Before you start adding to your clutter with holiday décor, take 10 minutes for the next 10 days and throw out 10 things each day. You will dramatically change the way your home looks and feels, and at no cost! Here’s my handy list of 10 things that you don’t have to donate or find […]
Add a burst of festivity to your next holiday celebration with a custom-made Laddie Cake! Graphic designer, painter and pastry chef Ladd Mengel combines her unique passions to craft handmade “fake” cakes of patterned papers, ribbons, fabrics and even flowers. Great for centerpieces and decorations, these cakes are perfect for any occasion and start for as […]
Your kitchen is not immune to clutter. Chances are, this room is home to more unnecessary tools and gadgets than any other in your house. For advice on how to kick the clutter, we asked Doug Durbin, owner of nuHaus Kitchen & Bath Design, and Chef Michael Kornick, owner of mk restaurant in Chicago, […]
No question, having “an eye” is a gift. Most of us must turn to a professional to achieve just the right mix of furniture, textiles, color and accessories to beautifully furnish a space. But wouldn’t it be great to know how to do it yourself? We asked three interior designers for their secrets to pulling […]
What would it take to tempt you to organize and clean out your home office? For Anne Thompson, who has lived in her Wilmette home for fifteen years, it took the perfect storm: Pending empty nest, a goal of returning to school to become a social worker, and her ongoing work running MOCHA, or Mothers […]
When a Highland Park couple with two teenagers hired Randy Heller to help them redecorate their home, she was forced to hit the ground running. “The house was chaotic, and they needed somebody who could take charge and manage the project,” Heller says, noting that several pieces of furniture had already been ordered and that […]
When a Highland Park couple found a spacious, one-level home on a picturesque lot near Lake Michigan, they decided to make an offer despite its choppy layout and badly dated décor. “There was so much visual clutter that it was hard to make sense of the house, but it had classic elements and it wasn’t […]
Soon enough, the frenetic pace of school and activities will kick in. We’ll have little time to clean out closets, let alone make dinner for our families. And while time spent indoors with your kids organizing their rooms doesn’t sound appealing in August, come September you will reap the rewards of order and efficiency. The […]
“British Country manqué” —that’s how former print and runway model and owner of Gavin in Evanston, Lauren Cavallo-Runzel, recalled the décor of her home when she and husband Bill first laid eyes on its interior in 2001. She said that it was too conservative—and not her at all. She really wanted it to be modern […]
The summer antique and flea market season is in full swing.Join in! Whether you’re looking to add to your favorite collection or more design-focused, we’ve got the tips to finding that perfect one-of-a-kind vintage treasure. Weighing in are Glencoe native Sally Schwartz, antiques expert and founder of the Randolph Street Market, and Deerfield native Ashley […]
