Events Newsletters Subscribe

February 2009
Points for Showmanship
By Elisabeth Fourmont
HAYDEN-HARNETT

Thursday night, I found myself in a room in the Hotel Chelsea with a bunch of models who were lounging around and indulging. Wait, it's not what you think. The models were indulging in junk food—or at least pretending to—and showing off the latest collection by Hayden-Harnett. Probably not the same type of shenanigans that Bob Dylan and other rock stars practiced at this famed hotel... Read more
Local Talent on HGTV
 

Local designer Candice Sone sent us word that she won HGTV’s latest Designer’s Challenge (it aired February 9; find out more here. Sone created an eco-friendly interior for a family in La Grange. She chose wood from sustainable forests for the custom wall unit, sofa, and chairs; the drapes are cotton and the shades are raffia.

—JAN PARR

Read more
Weekend Photos: Mardi Gras at The Pony
Saturday was jam-packed at The Pony in Roscoe Village: The afternoon brought out the bar’s Jayhawks contingent for the NCAA matchup of Kansas and Nebraska (the “home” team prevailed, 70 to 53). As the evening wore on, the good times got rolling—and the hurricanes started flowing—at a Mardi Gras bash. We sent our photographer to snap shots of the scene. Read more
Design Lite
 

A few days ago I met Joel Robare at his new home office in a highrise in River East. Joel, who grew up the youngest of 14 children in a small town near Rockford, has had a thriving design business in San Francisco and is expanding here. His company, JR Studio, has come up with a nifty “lite” design service plan for those who just want to dip their toes into the interior design world, or who, for budget reasons, are scaling back. He calls it “Elite Interior Styling” and it involves buying either a half or full-day consultation with Joel, plus you get his to-the-trade-only discount at participating showrooms—Frette Linens, Bang & Olufsen, Roche Bobois, Baker Furniture, Waterworks, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and more. (The list changes; contact JR Studio for specifics.) The discounts will likely make the consultation fee pay for itself. Of course, Joel also offers comprehensive design services.
    Oh, and that home office? Stunning, as you can see.
(The dining room set he bought in Palm Springs, then proceeded to bleach several times before staining it to give it a wonderful dull, light look and really bring out the grain.) I also totally love the way he had the chairs upholstered.

–JAN PARR

Read more
Sale of the Week: Lordly Georgian in Inverness
By Dennis Rodkin
Sale Price: $1.65 million
The Property: This commanding 16-room Georgian mansion looks down from its hilltop site through a broad allée of 26 tall silver maple trees. The home was built in 1972 at the center of the McIntosh section of the village of Inverness from a design by Adolph Nilsson, whose company, Period Homes, built several impressive houses in this and... Read more
Come On, Get Happy
By Elisabeth Fourmont
Head-to-toe bright color is a curious trend right now. It intrigues the introvert in me. I couldn't wear it, but I might want to be friends with the person who did.

Young, party-loving Chris Benz referenced the late '70s in his warehouse presentation this season—specifically the clubgoers of New York during this era. It made me think of '70s Sonia Rykiel, with her superhero matching ensembles of red, blue, and yellow. Rykiel said she... Read more
We Heart Lucy
   

Michael Del Piero of Good Design in Bucktown emailed to remind us that Lucy Slivinski, an amazing sculptor she represents in her shop (see the woven oak light fixture above), has an installation opening tonight at the Flatfile Gallery, featuring yet more of her unique sculptural lighting (see wire lamp above). The show runs through March 27.

—Gina Bazer

Read more
Talk of Our Town
By Mara Tapp
Two Chicago theatres have liberated Thornton Wilder's warhorse of a play from its nostalgic conventions to deliver productions both radical and real. Why now? Read more
Tall, Dark, and Hanson
Editor’s note: Change is coming to your inbox. Along with a retooling of our events coverage in the magazine (if you haven’t seen it lately, check out Chicago Guide in our March issue, on newsstands now), Marquee is getting a new name and a new look. Keep an eye out for the new Chicago Guide newsletter next Wednesday, featuring only the events worth your time and money. We know you’re busier, so we’re getting pickier. Let us know what you think. Read more
Bowled Over
 

Love these handpainted earthenware bowls and platters by Gale Garcia at Post 27. They have just enough chunk to them that they’re not too precious, and just enough artfulness that they’re not too blah-functional. Large serving bowl, $160; small, $40; platter, $160.

—Gina  Bazer

Read more