The DreamHome at the Merchandise Mart is back, and the lineup is top-notch. See inspiring (and envy-inducing) rooms by Kara Mann, Susan Fredman, Erik Kolacz, and three other fantastic designers. The show officially opens to the public on April 11 and is open through Dec 7 .
Even if the tulips aren’t blooming yet, you can at least mark spring by the arrival of the Chicago Botanic Garden’s annual Antiques & Garden Fair, a wonderful way to shop for your yard (and interior). Find home and garden accessories of every stripe—modern, antique, funky, refined—and peruse beautiful indoor gardens designed and built by local landscapers. The event is Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. One-day and weekend passes are available. Check the website for more details.
More than 120 undergraduate and grad students will exhibit and sell their work this weekend at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s 14th annual Spring Art Sale. Find one-of-a-kind items from nearly every discipline: photographs, paintings, sculptures, ceramics, prints and drawings, jewelry, and fashion accessories. The price range is anywhere from under $5 to more than $2,000. The sale, which is free to to the public, is at the SAIC Ballroom (112 S. Michigan Ave.) Saturday, April 12 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.