmont to Roscoe. It will have the stuff of typical arts festivals (more than 150 juried artists offering paintings, sculpture, photography, and furniture) as well as live music, and beer and wine gardens. But, to battle end-of-season festival fatigue, clearly you have to up the ante, so there’s also an interactive picnic area designed by Patch Landscaping. Head to the stretch from Roscoe to Hawthorn to see an oversized chess game, rolling hills, a boulder wall, and birch trees as high as 12 feet. A little landscaping can work wonders.
Magic Temple
Old Temple Chicago (843 W. Van Buren St.), packed with imports from China and Thailand as well as India, Africa, and Indonesia, just opened its doors to the East in the West Loop. The unique furniture and accessories include painted cabinets, decorated chests, Asian trunks, and Chinese panels, shown here. And this is not mass-produced merchandise: Each piece has a unique story behind it and some date back all the way to the 16th century. Need even more of a reason to visit the store? To celebrate their opening, the owners are taking 35 percent off everything in stock.
So Bazaar
The last Vintage Bazaar of the summer is this weekend, but don’t head to Aragon. Instead, swing by the Renegade Craft Fair (which I wrote about in last week’s Domestica). The Vintage Bazaar is throwing a pop-up market inside the larger craft fair. This version of the VB will include 50 booths of vintage home goods, accessories, furniture, and more, including Hot House Market, Houndstooth, Take 2 Vintage, and Manly Vintage. Find the goods on Wolcott Street at Division and in the LaSalle Magnet School parking lot at Wolcott and Division.
London Calling
You may not know British company Eskandar now, but you will soon. Eskandar is a high-end seller of clothing, accessories, and home goods—and it is opening its first Chicago location on September 27. The housewares are absolutely gorgeous—from Sotis Filippides ceramics, shown here, to Daniel Smith tableware, North African glass, French metallic shelves, antique wooden tables, and more. The 2,000-square-foot shop will be at 70 E. Walton St.