I know you’re a modernista in spirit, especially when it comes to home décor, but I’m just a little bit curious about the ends you go to and the means you use to personally express yourself, and if you desire that self-expression to be consistently rolled up in one well-designed life, or if you even think […]

 
The question is, why wouldn’t you want to add some metal to your petals and do a little “hardscaping” before the season’s in full swing and you haven’t the time, nor as many choices, to pepper your patio with the pretty and the practical (not always mutually exclusive, as you shall soon see!):
             
A dining set […]

 
Some of the most redeeming physical features of Chicago’s North Shore suburban enclaves—I mean, besides expansive views of Lake Michigan, the splendiferous Ravinia Festival, wide open green spaces, network of scenic bike paths, world-class Botanic Gardens and densely wooded ravines and forest preserves—are its magnificent mid-century modern homes, or what remains of them, lodged like […]

                                                                  If you’ve driven past the relatively new storefront at 1245 Chicago Avenue in Evanston lately and wondered what it was, me, too (admittedly […]

Sure, many parts of the Midwest are still blanketed in the white stuff, but that’s only temporary, right? Right? Well, can we just pretend that that’s true? It is officially Spring, gosh darn it, after all, and not a moment too soon to start thinking of, once again, making our gardens snow—er, grow.
Seven years ago, […]

                       I shop for home accessories the way others stock up on shoes, makeup or boxed sets: to feel better. What does that mean? It completes me. And it lasts way longer than a pedicure or massage. Let’s parse that “complete me” thing for a sec (and tale anthropomorphism to […]

No matter the hue of your home, the shade of your state or the flag of your country, it’s much easier to live green  than it was as few as five years ago.

Flip through any design magazine or catalog. Surf any channel or website or walk through any store or mall and you’ll find heaps […]

   
Each day, you hear more and more about authenticity-this and authenticity-that. (It’s the new “express yourself.”) Heck, mea culpa for blogging about Seattle’s authenticity a couple of days ago. So it was with equal parts amusement and intrigue that I picked up Time magazine’s March 24th issue, with the cover story, 10 Ideas That Are […]

Still haven’t recovered from Spring Forward? Want a fresh face to look at in the morning? Seeking a new partner to help you hop to it before Easter arrives?
Chiasso has practically more choices than eggs on the White House lawn.
      
For starters, there are two versions of the blocks clock. One’s in color and the other’s […]

   
 Being in Seattle is like visiting someone’s home you admire: it’s in the perfect setting (perched on a beautiful Sound). There’s heirloom stuff in it, new stuff in it and stuff in-between. You know it wasn’t put together all at once, nor may it look exactly the same the next time you see it. But, […]