Ad Categories: Home and Garden

How many shops make a strip? We’re not sure what the rule is on that one, but the openings of SG Grand (1822 
W. Grand Ave., 630-816-9006) and Buckingham I+D (1820 W. Grand Ave., 312-933-8359) last week are proof enough that the stretch of Grand Avenue from Wood Street to Western Avenue is turning into a destination. The main cluster hovers around Damen, were the pioneering mid-century dealer Modern Times first staked its ground. Always-stylin’ Post27 has become something of a designphile hub; and the salvage shop Urban Remains recently opened a showroom (at 1819 W. Grand Ave.) just west of it. MCM Grand (lots of 1960s mod and Hollywood Regency-style stuff) is yet further west, along with its sister shop Uber Modern. Up next: The Painted Lady, a painted antique furniture shop that currently has a space in Bucktown, is opening another location on Grand August 1. We’ll keep you posted.
    Haven’t had a chance to scope out the new kids on the block? SG Grand (top two photos) is an urban outpost of Geneva’s Scentimental Gardens, offering a sophisticated-country aesthetic, and filled to the rim with rustic lighting, lovely artwork, updated traditional furniture, bold accessories, and more. Ellen DeGeneres was one of the shop’s first customers (she was in town during its opening week, taping a special)! Next door, interior designer Julia Edelmann’s spare showroom, Buckingham I+D (bottom two photos), has more of a gallery vibe and features edgier combinations of contemporary, ethnic, and antique pieces (it’s open by appointment only).
Time to carve out some weekend hours to cruise the new strip.

—GINA BAZER

I was lucky enough to attend a lunch at Luminaire with design royalty recently. The event was in honor of Naoto Fukasawa, one of the world’s most important designers of everyday objects. Luminaire was kicking off an exhibit of Fukasawa’s work. Seated next to me was the delightful Nargis Kassamali, who, with her husband, Nasir, founded Luminaire in 1974 in Miami in a 500-square-foot space. It grew to 4,500-square-feet within two years, and the couple has since opened other showrooms in Florida and Chicago. Fukasawa, who has worked with companies such as B&B Italia, Magis, Artemide, Boffi, and Vitra, and who has won scores of design awards, led a tour of the exhibit, which is on the third floor of Luminaire until the end of July. His elegant designs (my favorite is the elegant humidifier shown here) are based on his careful examination of how people use items. "Good design means not leaving traces of the designer and not overworking the design," he has said. The exhibit contains items representative of Fukasawa’s work from the beginning of his studio in 2003. Luminaire sells many of his designs, including all of his work for Boffi, B&B Italia, Magis, Artek and more. Fukasawa’s items for Boffi (the tub and basins pictured here) remain popular with Luminaire clients, as does his furniture for B&B Italia. If you haven’t been to Luminaire lately, here’s a good reason to stop by.

—JAN PARR

We saw a lot of cool stuff at Morlen Sinoway’s annual indie design fest, The Guerilla Truck show, and we’ll be blogging about them in the coming weeks and featuring them in our magazine. These globe lamps by Erica Milde caught my eye. She sells them on Etsy for $38, along with other handmade goods, such as this maple end table/storage box ($98). The table was made by Milde’s friend and fellow Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design grad Karl Williamson.

—JAN PARR

The producers of the Randolph Street Market (one of our faves) are taking their show on the road: This weekend is the premiere of the

I’m in love with the new Acanto chair (it comes with or without armrests) at Maxalto. Designed by Antonio Citterio, the chairs have solid wood frames and comfortable seats covered in fabric or leather. I love the leather version at the showroom in River North, shown with a new walnut finish. Elegant, comfortable, and modern—with a nod to the past.

—JAN PARR