i’ll have to say, one of the nicest things about the new site is that i can post long pieces like this without having to send you to a separate site or post off the main page. blogger wouldn’t let me add additional pages without creating a new blog so it’s really, really great to be able to host this guide right here, just after the jump. no separate pages, no extra blogs. hooray!
writer lizzie garrett created this fantastic chicago design guide and i added in commentary and links to my favorite shops to round things out. chicago is one of my absolute favorite cities for design so it’s great to have an insider’s guide to the city. i hope this will be helpful for anyone heading out to the windy city this fall. as always, if you feel a shop is missing feel free to add it below.
also, please don’t forget to rsvp to the chicago biz ladies meetup- can’t wait to meet everyone!
With inescapable forces like Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright anchoring this city’s architecture and design, it’s not surprising that there is a good deal of eclectic design stores—many heavy on the mid century modern aesthetic. It is the case with Chicago, like most big cities, that outskirt neighborhoods are now the center of the art and design scenes, fostering communities and avenues of innovation. Still, each neighborhood with it’s distinct look, feel, and smell carries with it an undeniable Chicago-ness. Happy shopping!
Getting there:
-Rail maps: CTA.
-On foot: While walking around note that Chicago is based on a mathematical grid system which divides the city into one-mile sections, which nearly everywhere contain exactly eight blocks to the mile. Every average block is assigned a new series of 100 numbers. Therefore, each 800 in numbers is one mile. For more info on this click here.
Bucktown/Wicker Park
- Lille: This is one of my favorite shops in Chicago. Lille has an outstanding collection of tableware and small vessels that make perfect gifts. A definite must-visit. [UNFORTUNATELY LILLE IS ONLINE ONLY NOW.] (G)
- Sprout Home: If I was forced, like Sophie’s Choice, to pick a favorite Chicago store, it would be Sprout Home. I cannot get enough of owner Tara Heibel’s excellent taste in plants, eco-friendly furniture and amazing accessories from local designers. Be sure to say hello to Tara’s friendly dog, Grifter. (G)
- Hejfina: Ok so i’m cheating- Hejfina is mostly clothing but I love their selection of hard-to-find designers. If you love dresses this is the place for you. (G)
- Willow: When I was last in Chicago Willow was just opening but already had an impressive line up of local and up-and-coming artists. They have a fantastic tableware and jewelry selection. There’s a new site coming soon, too. (G)
- Quimby’s: The founder of this fringe bookstore stated, “I want to carry every cool, bizarre, strange, dope, queer, surreal, weird publication ever published”. You could spend hours checking out their art and design section and never come across something you’ve seen before. The bonus is the old-school photo booth in the back.
- Grow: The Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood is certainly growing with design-savvy people starting families, so naturally there is a demand for Grow—a modern kid’s boutique specializing in organic products including furniture for infants and toddlers. I’m really digging the Ooba Nest crib.
- Zella Brown: Some great finds in this Milwaukee Avenue shelter shop—lot’s of colorful accessories including pillows, clocks, rugs and artwork. Zella Brown also offers customized design services.
- Modern Times: I almost got in a car accident driving past this Grand Avenue shop looking at a Nelson “Ball Clock” in the window. Lot’s of unique mid century furniture, jewels, and art.
- Renegade Handmade: Puppets, poster art, crafty cards, vintage cowboy shirts, what’s not to love? When I walked into this store for the first time I thought I was in Silver Lake, the second time I thought I was in Paris circa 1963.
- Pavilion Antiques: Two masters degrees from The Art Institute + frequent buying trips to Europe = an impressive collection of high-end French Mid Century Modern furniture.
- Virtu: A wonderful Midwest source for beloved brands like Perch, Egg Press, and Lotta Jansdotter.
- Stitch: Stitch carries a great line of tableware and personal accessories. Great place to find gifts for guys (G).
- Una Mae’s: This Milwaukee Avenue institution (originally called Una Mae’s Freak Boutique) is typically celebrated for their funkadelic threads—both vintage and new. The store also always has a fantastic find lurking in the store somewhere, like a poster, a handbag or record.
Lincoln Park/Lakeview
- I.D.: I’d admit, I’ve never visited I.D. in person but I’ve onlne window-shopped the heck out of it. They have a great collection of furniture and wall-hangings. (G)
- Greer: fantastic stationery and paper goods, including a custom line by owner Chandra Greer. (G)
- Jayson Home and Garden: I imagine that if I was born with a trust fund I would be shopping at Jayson Home and Garden 24/7. So far I’ve only saved up and splurged on one large piece from their shop but they’re bursting with gorgeous vintage furniture and accesories. If you need something a bit more budget-friendly they have a wondderful selection of modern tableware and personal accesories, too. Don’t miss the lighting department, they have some really unique pieces. (G)
- Artists’ Frame Service: Located right next door to Jayson Home & Garden, Artists’ Frame Service is the most wonderful framing experience to be had. No other framer can compare with these guys: They always promise a one week turn around, all their framers have art backgrounds, they stock wonderful frames, and their prices are reasonable.
- Twosided: Evolved from the frame shop called Foursided, Twosided is a complete neighborhood gift shop with a “million and one” gift cards, heavy on the whimsical and one-of-a-kind varieties.
- Art Effect: They bill themselves as a “modern day general store” and they deliver exactly that. This store on armitage is a must for every city, stocking copious amounts of design heavy hitters like Alessi, Eva Zeisel, French Bull, Jonathan Adler and Orla Kiely.
- Urban Artifacts: The place to find that must-have icon of a piece and maybe pay a little less than you would at DWR. If you’re into finding collectables by hunting for them, then this is a store to stop into.
- Bedside Manor: All things luxe for the boudoir, including Thomas Paul pillows and John Robshaw linens.
- Tabula Tua: Fab high-end home accessories selection from John Derian to Cat Studio to one of my favorites for the table, Mariposa.
- Praha: Just like it’s namesake city (Praha is Czech for Prague) this eclectic furniture store is a little off the beaten path, more than you expect, and the dollar goes a lot farther than you’d think.
River North
- Modernica: One of the companies only three outposts, the Chicago store is exactly what you’d expect from Modernica: case study fiberglass chairs made exactly as they used to be, as well as other mid-century replicas.
- P.O.S.H.: Fiercely anti-chain and mass-produced items, this general store, which focuses on tabletop, carries an eclectic assortment of vintage hotel silver, restaurant china and flea market finds.
- Jonathan Adler: Gotta love J.A. and his needlepoint pillows.
- Ligne Roset: This French company was founded in 1860 making walking sticks, now they are a multi-national contemporary furniture and accessories company, with some particularly stunning glass blown vases and bowls. Charles Eames made his start making leg splints for the Navy, maybe there’s something to this.
- Svenska Möbler: I was somewhat familiar with their L.A. outpost on La Brea, this store carries a very specific collection of furniture: Swedish modern and Argentine functionalist (read: clean lines, and rich woods).
Gold Coast/Old Town
- Frette: Expensive, yes. Totally worth it if you love nice linens? Yes. This isn’t somewhere to shop if you’re on a budget but if you have a spot spot for nice linens Frette is a must visit. (G)
- Room & Board: Similar to DWR, Room & Board provides clean and timeless design for a price.
- Museum of Contemporary Art Store: The MCA store, like other modern museum stores is the prize at the end of the tour. This one is particularly rewarding.
Northside
- P.O.S.H.: an incredible collection of tableware, glassware and silverware. They also carry home and kitchen accessories.(G)
Andersonville/Lincoln Square
- Haus: Haus sells a great collection of artwork that is perfect for gifts or adding that special touch to a room that’s been missing (G)
- Hanger 18: Hanger is a fun shop in Lincoln square that’s jam-packed with colorful accessories and tableware. If you like melamine and French Bull, you’ll love Hanger 18. (G)
- Scout: A well edited mix of antiques and new products which focuses on stylish utility items for the home. Scout is sophisticated, functional, and a tad masculine even. It’s urban and urbane—one of Chicago’s best.
Loop/West Loop
- Orange Skin: Futuristic modern furniture designed by big names such as Marc Newson, Karim Rashid and Philippe Starck.
- Salvage One: I am intrigued by this warehouse of a shop that rents and sells distinct home and garden furnishings—their online catalog is massive and has so many interesting pieces—everything from vintage furnaces to mailboxes, old doors, and a hefty supply of art deco and mid century furniture.
Extras (Contributed by D*S Readers):
- Broadway Antique Mall + Edgewater Antique Mall: just north of Andersonville in the Edgewater neighborhood and only about 3 blocks from each other. They have so much to offer, mostly items from the 1910’s -1970’s. Both have a great selection of Mid-Century Modern, which can sometimes be very difficult to find in your run-of-the-mill antique malls. (Seana)
- Urbanest: furniture and home goods (Dawnson)
- The Sweden Shop: the name says it all (Renee)
- The White Attic: furniture and antiques (Suzannah)
- Saffron: home, personal and kitchen accessories (Nicki)
- RR#1: “an old-fashioned shop for modern gifts” (Susan)
- Lightology: one of Chicago’s largest light retailers
- Paper Doll: stationery and paper goods (Susan)
