The rug is the foundation of your room. It’s a stage for your furniture, warmth for your feet, a soft spot to sit. But too many tired rooms are anchored by predictable patterns, awkward sizing and poor quality. It’s time to choose the right rug for your space. Where do you start? First ask yourself, […]
The Mallinckrodt in the Park Penthouse Design Contest announced its five talented winners. They created designs for the convent, turned college, turned luxury apartment building that was originally built in 1918. Winners chosen from the Harrington College of Design in downtown Chicago, Nancy Walsh and Hannah Moore, were awarded a $1000 prize, while first runner […]
A few years ago, antiquing-addict Mindy Schloss of Glenview opened a warehouse. Inside were her finds: Mostly antique furniture, much of it repaired, painted and/or refinished. But she only opened the warehouse to the public two days a week. Now, you can get your fix every day at her shop, Vintage Nest, in The Glen, […]
If you think lighting a space well is as simple as plugging in a lamp, think again. Like any design element, careful thought and planning—along with knowing your options—can make the difference between a sterile space and one that offers the perfect marriage of functionality and aesthetics. We consulted with two industry experts, Tim Archibald, […]
Sylvia Cardenas relied on instinct and advice to decorate her Highland Park home. When George and Sylvia Cardenas first bought the Highland Park lot where their home stands today, the surrounding area was mostly farmland. “We used it to park the trucks for our business,” explains Sylvia Cardenas, of George Cardenas Landscape Design in Highland […]
Standing in the entry of Brian and Tami Quinn’s five-bedroom Spanish Revival home in Wilmette, it’s difficult to believe that the house had been marketed as a tear down less than two years ago. “Water had been seeping into the interior walls from leaking gutters, so plaster was crumbling, wallpaper was sagging and floors were […]
How many of us really love our master bath? We asked three design experts for their advice on how to make the master bath the tranquil, functional and fabulous space you deserve it to be. As with any scenario, there’s the dream and then reality. If you’re lucky enough to redo your master bath, here […]
Many North Shore residents are already familiar with Melly Schwartz of Northbrook. Her ability to reinvent old—sometimes even heirloom—furniture by hand painting or refinishing it, or adding other elements such as architectural embellishments, or paper or fabric lamination, is legendary. She recently outgrew her Northbrook studio and she and her husband-partner, Mitch, have moved to […]
Alessandra Branca’s lush, textured interiors have been featured in many publications, including House Beautiful, Elle Decor and House & Garden. Never content to rest on her laurels, in 2008, Alessandra opened her Gold Coast boutique, Branca, where she makes available the kind of one-of-a-kind pieces that have graced her projects, and in 2009, she published […]
George and Sylva Cardenas of Highland Park share their garden retreat with Make It Better. George and Syliva Cardenas have been landscaping North Shore homes since they founded George Cardenas Landscape Design in Highland Park in 1976. Although running the business keeps the couple busy, they carve out time to maintain their own garden retreat […]
