Caged beauty
INSPIRATION: An old rat cage and IV stand TRANSLATION: Take the letters in "rat," shake 'em up, and you can end up with "art." Perhaps that's how Paul Munro got...
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Try a little Valentine’s Day hankie panky
WHAT WE FELL IN LOVE WITH: The vintage handkerchief collection at Adesso in Highland Park. WHY WE'RE GLAD WE FOUND THEM: The bold, bright, crisp designs of this specific collection...
5 ideas for throwing a no-fuss Super Bowl party
Throwing a Super Bowl party for all of your friends seemed like a fantastic idea two months ago. Now there are a zillion inches of snow on the ground and...
Artifact adds a little architecture to bedtime
INSPIRATION: A section of stair railing from the former Carson Pirie Scott, State Street building. Husband and wife Randy and Mareena Hunter purchased the architectural artifact at a fixture sale...
Get extra credit– plus unique gifts
Here's a quick downtown shopping tip that will lead you to unique Chicago gift ideas. Columbia College has developed a retail venture called ShopColumbia (623 S. Wabash Ave., 312-369-8616 or...
Pottery true to spirit of paintings
INSPIRATION: The Nihonga paintings of Chicago artist Judith Kruger. Nihonga is an ancient Japanese method of painting that uses ground minerals and stones as paint. INTERPRETATION: Kruger looked no further...
Cozy linings are the clever surprise inside
WHAT WE FELL IN LOVE WITH: Fabric-lined bureau drawers. WHY WE'RE GLAD WE FOUND IT: Pulling out a drawer to discover it has been carefully lined with fabric is such...
Slap the (coffee) cuff on
WHAT WE FELL IN LOVE WITH: The Coffee Cuff from Vancouver-based Contexture Designs. WHY WE'RE GLAD WE FOUND IT: Practical innovations -- the kind that elicit a "Duh, why didn't...
Project runway: from fashion to outdoor fabric
INSPIRATION: Coco Chanel's signature wool boucle tweed suits, originally brought on the scene in the 1920s and today re-imagined by Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld. INTERPRETATION: When asked to create a...
5 things to know about buying a bookcase
Such a simple and utilitarian item, a bookcase. Why, then, is it so challenging to find the perfect one? We approached two local furniture experts for a good read on...