Strange Closets

Deadlines are part of life for Chicago Home + Garden editor Jan Parr, so she knew participating in South Oak Park Style’s recent house walk would motivate her to finally finish she and husband Peter Turek’s house projects.

Thanks to Chicago Home + Garden’s Editor-in-Chief Jan Parr for referring me to Rick Boultinghouse and Rachel Carlson whose super-rad vintage motor home was featured in the terrific magazine’s September / October 2008 issue.  Before I begin, please turn off any portable electronic devices and close any other windows, tabs and programs you may have [...]

If you missed last weekend’s South Oak Park Style house walk, I feel very sorry for you, as it was super extremely fun.  To ensure that the volunteers manning the last homes felt like they were somebody’s first stop, my sidekick and I made the eight home trek in reverse, an unusual choice that confused [...]

“Freedom,” Michele answers quietly when I ask her why she chose to decorate her large and sunny studio apartment with a sea of blue accessories.  “Blue reminds me of the ocean, of freedom.”

Congrats to Paul and Tracy whose family recently increased by one, which means they now have a true nuclear family.  They and the eight other remaining American nuclear families trade emails and get together once a year at a state park somewhere in the middle.  Here’s a second look at their Garfield Park bungalow. While [...]

I had the pleasure of interviewing furniture designer Bladon Conner in his Ukrainian Village apartment last week. Bladon’s one of the nicest, most thoughtful and most articulate people I’ve met, and it was a pleasure to interview him (and eat the delicious lunch he prepared. As an important aside I encourage all future Open House [...]

When the kind Dan Devening, a busy artist / professor / gallery owner agreed to a Strange Closets Home Tour, my vestigial tail started wagging (or trying to), because I knew the space would be cool.