Strange Closets

The weather is finally warm enough to make neighborhood strolls pleasant. After spending the long winter in a state of semi-hibernation, the whole world looks new and interesting, although in truth, cultivating an active interest in photography has made everything in every season look beautiful to me. If the world looks dull, dreary or ugly, [...]

Earlier this month I received a great idea for a post from Allison Reimus, who painted the gorgeous pieces above and below this paragraph. Have you ever considered doing a post about artists whose work involves domestic issues/ interior design? There are a lot of us out here! There are a lot of painters whose work [...]

Padded cells aren’t as cushiony as I’d imagined, so I don’t recommend lobbing your body against the rather rigid walls if you become agitated while confined in such a space. Fortunately, I was only in the tank for a few seconds during a public tour of the brand new 44,000 sq. ft. District 23 police headquarters at [...]

Strand Design’s Ted and Sharon Burdett design and create products that can be manufactured locally using sustainable materials. Their Tree Theory bags are folded rather than sewn, so they can be easily disassembled to replace worn out parts. Even the leather is locally sourced. My favorite Strand Design product is The Good Dog Spotlight, which they [...]

Some say there should be a special place in hell for people who paint brick, but when the afternoon sun reflects off the brilliant white floors and painted over brick walls at Buckingham ID’s Grand Avenue studio, the results look almost heavenly. Founder Julia Buckingham Edelmann recently hosted an exhibit of artist Francine Turk’s work, [...]

Monday afternoon was an exceptionally warm October afternoon, so I was happy to have errands to run downtown. The loop was eerily quiet as it was warm, so I’m guessing many opted to take a vacation day to enjoy one of the last nearly 80 degree days before it snows. Isn’t Chicago gorgeous? ↔ ↔ [...]

John Barnett has a black book filled with the names of craftsmen and artisans specializing in every aspect of residential design: the very best plaster people, woodworkers and masons. Perhaps just as importantly when renovating, he knows the people who show up. When John takes on a project, he selects every last detail from the [...]