It's no accident that everything in Johanna Lowe’s shop looks ready for its close-up. She’s an experienced photo stylist with a keen eye.
 

With all the high-tech appliances and materials used in kitchens these days, personal style can get lost. To the rescue: Martyn George, a new jewel of a shop named for owner Johanna Lowe’s father. She has filled it with vintage items for cooking and dining (mixing bowls, crystal, coffee tins, linens, knives) collected at flea markets and estate sales. “They have a story that is not necessarily known,” Lowe says, “so you can use your imagination and be nostalgic or romantic. And they’re not perfect, which is also nice.” Not ready to fully commit to that butter dish, or need pieces for a photo shoot, movie set, or party? Lowe, a prop and photo stylist, rents pieces, too. Open weekends only. 1855 W. Grand Ave., 312-340-4666, martyngeorge.com

Photography: Derek Richmond