Strange Closets

Knowing about The Plum Tree will surely come in handy when I finally buy my little weekend getaway in nearby Harbor Country (or Buchanan), Michigan. Owned and operated for more than 20 years by the Rodeghier family, the Union Pier business offers a mix of new and vintage, cottage chic furnishings, accessories and art. While [...]

Art is cognitive exercise; it’s maybe the adult form of play,” says Evanston-based glass artist Heather Hancock. “I think our brain needs these hyper-normal inputs.” Heather needed them so much that she left her career as a speech language pathologist specializing in traumatic brain injuries to pursue her passion for art. But she hasn’t left [...]

What Is James Wearing blogger James Andrew, who appears to be having a wonderful time visiting Paris, recently posted this rhino-shaped desk by Les Lalannes, who are currently the subject of a retrospective at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs. I love rhinos, and I’d love to see this desk in person, but as I probably won’t be visiting [...]

There’s nothing that makes me feel less creative (yet more inspired) than events like Art Chicago, part of last weekend’s Artopolis at the Merchandise Mart. While I didn’t have my good camera with me, I never seem to get tired of using the Hipstamatic application on my iPhone. Did you attend this year? If so, [...]

Thanks to Dave Hopkins (aka Decorator Dave) for organizing a group to visit his good friend, the very talented artist Jay Strommen‘s nearly 8000 square feet south side loft. A potter and painter, Jay earned a MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has taught classes in various locales, most recently Lill [...]

One of the oddest accessories in my home is an oblong stone a little smaller than the average bowling ball. With its pock marked surface and jagged edges, it leaves something to be desired aesthetically, but it has sentimental value and a good story: My grandma retrieved it from a debris field near the site [...]

When it’s not snowing, raining, chilly or overcast, spring in the midwest can be lovely. Because the season can be so unpredictable, plan a trip to the North Shore where you can grab a bite to eat, enjoy a day of shopping and if the weather cooperates, even take a walk by the lake. If [...]