Meet Joyce Romanoff, President of Skokie-based wall coverings company, Maya Romanoff. She is focused on thoughtfully growing the company’s line of products without sacrificing its culture of cooperation and connection. Romanoff also serves on the Exhibitions Committee for the Museum of Arts & Design in NY and on the Advisory Boards for HD Expo and […]
“Objects are different when created in small batches by artisans,” says Andrea Liss. Liss walked the talk 20 years ago when she left her position as Creative Director at the Chicago Sun Times to launch her own handmade stationery company, Hannah Handmade, whose clients include the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the White […]
While growing up in the Philippines, Joaquin Franco discovered a special talent that none of his friends possessed: decorating. “It all started at home,” says Franco, who started by selecting the paint and fabrics for his own bedroom before branching out into the rest of the house. “I grew bored of seeing the furniture in […]
Chicago’s top designers transformed Thorndale Manor for the 2011 Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens. Our Home Editor, Tate Gunnerson, visited the mansion and found takeaway lessons you can use in decorating your space. Parisian Library by Jeannie Balsam, LLC. Using dark purple walls and sumptuous fabrics such as wool flannel, velvet and mohair, Jeannie Balsam […]
Every summer, thousands of New Yorkers stream out of Manhattan for the sandy shores, shopping and relaxation of the Hamptons. And we have our own summer paradise, located a mere 100 miles from Chicago in Harbor Country, Mich., where people retreat to second homes in the tiny towns along the eastern shores of Lake Michigan. […]
When a Chicago-area family completed construction on their five-bedroom lake home, they hired Stephanie Wirth and Georgeann Rivas, of Leo Designs in Chicago, to help them create an open, airy retreat with fun pops of color. In this conversation with Make It Better, Stephanie Wirth explains how they tackled the project. What did the homeowners […]
In 2006, a Highland Park family hired Rebekah Zaveloff, interior designer and co-founder of KitchenLab and Design In a Bag, to design a plan to expand and modernize the kitchen of their nineteenth century Victorian-style Foursquare. But Zaveloff’s eclectic elegance and penchant for incorporating one-of-a-kind vintage pieces so impressed the family that soon enough, they […]
Flowers and plants may be required at a soiree, but a growing number of designers are ditching the lace and Baby’s Breath in favor of arrangements and centerpieces with a more contemporary aesthetic. “There is an explosion of modern, simple home decor that has been going strong for awhile now,” says Epoch Floral co-owner Mike […]
Richard Norton Gallery founder Richard Norton and Gallery Director Susan Klein-Bagdade share their collecting tips. Located at the Country House in Deerfield and on the sixth floor of the Merchandise Mart, Richard Norton Gallery specializes in nineteenth and early twentieth century American and European impressionist and modern paintings, drawings and sculptures with a special focus […]
Gary Frank, of H. Gary Frank Architects in Winnetka, and Jon Motsinger, of JPMots Inc. in Chicago, helped a North Shore couple design a brand new, eco-friendly New England shingle-style home. Make It Better sat down with them to get the details. MIB: What eco-friendly features did you incorporate into the home? GF: The single […]
