Orren Pickell Designers & Builders has introduced a line of custom cabinetry it’s calling The Signature Collection. Here are a couple of gorgeous examples of what they can do.

—JAN PARR

In the past 75 years, Rode Bros., a firm that installs fine hardwood flooring, has created floors in The White House, the Getty Museum, Christies in Beverly Hills, and the Ronald Reagan Library, among other places. Now Rode, which has showrooms in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Honolulu, has a showroom here, at 300 W. Grand Ave. (by appointment only; call 773-398-8758).

—JAN PARR

I was in Michigan recently speaking at Susan Fredman’s At Home with Nature and I got a tour of Susie’s home, where I was one of the first to see her new table. Roger Boike, a designer for Fredman, had this giant granite boulder cut in half and shipped from Southeast Asia. The top was “flamed” to give it a pebbly finish without being uneven. It’s a more rustic alternative to a honed or polished finish, Roger says. All we know is, this table rocks!

—JAN PARR

If you’ve walked by Ligne Roset recently you may have noticed the amazing three-dimensional fabric sculpture hanging in the window. Called “Clouds” and designed by the French duo Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, this DIY art installation is also on display at the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute. Want to try this at home? The fabric tiles come flatpacked in boxes of eight (starting at $440) and 24 (starting at $1,105) in 14 different colors. The package also includes mounting materials; all you need is a bit of your own artistic vision and you can create museum-quality art for your house. Only at Ligne Roset.

—Gina Bazer

A fabulous grill and an outdoor kitchen to go with it is definitely a status symbol in Chicago, but to up the ante, there is always the brick oven. Chicago Brick Oven , started by three neighbors in Elmhurst, has recently partnered with celebrity chef Mario Batali to design three models for the company. Now you can name-drop about your brick oven, too! Available through Chicago Roof Deck & Garden

—Gina Bazer

When you’re a couple who really likes to cook and you’re redoing your kitchen, you make sure you have it all. Jim Dase, a designer at Abruzzo Kitchens, had an idea this Glencoe couple hadn’t thought of: build an herb garden right into the counter. Surrounded with wood and stone from the countertop, this planter box has a stainless steel liner with a drain that ties into the plumbing for the sink. For months, the Glencoe homeowners have been enjoying fresh cilantro, basil, parsley, and more, which are thriving thanks to the grow light bulbs installed in the decorative fixtures and can lights. Dase says the light is surprisingly nice and clean.

—JAN PARR

Lee Weitzman just sent us a pic of his new table, a riff on the classic Noguchi. Weitzman’s Mantis coffee table, shown here in mahogany, is available in five wood finishes; the size is customizable. He’s working on a design for a side table to complement this one as well.

—JAN PARR

Rain may have dampened the turnout at The Guerrilla Truck Show on Tuesday, but, luckily, design enthusiasts could seek shelter and satisfy their cravings at the corner of Huron and Franklin where an empty showroom was taken over for the night by Object Society, an ad-hoc consortium of Chicago-based furniture designers. It was hard not to caress Michael Dreeben’s midcentury-modern inspired chair covered in a creamy tan cowhide (see photo above). Dreeben’s curvy lines also showed up on a cocktail table and wood-veneered light fixtures (pictured above), which he did in collaboration with Ray Doeksen -- their simple elegance the result of countless hours of engineering, according to Ray. Michael Koehler never ceases to impress us with his gorgeous walnut creations, and the credenza he had on display made me consider whether all I might need to make me happy was one piece of furniture. (Did I dream it, or did the credenza really open up to reveal a hidden storage space for a rifle?) Other highlights included a great new floor lamp and fabulous teak outdoor lounge chair (pictured below) by Carson Maddox (Maddox’s pieces are on display for a limited time at Lee Weitzman’s showroom in the same building); Jason Lewis’s refined lounge chair (pictured below); metal nesting tables (pictured above) in a perfect color palette by metal+works; more inventive takes on recycled furniture by Roscoe Jackson -- I was particularly taken by his white recycled-plastic nightstand with one organically shaped wood drawer. The group plans to hold other events in the future -- follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates!

—MEGAN DUFFY ROSTAN

Did you miss the work of recent School of the Art Institute grads at Milan's Salone Internazionale del Mobile in April? You’re in luck—it’s moved here. “Making Modern,”  a new exhibit at the School’s Sullivan Galleries, showcases the work of recent Architecture, Interior Architecture, and Designed Objects grads. Shown here: backpack hook by Garrett Smith, and laptop pillow by Junghwan Chei. Through July 25.

—JAN PARR

We attended a party at MaxAlto on Superior Street last week and loved the vignette in the window—a perfect example of how to use color punches in a neutral setting. Speaking of color, we’re looking for bold uses of color in a room—if you’ve got a publication-quality photo of a colorful room you think we’d like, send it along, to jparr@chicagomag.com. We’ll contact you if we want to discuss using it in our September/October issue.

—JAN PARR

I had a sneak preview of the new Flor showroom—located in Jayson Home & Garden’s previous annex space, just south of the nursery, at 1873 N. Clybourn Ave.—the other day and was very impressed. As well done as the catalog is, it doesn’t compare to being able to see and feel the carpet squares in person. The store has small swatches of every color and pattern on display, as well as samples of the full-sized tiles (about 20 by 20 inches) that can be used within the store to build an actual demo rug (a section of the space is devoted especially for this purpose). For inspiration, large swaths in multiple colors and textures are grouped together on the shop’s floor. Still, it might be a good idea to arrive with a game plan because seeing so many options in one place can make you lose your focus. As of now, the storefront is simply a vehicle for the company to show its products up close and personal—customers will still make their orders online or on the premises with a sales person, and then get their rugs delivered to their homes. Things may change in the near future (for example, if a certain pattern is well-stocked, you may very well be able to pull up in your SUV and drive off with your rug). Shown above, Alexander Girard’s Flora rug kit (about $160 for a six-tile rug). The company’s new metallic designs are also very cool. Doors open today. Free parking across the street. Exciting times for Flor fans.

—Gina Bazer

I saw these great pieces in the window as I walked past Crate & Barrel the other day. I love Lucite anything, but the sophisticated detailing made these stand out. The tailored edges (in contrast to more-typical Lucite tables’ curvy silhouettes) allow for the placement of a lower shelf in the console—and make for a sharply modern statement in a foyer or living room. Vista console table, $599; Vista side table, $449.

—Megan Duffy-Rostan

This Saturday, June 20, the Oakbrook West Elm is hosting an event prior to opening (9am–11am) at which the in-store designers will offer decorating tips. Attendants will receive 10 percent off all purchases made that day just for attending class.

—Gina Bazer

Primitive, the West Loop dealer of Asian antiques and art, as well as contemporary furniture, has launched a new program called With Primitive, wherein local designers are invited to decorate a small room within the store using items from the store.  Shown above is a “before” and “after” of the first installation, done by Brian Snow of Semel-Snow Interior Design. If these snapshots are not enough, I can attest that the transformation was profound; I happened to be there the day Snow was plotting his first moves. The mother of pearl wall treatment by R&B Faux Studios is particularly impressive. I also like the double etageres—a formula that just never fails for lending drama and balance to a space. Snow’s scheme will be there until late summer, when another designer will take on the challenge.

—Gina Bazer

For one day only, June 17 from 10AM to 4PM, up-and-coming local interior designer Alison Gramenos (above) of Alison Victoria Interior Design will be showing pieces from her new furniture collection at Artistic Tile at LuxeHome. Gramenos has not yet formally signed the pieces with any vendors, so this is a good opportunity to get a sneak peek.

—Gina Bazer

—Gina Bazer

Start your week off right by giving props to those local independent designers who often toil away under the radar to give Chicago its bragging rights in the larger design arena. Tonight, from 6 to 9 p.m. there’s the opening reception of “The Promise of this Moment: Objects that Augment the Everyday,” presented by the Mighty Bearcats in collaboration with the Object Design League at 2035 W. Wabansia St. in Bucktown (open through the 22nd by appointment; call 312-560-1532).  This show features ceramic gas fireplace logs (shown above) by Materious and Steven Haulenbeek, whose Cumulus Light Canopy has graced our pages as well.

Continue toasting the indie spirit Tuesday night at the Guerilla Furniture and Art Truck Show, 6-9 p.m., at 1052 W. Fulton Market. Organizer Morlen Sinoway says this is the largest event yet, with more than 20 trucks filled with wares by Green Sawn, F2, Brickermade (chair shown here) and others, which will be parked along Fulton Market for your perusing-while-schmoozing-and-beer-drinking pleasure.

—Gina Bazer

There’s a new exotic wood showroom in town. San Juan Ventures, based in Bali, exports wood from all over Indonesia to the United States. The company’s flooring has been available through Holly Hunt and Birger Juell in the Mart and its furniture and architectural elements, through de Giulio Kitchen Design in Wilmette, but last week, the company opened a freestanding showroom at 664 W. Hubbard, managed by Kandis Wrigley. I stopped by for the opening party and was floored (pun intended) by the showroom. It’s open by appointment only and mostly caters to design pros.

—JAN PARR

How does she do it? How does designer Kara Mann  just keep finding more and more cool stuff for her showroom (above Hubbard Street in a huge, airy space with black-painted walls and floors)? I’m wowed every time I go there, never more so than last week, when she threw a party in celebration of her newest line, by Debra Weninger Design. Weninger, a Holly Hunt alum (you may remember we included Weninger in our feature about Holly Hunt grads who go on to do big stuff of their own in our May/June 2008 issue), has a couch, a sexy table, terrific mirrors, and these fab chairs, embroidered by Holland & Sherry, on display. 

—JAN PARR

Even during this economic downturn, certain luxuries can be attained at bargain prices-that is, if you're willing to shop for them online during restricted hours. The Web-based upscale-home-accessories dealer One Kings Lane holds sales daily-usually representing one or two manufacturers per day-offering discounts of up to 70 percent off retail. Sales last for only 72 hours and who knows when any given company will be back to play again? Click on Sales Event Calendar to see whom they've got lined up. When we last checked, linens, pillows, and bath accessories from Dransfield & Ross were having their moment (a celadon-colored faux-crocodile-with-nailhead-trim tissue box, normally $80 retail, was sold out-it had been going for $39; some elaborate embroidered pillows that are normally $475 were available for $199). Coming up this week, selections from Arte Italica (see photo above) and Arteriors Home.

-Gina Bazer

San Diego–based Kreiss is closing its storefront at 415 N. LaSalle St. and will be represented in Chicago by Design Atelier at the Merchandise Mart. The LaSalle store will remain open through the end of October to sell off its remaining inventory at up to 70 percent.

—Gina Bazer

Foursided on Clark Street is one of my favorite Chicago framers—they have a great selection of frame options and approach everything with the eye of an artist and the attention to detail of a good contractor. They also have great gifts and cards, and put together window and store displays that make my heart glad. I stopped by the other day, and the store was packed with old toys, games, and the largest selection of vintage educational flashcards that I have ever seen, big and small. Most of the ones in this shot cost two bucks, and for an additional $5 they will spell your favorite name or word and mount it together as a wall hanging. It took me right back to Mrs. Sturtz’s third-grade classroom.

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

Worth checking out: two new exhibits that feature furniture designers (among other talents): “Voom,” a group show opening tonight at Tojo Gallery including Trevor O’Neil, whose recycled corkboard sofa is shown above. Also, “The Pan Within,” a solo show at Black Walnut Gallery given by furniture designer, sculptor, and owner of said gallery, Robert Wayner (his sculpture is shown above).

—Gina Bazer

The coolest solar lantern we’ve seen. The Soji Modern solar lantern ($40) turns itself on at dusk to cast a golden glow at night. It’s equipped with two high-powered amber LED lights, solar panel, AAA rechargeable battery, and stainless steel hardware. It’s 9-inches round, and available in pure white, pearl motif (white with white floral pattern) and mineral motif (white with grey floral pattern). Buy it at Sprout Home, Gethesemane, Artemisia in Geneva, and Chalet Nursery in Wilmette.

—Jan Parr

The girls from Kelly & Olive were at it again last week, making major improvements to our home in preparation for the South Oak Park house walk June 20. I wish we’d taken “before” shots, but suffice it to say our spaces did not look anything like this. Design lesson #1: group like objects for maximum effect. We had three sad little pieces of art hung randomly around the doorframe on our enclosed front porch; Lauren and Courtney gathered more (all from our home) and arranged it in a cute cottagey way. The final touch? An old hat they found in a closet. Three antique wood crates that were spread around the porch willy-nilly were stacked together to make a place for shoes and boots. In our front office, the decorators moved our desk against the window, closed the shutters, and placed art against them. (Lesson #2: think like a designer!) The room seems so much bigger now (we have room for a bookcase), and it’s a space I actually want to work in. House walk, we’re (almost) ready for you!

—JAN PARR 

This Snaidero display kitchen, which includes all cabinets, gourmet appliances, and granite countertop, can be yours for $30,000—some 60 percent off regular retail. For an extra free, Snaidero’s designers can help customize it for your space.

—JAN PARR

Full disclosure: The following paragraph contains shameless self-promotion. Please proceed with cautious optimism! In my “spare” time away from mommydom and scouting scoop and styling for Chicago Home + Garden, I am a partner in crime at M&B Vintage, a jewelry company that was started with long-time BFF and styling cohort, Marie Moss. We were recently asked by interior designer and all-around-generous-pal and client Nate Berkus (he recently gave our charmers to Marc Jacobs and chef Jamie Oliver’s new daughter, Petal) to be guests on his Oprah and Friends radio show. You see,  a few years back, when the search for one-of-a-kind baby gear turned up cookie-cutter finds for our own daughters, Marie and I headed to the flea market. We shared the ideas and inspiration in our book, Flea Market Baby (Stewart, Tabori & Chang). It’s a little you-can-do-it-too guide for decorating and gift-giving with a hint of history. Nate helps share our scoop on nurseries, memory making and our own M&B style with his listeners May 30 at 10AM EST on XM 156 and Sirius 195. We hope you’ll tune in to hear us dish about our digs. Thanks Nate!

—Barri Leiner

Flea Market Baby photography, courtesy Aimee Herring

M&B Vintage necklace, courtesy Tyllie Barbosa

Vintage and Modern—is my new 1st dibs. Well, a price-friendlier, more accessible resource in my stash–with a similar vibe. (I still Jones for a dib now and again!) If you’ve not visited, V&M is a well-curated, dealer-direct site of online storefronts selling antiques, modern furnishings, collectibles, art, and jewelry. Its new, 2.0 version just launched and now offers global services in 40 different languages—it translates, and even converts pricing to the users’ native currency (easy for even a non-techy novice like me to buy from abroad!). Also new is a “Facebook-like” function where you can meet and greet and connect with dealers and buyers—including viewing their pics and stats. Listings include shops, decorators, and stylists in your area, too. You’ll recognize a few locals, (UberModern, Scout, Hudson Home, Scentimental Gardens, Zig Zag, and more). It can be a great way to preview the merch before taking a trek to a store, or doing a pre-shop for gift or decorating needs. Photos are stellar, many color-corrected in Photoshop so there are no surprises. I heart the E collection for my daughter Emma. New inventory gets posted Tuesday mornings, so wake with the birds to nudge in-the-know-designers outta the way for fresh finds.

—Barri Leiner

Photographs courtesy of Vintage & Modern

If you have not been to the Mart’s south lobby lately, do yourself a favor and check it out. There you’ll find an incredible installation of Buckminster Fuller’s “Fly’s Eye Dome,” which was built for the Mart’s recent Artropolis exhibit (and to promote the Buckminster Fuller exhibit at the MCA. Made of 50 fiberglass sections, it’s 24 feet high, and weighs 3,500 pounds. Fuller, an architect and all-around visionary had originally conceived of this design as pre-fab affordable housing (the holes were for windows). So it’s appropriate that the Mart incarnation is filled with—and surrounded by—futuristic-looking furniture from the Vitra showroom, including the cool Vegetal chairs (whose design is inspired by the shape of a mature tree) and the funky high-backed Alcove sofas, both by French brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, shown above. The amazing green mass that hangs around the chandelier inside the dome is also from Vitra—called Algues, it’s actually a puzzle-like plastic room divider comprised of branches that can be assembled and molded into any shape or size. The dome and furniture will be on display through mid-June, coming down after the Mart’s major commercial furnishings show, NeoCon.

—Gina Bazer

Some months ago I agreed to put our house on a tour in Oak Park on June 20, called South Oak Park Style: A Tour of Modest Homes. Our home is indeed modest (it’s a 1,700-square-foot Prairie-style bungalow). Worthy of a tour? Don’t ask me. I’m the editor of a design magazine, of all things, so as you might imagine, I’m exposed to tons of gorgeous interiors everyday in my job that I can’t afford and don’t have the time to execute in my own home (I believe you are familiar with the cobbler’s children….) .
    One reason I agreed to the tour is: stagers. That is, People Who Take What You Have and Rearrange it to Look Nice for the Tour. And maybe bring a few accessories/flowers in. And get you to hide things in closets. My stagers, from the firm Kelly + Olive, introduced their low-cost, transparent decorating service to me via e-mail one day and the two seemed perfect for the task. Lauren and Courtney (Lauren is the brunette) are young, enthusiastic, and full of great ideas. On Monday they showed up and started moving everything around. Using what we already have, they rearranged and edited.  I opened beers, and it became a party. When they demanded (OK, suggested) that I trim back an out-of-control hanging plant, I immediately complied. “Look at that! They squealed. You have a dining room!” OK, it’s true that the plant had taken over the space.
    They suggested we move my most treasured painting, by local artist Traci Ostmann-Haschke (see above), to a place of prominence, where guests could see it immediately upon entering. Why didn’t I think of that? They rearranged the living room furniture. We love it. They arranged pottery and a Michael Aram candelabra on the fireplace where it can be seen, diplomatically rejected some items (what fun it is to evaluate all one’s objects objectively!), got tired, and left. They will return. And I’ll blog and post some more photos.

—Jan Parr

The threat of bad weather wasn’t enough to keep a crowd from last Friday night’s grand re-opening of Andersonville Galleria. This unique indie-market/bazaar now offers three floors and more than 90 local vendors of art, fashion, sweet treats, and home décor. Some of my favorites included colorful hanging votives from City Scents; graphic silk pillows from Design Hut; organic hand-printed canvasses by Kuketa; and some fantastic chrome-plated log stools from Blue Bell Bazaar. If you missed the party, make the Galleria a must-stop on your next home-shopping foray through Andersonville, which we thoughtfully already mapped out for you in our March/April 2009 issue (check it out here).

—Adam Moroschan

It’s summer, and that means finding reasons to head to Harbor Country. Two good ones in the next few weeks: an event called Revive Your Green Retreat on May 30 at Susan Fredman’s At Home With Nature in Union Pier, and the Heartland Alliance house walk June 6. At the Revive Your Retreat event, speakers throughout the day (including me, talking about green décor trends) will discuss the nuts and bolts of creating a healthy, environmentally friendly home. Learn about eco-color trends, composting, finding tax breaks and home loans for green homes, and creating a green wedding. For the kids: ice cream, and getting crafty with recycled materials. See the full schedule and RSVP on the site. The next Saturday, The Heartland Alliance Celebration of Home & Garden Tour starts at 10 a.m. and features seven impressive Harbor Country homes, from an antiques-filled Normandy-style house to a Hamptons-style cottage. Proceeds go toward the development of affordable housing.

—Jan Parr

Chicago Home + Garden will be at the opening day (Saturday, May 23) of the Randolph Street Market with decorator Laura Soskin, who will pull together a fab room furnished with her favorite finds at the Market that day—and she will do so over the course of several hours! The room will be on display Saturday only on the second floor stage inside the Hall. All items in the room will be for sale (last year, when our stylist Barri Leiner pulled of the same feat, the items sold right off the set)! Look for behind-the-scenes coverage on our blog and a peek at the final product in our September/October issue.

—Gina Bazer