Second-Home Hunting
The 50-plus real estate agents that organized and participated in last year’s premiere Harbor Country open house were so enthused by the results (over $3 million in properties were sold because of that single event), they’ve decided to tackle a sophomore engagement this Saturday, April 24, from noon to 4:00 p.m. (EST, don’t forget). Over 150 diverse, available properties in Michigan and Indiana will be open for bid-ness, including this modern new-construction Stanley Tigerman home in New Buffalo. Two woodburning fireplaces, two wings, and this courtyard? Situated on more than 2.3 wooded acres overlooking the Galien River? Stop it, you’re killing me. It was recently reduced to $629,000 and is being offered by Donna Iwamoto. After all the looky-loos there will be a tasting and reception at the Round Barn Winery from 4–7 (contact any of the real estate agents for an invite). And for ideas on decorating your home away from home, look no further than the May/June issue of Chicago Home + Garden, which is devoted to second-home style and will be hitting newsstands next week.
Hortons Hears a Hoe
Hortons Home Lighting has partnered with Schroeder’s, an established supplier of hothouse plants to Illinois’ independent garden centers, so as of this Friday you’ll be able to pick up flowers, vegetables, bedding plants, and perennials along with your chandeliers, lamps, and ceiling fans at Horton’s LaGrange location. Schroeder’s grows everything under local climate conditions, which means they should suit your soil swimmingly. See what they have to offer on May first and second and you’ll also be able to shop Horton’s big storewide truckload sale, which promises the lowest prices of the season.
Together Nest
West Town’s Unison design studio is having another of its infrequent warehouse sales, so 2000 West Fulton Street is the place to hit this Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. if you’re in the market for some crisply patterned table linens, bedding, pillows, floor cushions, aprons, or a plethora of other home enhancements in a modern mood, reduced substantially. The designers and owners, husband and wife Robert Segal (His father Gordon started a little company called Crate & Barrel—ever heard of it?) and Alicia Rosauer, founded Unison in 2006 after spending a lengthy stint working in Finland. They do big business on their online store, and their colorful designs are also retailed locally at Urbanest and Post 27.
Contractor Kudos
I interviewed local contractor Jake Goldberg for a trends article in the magazine a couple of years ago, and found him to be a personable, funny guy with an encyclopedic knowledge of and experience in high-end building and the latest in high-tech, environmentally savvy construction systems. So it was nice to hear that Custom Home magazine recently selected his firm, Goldberg General Contracting, as the 2010 Custom Builder of the Year. Way to nail it, Jake! If you’d like to see one of GGC’s ambitious projects in person, make plans to tour Michael Yannell’s space-age Green Home Chicago in Ravenswood. (It’s directly across the street from my friend Teresa’s townhouse, so I’ve been watching it go up over the past few years.) The Yannell residence, pictured here, is a zero net energy home, meaning it creates as much energy as it uses by employing things such as geothermal heating, solar panels, and green roofs. You can contact Yannell directly to set up a tour.
Caste Manns Up
Montana natives Brad Rowley and Ty Best have closed their West Side furniture and art gallery Caste after approximately two years in business on Halsted Street, but the line maintains a strong Chicago presence at skyrocketing interior designer Kara Mann’s showroom. Mann, an Evanston native and longtime fan of Caste’s handmade spidery tables, light fixtures, repurposed wood and metal furnishings, and smoothly organic sculptural objects, is now the exclusive rep for Caste Designs and is showing them off in high gutsy style at her dramatic and lofty Hubbard Street atelier. “It was a little sad for us to close the store,” Brad says. “However, when I found myself sending photos and quotes via e-mail to designers in Chicago, it became clear we weren’t really servicing anyone with the shop, and it was quite an expense every month. It was much smarter for us to let Kara handle the Midwest and I could continue with the rest of the world via e-mail from home.”
Mall Meditations
In fitting tribute to the fin de siècle walls it occupies, River North’s Design Within Reach modern furniture showroom (in the Tree Studios Building at 10 East Ohio Street, a complex built in 1894 to provide affordable work/live spaces for artists) is continuing its contemporary art program with a showing of Hans Habeger’s urban landscapes, April 23 through June 25. Haberger, an Evanston painter, was inspired by the parking lots and building facades of big-box stores and strip malls. There will be a wine and cheese reception on Friday, from 6–8 p.m.