We Ordered Chinese

For garden lovers who need a little Zen-style inspiration, Pagoda Red is an incredible resource. The Bucktown location is showing plantings by the talented Brian Shea of Voltaire’s Gardener and Kim Kozimor of Kozimor Garden Design. And on Saturday, May 26, the Winnetka location hosts an opening party from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. for its Scholars’ Garden, designed by Mindy Heidekat of Heidekat Design. I don’t often invoke Joni Mitchell songs in posts about gardening—though maybe I should—but you know that song that goes, “They paved paradise and put in a parking lot”? Well, the folks at Pagoda Red leveled a parking lot and put in a paradise in Winnetka. This interpretation of a classical Chinese garden is definitely worth checking out. —Gina Bazer

Market Watch

The weekend all you junque-loving fools have been waiting for has finally arrived: Randolph Street Market is back, Saturday, May 26, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, May 27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Expect DIY demos from The Sewing Maniac and urban farming advice from the The Urban Canopy, beauty treatments, airbrush tattoos, live music, food, kids activities, and a silent auction for a Stella scooter decorated by artist Francine Turk, as well as planters designed by local talents including artist Matthew Lew and interior designer Michael Del Piero. —GB

Finish This Sentence: Interior Designer Stacey Cohen

You may know Stacey Cohen from HGTV’s Design Star or her firm Stacey Cohen Interiors, but you’re about to get to know her even better, now that she’s finishing our sentences. (By the way, she, along with interior designer Linc Thelen, designed the cabanas for the aforementioned Randolph Street Market.)

Every home should have something that makes you smile when you walk in the door. For me, it is my fishy Nemo. He lives in a beautiful tank filled with my prized rock and shell collection.

The most aesthetically pleasing place I've visited recently was the “Rethinking Typologies” exhibit at the Art Institute (editor’s note: the exhibit runs through July 29).

The best music for a dinner party is Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite.

My turn-to item of clothing is my Vince leather jacket with a seasonal scarf.

Best book I’ve read lately is Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat. —GB

Deal of the (Mid)Century

The twice-a-year vintage department store sale at Broadway Antique Market wraps up Memorial Day, so head over there this weekend if you want mid-century furniture at up to 50 percent off. The 20,000-square-foot store is a favorite of many local and celebrity designers such as Nate Berkus Associates and Thomas O’Brien/Aero Studios. For this sale, each of the 75 dealers at the market offers different discounts on their vintage cookware, lamps, and furniture. You’ll find gems like a Tambour door teak stereo console (shown), designed by Arne Vodder for Sibast Mobler of Denmark in the 1960s, which is on sale for $2,600. If you are a wait-until-the-last-minute shopper, note that Monday hours are limited to 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. —Alice Oglethorpe

Wright This Way

It’s easy to catch glimpses of the exteriors of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes—all you have to do is drive around parts of Chicago and the suburbs. But on June 2nd, you can walk right in the front doors of some of Oak Park’s finest buildings by taking part in the 38th annual Wright Plus housewalk. The guided tour, which is put on by the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, takes you into nine private homes: three designed by the famed architect, including the William G. Fricke House (shown here), and six by his contemporaries. You’ll also get access to public buildings like Wright’s Home and Studio. At each stop, you’ll learn about the history, architecture, and how the original occupants lived. Tickets are $100 ($85 if you’re a member of the Trust) at GoWright.org or by calling 877-848-3559. There should also be limited tickets available that day at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio Museum Shop. If you’re an uber-fan of Wright, check out their “Ultimate Plus Weekend.” It includes a reception at the Rookery Building, private tours, lectures, dinner at a Wright-designed home, accommodations, and more for $2,600 per person. —AO

Photograph: (William G. Fricke House) James Caulfield for the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust