shopping in chicago
Revival, Photo Morgan & Owens, June/July 2008
- Chicago Shops
- Lovely in summer, the Windy City is as varied as it is sprawling: Andersonville packs Swedish lure; in Bucktown/Wicker Park, the indie scene abuts Victorian mansions; and downtown boasts high design and rich machine-age history. Rita Konig recommends a GPS.
- Andrew Hollingsworth
- 222 West Huron Street
(312) 440-9554
downtown Predominantly a dealer in 20th-century Danish antiques and ceramics, Hollingsworth also curates textiles and contemporary furniture and upholstery by Julie Prisca, a fabulous Parisian designer. This is pricey stuff, but there are deals too—Andrew showed me an acrylic folding chair for $110.
- Asrai Garden
- 1935 West North Avenue
(773) 782-0680
bucktown/wicker park A darling florist, boutique and home store. Merchandise ranges from Santa Maria Novella beauty products to wire baskets, which are so handy for keeping things in order (loo paper and hairbrushes). Two long shelves with vases of flowers displayed by color are heavenly.
- Caste
- 521 North Halsted
(312) 432-0717
downtown Caste The furniture and sculpture here are crafted in Montana. Metal, carved-wood and natural objects are the main materials—a horse's skull is now on a plinth of ebony and holly, covered in a bespoke felt mask (sounds weird, but it's beautiful). I loved the little etched dead birds in wood or porcelain.
- Edgewater Antique Mall
- 6314 North Broadway Street
(773) 262-2525
Andersonville The windows, tented with ?50s yellow and pink floral prints and propped with matching furniture, set a cheerful tone. Inside, I discovered a cabinet of Chicago memorabilia, including boxes of old postcards and a framed 1948 photograph of a 50th-anniversary banquet for the Egg Inspectors, Egg Breakers, Helpers and Handlers Union (a room full of corporate-looking men and their wives with hats jammed on their heads). On the more decorative front are vintage furniture, textiles, lamps and kitchenware—all quite eccentric.
- Elements
- 741 North Wells Street
(877) 642-6574
downtown Furniture, tabletop, bath accessories, books and handbags—and a large helping of wit. In the window, a garden swing supports growing ivy; beside it sits a cooler clad in faux crocodile skin. A barista serves up tasty coffees and sandwiches.
- Ikram
- 873 North Rush Street
(312) 587-1000
Downtown Ikram This very hip (verging on icy) boutique is the city's high-fashion centerpiece, with everything from Azzedine Alaïa to Undercover, a hot new label out of Japan—all curated by namesake owner Ikram Goldman. The jewelry collection is first-rate: outlandish shell rings by Mesi Jilly and precious ethnic jewelry by Randi Feder. Mind your credit card.
- Jayson Home & Garden
- 1885 North Clybourn Avenue
(800) 472-1885
bucktown/wicker park Founded in 1997 and set in a former warehouse—you could decorate a house and garden in a single visit. Along with new furniture, there is upholstery by Lee Industries, bedding by John Robshaw, a florist and a nursery. A pile of antique suzanis caught my attention, as did a Rococo Noir black porcelain cake stand— fantastic for a fresh strawberry tart.
- Lucy Rose Design
- Lucy Rose Singh exclusively represents small-production English fabric labels: Celia Birtwell, Cressida Bell (great-granddaughter of Vanessa), a collection of lines by Borderline. Most textiles have a vegetable-dye tone and slightly Arts-and-Crafts style. I ordered a zigzag print and one of Bell's paisleys.
- Myopic Books
- 1564 North Milwaukee Avenue
(773) 862-4882
bucktown/wicker park Reminded me of the bookstore in the movie Notting Hill. Miles of pine shelves are heaped with books, all secondhand and of every genre, author and edition. Upstairs is the home section, with a rather collapsed sofa for perusing. No mobile phones are allowed, but the atmosphere is friendly.
- Pavilion
- 2055 North Damen Avenue
(773) 645-0924
bucktown/wicker park One of the more upscale antiques emporiums in Chicago, focusing on French and Italian furniture, lighting, objets and some jewelry. I was mad for a c. 1970 lily-pad lamp by Charles et Fils, made from cast bronze. And I coveted pieces by Line Vautrin, like a ravishing gilded-bronze cuff.
- Revival
- 1401 West Irving Park Road
(773) 248-1211
Bucktown/Wicker Park A large antiques resource popular with dealers. The "architectural eye-catchers," as the contents are described, span the 18th through the mid-20th centuries. Among large indoor plants and furniture stacked throughout three bright rooms, I was drawn to a set of bamboo tables ($150 each), ideal for a covered porch.
- Scout
- North Clark Street
(773) 275-5700
andersonville If I lived in this city, I'd come here once a week. Larry Vodak has exquisite taste and keeps prices down and stock moving—I found that out the hard way: I lost out on three cute metal stools in Big Bird yellow that I'd wanted for a child's painting table. Fortunately, a smart 1950s wooden dresser with square drawer pulls for $395 provided solace. There were also beautiful pastel botanicals by local artist Meriellen Johnson.
- Store B Vintage
- 1472 North Milwaukee Avenue
(773) 772-4296
bucktown/wicker park You'll find clothing and a few pieces for the home in this happy shop. I stumbled upon bottle-green Yves Saint Laurent heels, sadly too small for me but destined for a friend in London. And so many good handbags, like a navy-blue clutch with a giant red-button clasp—very Luella.
- The Swedish American Museum Center
- 5211 North Clark Street
(773) 728-8111
This cultural center was created in 1976 to preserve Chicago's Swedish- American heritage (originally it operated out of a log cabin!). The store may not give an exciting first impression, but there are treasures to be found, particularly books on Swedish design. I left with two on Carl Larsson's watercolors of interiors—I find them so inspiring from a decorating point of view.
- Wright
- 1440 West Hubbard
(312) 563-0020
Downtown An auction house conjures many things but not a cool, modern mecca. Inside this industrial building, a huge double-height space is laid out with lots for the main auction, and upstairs is the cheaper sale showroom, Utopia. The hard-at-work vibe inspires Willy Wonka-like curiosity, with candy swapped for pedigreed 20th-century wares.
