SHOP IT: Whether you’re shopping it or simply studying it, next weekend’s Modernism Show [Friday through Nov. 4] is a must-see for lovers of Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, Art Nouveau and all Modern design movements. More than 35 dealers from around the world showcase everything from Mission sideboards to Art Deco handbags in the 18th Annual Modernism Show: An Exposition and Sale of 20th Century Design 1890-1990 at the Winnetka Community House. All art is for sale, and all dealers are on-hand to answer your collecting questions. Of special note: an 11 a.m. lecture Nov. 4 by Cincinnati gallery owner David Smith. He will give the official green light to mixing Modern pieces with other architectural and design styles — and share tips for doing it right.
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 4. Cost: $12 for admission to two-day show; lectures included with price of admission. 620 Lincoln Ave., Winnetka. 847-446-0537; winnetkacommunityhouse.org.
— Shaila Wunderlich
ATTEND IT: DIFFA: Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS brings its Dining By Design tour to The Merchandise Mart starting Thursday. The series of events, which features over-the-top tabletop design installations by nationally known designers (including Chicago’s Bruce Mau), starts with a cocktail party and silent auction Thursday and concludes with a gala dinner Saturday. Each design centers around a dining setting for 10 guests — and that’s where the similarities end. The installations, which include everything from a series of bed-top tables to fantasy garden settings, are open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Cost: $10 for viewing; $100 for the cocktail party; $500 for the dinner. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit diffachicago.org or call 312-644-6412.
— Cindy Dampier
SHOP IT: Normally open only to members of the design trades, The Merchandise Mart’s Design Center will open its doors to the general public next weekend [Nov. 3 to 4] for its annual Treasure Hunt Luxury Sample Sale. If that once-a-year opportunity is not enough to get you over to The Mart, the huge markdowns might be. Furnishings and accessories normally priced in the several-thousand-dollars will be reduced by as much as 75 percent. Examples: a White Leather Wing Chair from Chicago design firm Niedermaier is sale-priced at $1,950, compared to its regular retail price of $3,900. A dark wood bed from Century Designer Showrooms is on sale for $3,599, compared to its usual price of $10,500. Also on tap: free design consultations from The Merchandise Mart’s stable of Designer Portfolio interior designers and home furnishings experts. Sign up when you arrive to reserve a spot, and bring along your fabric swatches, photos and magazine clippings for an expert review.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Cost: $10 for admission to both days. Register online or in person. The Merchandise Mart, 7th Floor, 222 Merchandise Mart Plaza; merchandisemart designcenter.com.
— S.W.
SHOP IT: If you’re serious about the yearly Floor Sample Sale at Toms-Price, this week is your last chance to strategize your shopping list. On Saturday [Nov. 3], more than half the store’s lot gets marked down 40 percent to 70 percent. That includes sofas, chairs, bedroom, home office and dining pieces from such furnishings favorites as Baker, Hickory Chair, Century and Stickley. Stop in before Saturday to take notes on the items wearing the green “Floor Sample Sale” tags — these are the items to be marked down. Exactly how much they will be marked down won’t be revealed until Saturday, but that’s part of the fun. Sale runs from Saturday through Nov. 18 at all three main Toms-Price locations. Stores are closed Friday [Nov. 2] to prepare for the sale.
303 E. Front St., Wheaton, 630-668-7878; 725 Milwaukee Ave., Lincolnshire, 847-478-1900; 374 Old Orchard Center, Skokie, 847-675-9400. toms-price.com
— S.W.
SHOP IT: Take your holiday shopping to an atmosphere-appropriate level by doing it at one of the Midwest’s great Gilded Age treasures. The 3rd Great Expectations Holiday Boutique takes place next weekend [Nov. 2 and 3] at the Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook. Handcrafted furniture and gift items from vendors, including Chicago’s Vintage Pine and Hinsdale’s B-R Design, will take over the bottom floor of the old coal baron’s mansion, as shoppers are invited to tour the mansion’s upper floors at their leisure. Shop for furniture, vintage textiles, new and vintage holiday decor and more. Hours: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
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Cost: $6 for admission over entire weekend (request a stamp if you intend to return after your initial visit). 1717 West 31st St., Oak Brook. For more information, call 708-205-8906 or 708-334-6945.
— S.W.
GREEN IT: Before the winter winds begin to blow up home heating costs, consider hiring a certified home energy rater to ferret out hidden holes and cracks. A home energy rater is a specialized contractor who performs a standardized evaluation of the energy efficiency of a home. (To learn more about energy rating contractors, see www.energystar.gov. Tip: contact your utility to see if they offer free or discounted energy audits to their customers.) According to Ecological Fall07 Home Ideas magazine (www.ecologicalhomeideas.com), “an open fireplace damper can let 8 percent of home heating costs slip out the chimney.” A typical home energy inspection costs $200 to $400, the magazine estimates.
— Marjorie David
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