Manifold Destiny

When I first wrote about Ross and Elizabeth Fierston in 2009, they ran a metal fabricating shop called Metal+Works. Now they are known as Manifold, and the “plus” in their old name has come to mean, among other things, the addition of wood to their work. The end tables shown here are made of salvaged oak and steel with hand-applied patina. Another “plus” offered by Manifold? In addition to designing and making furniture, the Fierstons are now staging exhibits at their Ravenswood gallery/manufacturing space. The opening reception for “Time and Materials” is this Friday, July 13, from 6 to 9 p.m., and the show runs through October 5. It’s a group exhibit, featuring furniture by Manifold, Bridgette Buckley Studio, and Merkled Studio, as well as artwork by James Jankowiak. —Gina Bazer

Finish this Sentence: Kiki Luthringshausen of Beauty and Her Feast

We at Domestica are not nourished by design alone—we are obsessed with food, too. Which is why we forgive former interior designer Kiki Luthringshausen for leaving the design field and pursuing her culinary dreams. We once wrote about Kiki’s fabulous mudroom, but now we are here to tell you about her fun cuisine-focused blog, Beauty and Her Feast and her new gig doing cooking demos for Mariano’s Fresh Market, which she will conduct Thursdays, starting today, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at multiple locations (see the calendar on her website for more info). Between slices and dices, Kiki, a woman of all-around great taste, finished some sentences for us this week.

My most-used kitchen tools are my Shun eight-inch utility knife and my Epicurean cutting boards. And I couldn't live without my Lodge 17-inch cast-iron skillet.

If I could live in any movie it would be the home of Cameron Diaz in The Holiday. I love the clean, modern space that still feels cozy. I also love the palette and one day, I’m moving to California! [To see this house, check out this post at Chameleon Interiors.]

I eat like an absolute pig when I go to Allium at the Four Seasons. We love to go with the kids and always order several dishes to share, such as the sliders, Chef Kevin Hickey’s homemade hot dogs, and the breads. It’s a great mix of comfort and elevated food.

My libation of choice is dark liquor. I’m a whiskey girl! I started drinking dark liquors about a year ago and my “sippy cup” is almost always filled with a Manhattan on the rocks. It must have good marinated cherries, not cheap maraschino ones. At home, I like to use Amarena cherries from Italy.

The best music for a dinner party is a mix of international groups. I love the Mexican duo Rodrigo y Gabriela and the French artist Christophe Maé. Before a dinner party, I usually make a playlist that goes with the food to set the tone. I don’t like hearing anything that you’d hear on the radio. —GB

Secret Gardens

While gardens all over Illinois are looking drained and droopy after last week’s heat wave, we have a pretty good feeling that the fleurs at this year’s Dearborn Garden Walk will be in full we’ve-been-watered-frantically-for-the-past-seven-days bloom for their coming-out party Sunday, July 15, from noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are $35 at the door, $30 in advance. The 22-garden self-guided tour will include terrace vignettes by such local designers as Steven Burgert of I.D. and Maura Braun of Braun Design. Guided architectural tours of Dearborn Parkway will start at 1:30, 3:30, and 5 p.m. —GB

Short Sale

If you haven’t been to a Coyle & Herr sale yet, you’re missing out. For ten days each month, this consignment warehouse opens its showroom to the public—and the pickings are usually pretty great. The next one runs July 19-29 and offers loads of outdoor furniture (like a John Good wrought-iron chair and ottoman), Mauviel copper cookware, a stunning antique French telescope, a pair of Brunschwig & Fils armchairs, Turkish rugs, and a collection of adorable antique tobacco jars from the 1890s (shown here). The 12,000-square-foot showroom is in the Bridgeport Art Center and has a huge, free parking lot. Plus, if you see something you love but the fabric isn’t quite right or it’s a little rough around the edges, the owners can refer you to their favorite local upholsterer or refinisher. —Alice Oglethorpe

Man of the Cloth

Alexander Girard, the director of design for textiles for Herman Miller from 1952 through 1973, designed more than 300 different fabrics. This fall, Herman Miller is reissuing five of them: the Lanalux, Superweave, Linomix, Colorado Plaid (shown here on an Eames sofa), and Hopsak. Their timeless modernity could enliven almost any upholstered seating. To go along with this announcement, Herman Miller is presenting an exhibition of Girard’s work, including gorgeous silk-screened designs, photographs, Girard’s folk art collection, and some of his graphic work. It’s on display in the company’s Chicago showroom on the third floor of the Merchandise Mart through March 2013. The showroom is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., though it’s best to confirm your visit by calling 312-822-8473 before you go. —AO

Photograph: (Dearborn Garden Walk) Ashley Hamm Photography