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While looking for parking on Damen Avenue last week, I ran into an old friend I wanted to be sure you knew: Daniels Antiques. The Ashland Avenue warehouse shuttered about a year ago and this juicy new incarnation (at 2062 N. Damen Ave.) popped open with no fanfare, offering more of its ever-changing mix of mid-century modern and other antiquities of all ages. Georg Jensen pitcher anyone? Edward Wormley for Dunbar furniture? A 17th-century map? Guilty pleasures abound. Be schmoozy and get invited to the warehouse space the owner still maintains (a mainstay for decorators).

—BARRI LEINER

My favorite design blog, Apartment Therapy, recently sponsored a contest, Small Cool 2008, in which design-savvy people living in less than 850 square feet competed for Room & Board gift certificates and accolades. I was one of the judges, who took readers’ picks and helped choose four winners from the semi-finalists. Apartment Therapy founder Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan flew to Chicago for the party last week, where the winners were announced. We were thrilled that a Chicagoan (and one of my picks) made it to the top four; see it here. We also hope to publish photos of this apartment—located in the iconic Marina City—in a future issue.

—JAN PARR

“Horse Mane,” photo by Ron Seymour

“That Guy’s Gotta Stop,” mixed media on canvas by Peter Mars

One of the great joys in my life is settling down with a large Diet Coke for an indie film or two at the Landmark Theatres in the Century Shopping Centre, but I usually just avoid the mall shops on the winding road up to my Shangri-lobby. It’s pretty much Retail Without a Cause, unless you’re in the market for board games based on reality television, or some cloyingly sweet body lotions (who are these customers demanding to smell like gingerbread pancakes, anyway?). But there is an unusual, salon-style gallery on the third floor called Maison Rouge that I’ll drop by now and then, and always see cool stuff. I like the WPA-ishness of some of the photos and paintings, and noted Chicago artists like Ed Paschke, Tony FitzPatrick, and Marc Hauser can often be spotted. This Peter Mars painting popped out to me, as did the black-and-white horse photos of Ron Seymour. The eclectic gallery also carries a great selection of sculpture, vintage silver items like watches and frames, and African-American art.

—BRADLEY LINCOLN

Images courtesy Maison Rouge