Pretty in Pink

You'd never convince me that I would covet a pink and black bathroom but count me among the converted. During the Artropolis show, I stopped in at one of my favorites, Urban Archeology. The combination of colors, cuts and textures creates a bathroom that is both unusual and classic - trend transcendent. Wouldn't it be great if you could tour a condo or home and see a master bath that is luxurious and interesting? I'm so tired of beige marble.

But I digress; this bathroom is another lesson about the importance of context; I've begun to doubt my taste in pretty much everything, as one well designed space after another illustrates how little vision I really have (those who can't design, write?)

What do you think? What color combinations have surprised you?

Photo Tour . . . 2008 Artropolis at the Mart

The fourth annual Atropolis show was held last weekend, taking up three floors of Chicago's massive Merchandise Mart. A super-event that combines five shows (Artrpolis, The Artist Project, Intuit, Bridge and NEXT), Artropolis celebrates art and antiques.

Sculptures lined the Chicago River outside the Mart, and the interior floors were transformed into countless showrooms and galleries. Many of the stores I've become familiar with through 1st Dibs displayed their merchandise, and as always, it felt affirming to meet and talk with similarly impassioned people.

I was happy to lay eyes on a double x-backed chair (offered by Andrew Hollingsworth) that I've long coveted. I'd only seen it online, its gorgeous lines inviting a strange voyeurism not to be confused with commerce. And it looked even better in person, which, as anybody who's tried to meet a paramour through the Internet knows, is not usually how it goes.

And I was surprised (but I shouldn't have been) that one of my favorites, Golden Triangle, managed to nearly duplicate the feel of their unbelievably gorgeous River North showroom in a relatively small (and temporary) setting. To see my original review of this space, click here.

Did you make it to the show? How did it compare to previous ones? What made you swoon?

For all the thumbnails, click here.
For a Flickr slide show, click here.

This Week At . . . Raul Carrasco

While covering River North last week, I came upon a store that I'd never seen before, Raul Carrasco. With stores in Miami and Chicago, Raul Carrasco offers custom furniture, a wide array of accessories (including many collected from Raul's global expeditions) and lighting.

Stumbling across the store was a pleasant afternoon diversion. The 2-level space is gorgeous, most of all for Carrasco's furniture pieces, which tend to be large-scale affairs with unique profiles and fabrics.

Raul Carrasco is located at 116 W. Hubbard Street in Chicago's River North area. 312-527-1900

This Week At . . . Golden Triangle

Calling Golden Triangle a store is like calling Chicago a village or Disney, a carnival. Yes, the furniture, sculpture and accessories are stunning on their own, but like living cells, they serve as building blocks of a more complex organism. Doug VanTress, one of Golden Triangle's owners, believes that design (whether it be the wood grain on a steering wheel or the interior of a retail space) too often doesn't go far enough, that its creators too often stop at good enough. So he and his partner didn't stop. They kept pushing for more beauty, more authenticity, not resting on the figurative 7th day, and it was good.

Golden Triangle is, without hyperbole, one of the most beautiful retail spaces I've ever experienced; the showroom offers a moment away from the constant motion of our frantic hurried lives, a moment to reflect on beauty and history and ancient cultures, but most importantly, a moment to reflect on stillness and quiet.

Outside the cool, dark showroom, LaSalle Street traffic rushes by, people shout into their cell phones, hair goes gray, meetings drag on and people run late. But within the space, which is almost a physical manifestation of a meditative state, time stands still. The lighting's good too.

Although Golden Triangle specializes in Asian antiquities, they are beginning to bring in a selection of complementary European pieces (I never realized how well art deco coordinated with Asian antiques until I saw them blend seamlessly at Golden Triangle).

Golden Triangle is located at 33o N. Clark. 312-755-1266

For all thumbnails, click here:
For a Flickr slide show, click here:

This Week At . . . Kohler

Kohler, the Wisconsin-based upscale services company that owns Ann Sacks, Kohler and Baker Furniture, can do no wrong, of that I'm sure. Somehow I trust them. I don't know if it's because they're from Wisconson or because I'm a sucker, but I really believe they're putting their best into everything they do, continually striving for both design and quality excellence.



All of Kohler's brands have showrooms in the Merchandise Mart, although Baker's is open only to the trade. While Kohler brands carry relatively high price points, they're worth it. When I started making a little money and paying off debt, I wanted furniture and I wanted it right away. As a result, I purchased primarily Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and the usual suspects. Sure, they have mid-range prices, a pleasant atmosphere and sometimes acceptable quality, but I am now faced with a design that is discomforting in its familiarity, resembling approximately 37% of other people's style (the other 60 percent of people's styles resemble Country Casual or that Cops look). The only good thing is that the pieces are sure to wear out sooner rather than later, giving me an opportunity to get it right.

By contrast, I purchased a Baker sofa five years ago and while not an insignificant investment, it looks exactly the same to this day. By the time it needs to be replaced, my overall spend will likely be lower than if I had bought and replaced a steady stream of badly aging sofas. This is a luxury brand that has earned the adjective.


















Photos of Baker, Kohler and Ann Sacks, all with Chicago locations.

This Week At . . . Mecox Gardens

Mecox is a few short blocks of my office, and apparently near enough that my terrestrial body has been ensnared by its gravitational field; every couple of weeks, I skip lunch, opting rather to embrace the shop's pull. The 2 level, River North space is packed full of beautiful objects that quickly cycle in and out creating a totally new store from month-to-month.

It's my favorite kind of store, a place where I get lost in the details, unable to focus as my attention shifts from one interesting and unusual item to another. Mecox carries furniture and accessories (see photos for some unusual examples) and a number of interesting design books

I appreciate a store where it's possible to find unique items. Mecox's owners buy from Europe, a business practice that has diminished overall because of the week dollar. While it does increase costs, it allows Mecox to offer unusual items that you won't find everywhere else.

For thumbnails, click here:

For a slide show, click here:

Mecox is located at 406 North Clark Street. For questions, e-mail info@mecoxgardens.com or call 312-836-0571.








Oh crap, I better hide.

This Week At . . . Svenska Mobler

I pass Svenska Mobler, a Swedish antique showroom in Chicago's River North neighborhood, every morning on my way to work. Passing the store is so very difficult on a normal day, but when they change the window display or add a new piece, it's akin to torture. I've spilled coffee, I've nearly rear-ended cars, and I've honked angrily at terrified pedestrians who (wrongly) assume that I'm watching the road and not window shopping. Svenska Mobler's window displays alone are irresistible and a bit irresponsible, frankly; I may sue for damages.

Beth runs the Chicago store. She's smart and quirky but classic, just like the showroom, which is rapidly becoming my favorite space in Chicago. The furniture is a contradiction - familiar but unusual, sleek but comfortable, antique but modern; its that tension which creates a moment of confusion and then, space for learning. And learning something during a shopping excursion elevates it from commerce to life experience.



In a time when everything in our lives is becoming mechanized, computerized and synthesized, an infinite string of 0's and 1's mimicing authenticity, anything or any place or any person or any moment that replaces virtual reality with actual reality takes on new import.

Beth is that person and Svenska Mobler is that place. She and I had a long conversation about furniture trends, why people buy what they do when they do, the nature of iconography and why certain pieces (the Barcelona chair, for example) not only enter the design cannon but then multiply and become so commonplace that they lose that sense of surprise and innovation that made them stand out to begin with.

Svenska Mobler's furniture always astonishes; the pieces are more diminutive in scale, making them a far more appropriate option for most city homes and a smarter, more sophisticated option for any home. Although many of the pieces are slight, Beth made me sit down in a couple of chairs to demonstrate how comfortable they are and indeed, she was correct.

If I could redecorate my entire house from scratch, I'd start with Svenska Mobler. Check them out in person. Showrooms are located at 516 N. Wells Street in Chicago or at 154 North La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles.

For all the thumbnails, click here.
To view a slide show, click here.

Destination . . . River North Shopping District

If you're planning a trip to Chicago, you need to visit River North, a neighborhood teeming with high-end antique boutiques, specialty design shops, art galleries, chic restaurants and of course, the Merchandise Mart. This week, I'll be focusing on a few of my favorite River North establishments.

What are your favorite River North stores? Does your city have a comparable neighborhood?