Strange Closets

The Object Design League sponsored  The Worth Your Salt Pop Up Shop has popped up at Bucktown’s Pavilion.  And the concept’s clearly una situación Win-Win-Win! 1.)  Young designers get a splashy venue and a little attention (they also keep all profits). 2.)  Pavilion gets to expose their wares to an audience likely to be interested [...]

Agent Gallery owner Mariano Chavez looks a little bored when I arrive to see his new storefront on a stretch of Damen Avenue near the border of Ukrainian Village and Wicker Park.  Home to a diverse population of yuppies, bobos, immigrants and hipsters, the neighborhood seems tailor-made for Mariano’s merchandise, which includes unusual pieces (Catholic [...]

How I Found the Boring Store: Not a Secret Agent Store The other day I gradually became aware I was doing nothing critical while hanging out in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, that I was in fact, wasting time.  I had good intentions to camp out at a coffee house and write, write, write that day [...]

Frustrated about the high cost of existing festivals, in 2003 entrepreneur and Renegade Craft Fair founder Sue Daly decided to start her own.  To say the fair was successful is an understatement; buoyed by DIY message boards, the annual Fair quickly moved from Wicker Park (the park) to being an event that closes down Division [...]

These beads, which are available at Michael Del Piero, manage to be luxurious and refined yet a bit primitive.  Her shop is awesome and these beads . . . these beads make we want to dance.  Since we’re virtual, we’ll do the next best thing.  Hit it Sammy! Let’s Dance By Lady Gaga and Colby [...]

Joining Damen Avenue’s design district is owner Terry Ledford’s second White Attic. With more accessories, a line of upholstery and the world famous Lamp Bar, my only question is what took them so long? While you’re there, be sure to walk up and down Damen Avenue (and don’t miss Michele Fitzpatrick’s excellent Verde located just [...]

I ran into Daniel (of Bucktown’s excellent Daniel’s Antiques) last week at the Modernism show and was as impressed as always with his merchandise (which included a killer-cool metal cabinet, amazing deco-era art and a poster I shan’t tell you about as I’m saving my pretty pennies). When Dan casually mentioned his storage warehouse, my [...]