March 2010

When I walked by the tiny display of Ceramika Artystyczna Polish stoneware at the Housewares Show (yes, there is yet more to cover on that subject!), I couldn’t help but think of this kitchen, which I saw on an Apartment Therapy post about grey kitchens a while ago. I don’t own any blue and white dishes (nor do I have a grey kitchen, for that matter), but I always find myself attracted to both. I love the grey cabinets in this pic—what an easy fix if you hate your icky wood or white ones! As for the dishes, I like the idea of incorporating old-world, European-style pieces on a modern table, or using a bunch for decorating against a white background. The line shown here has just been picked up by Coveny Lane in Riverside, but you can find the same look in mismatched varieties at thrift shops and antique stores.

—GINA BAZER

The Rythme sofa, upholstered in Missoni fabric, has just landed at the Roche Bobois store in River North. It’s not new to the company, but new for the Chicago location; with franchises, certain more-daring styles sometimes trickle down slowly to our neck of the woods. Nevertheless, this modular three-seater is absolutely charming live and in person. Pick and choose your own combinations of the fabrics shown, or buy the one on the floor for $9,409.

—GINA BAZER

Naomi Cooper, marketing director at Pierre Deux, sent us this guest blog after attending the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in New York last weekend:

Manhattan’s Pier 94 was filled with more than 300 vendors showcasing their latest ideas and products for the home—from furniture and lighting to kitchens and baths. From bright contrasting hues to optical illusions to runway-inspired patterns and twists on the traditional, this is what I am coveting this spring:

•Furniture from The New Traditionalists. The NY-based company’s mission statement: If you think traditional and cool are not mutually exclusive, you are a new traditionalist. Well then, I guess I am a New Traditionalist. The collection of case goods and furniture is influenced by classic silhouettes, exceptional clothing, shape, and history. With so many finishes and colors to choose from, the New Traditionalists is haute couture for your home.

•Eskayel Bespoke Wallpaper. I love to see a trend from the fashion runway translate itself perfectly into a room. Artist Shanan Campanaro’s wallpaper collections evoke visions of one of this season’s hottest fashion trends, tie dye, seen in Bluemarine’s and Proenza Schouler’s spring/summer collections. Shanan’s day job is designing for a reknown fashion retail chain, but the inspiration for her wallcoverings comes from digitally manipulating designs from her art, which she has been exhibiting since she graduated from London’s Central St. Martins in 2003. This year she extended her collection to include pillows and tabletop items, which she debuted at the show.

•Featuring patterns in Pantone’s spring 2010 palette, Amy Helfand’s rugs are not for colorphobes. They’ll make the most basic rooms pop. Helfand, a Rugmark licensee, works with one of the most reputable manufacturers of carpets in Nepal. Rugmark is a global non-profit working to end child labor and offer educational opportunities for children in Nepal, India, and Pakistan.

I love Art Addiction’s new Art: Lex collection featuring contemporary imagery printed on a special acrylic material. Each piece is affixed to an invisible mount, creating a three-dimensional floating effect. Can’t you see these vintage books mounted above a suspended shelf?

—Naomi Cooper