This Week’s Top Story

Forget flat white ceilings. After decades of disrespect, the boring surface above our heads is now having a moment to shine. At showrooms across the Design Center at the Merchandise Mart (222 Merchandise Mart Plaza, Fl. 6 and Fl. 14–16, designcenter.com) metallic wallcoverings intended for ceilings have been flying off the racks.

“When it comes to metallic ceilings, the go-tos have been foyers and dining rooms,” says Erik Doepel, showroom manager at Maya Romanoff. “But, I am seeing the trend incorporated in living rooms and bathrooms more recently. It's a great application to make a powder room look very luxe; it serves as a great alternative to a statement wall.”

Doepel believes the look works best for rooms of extreme size—on either side of the spectrum. “For example, in a small foyer, a metallic wallcovering can serve as a strong focal point to dress the room up. It also reflects the light, making the area feel more open. In larger foyers, it’s more about the drama—a wow moment when someone walks into the space.”

Silver is the most-requested metallic wallcovering color at the Design Center, but some adventurous clients are going for subtle shifts of hue, ranging from aluminum to champagne. “These reflective wallpapers make a strong statement and draw the eye upward, creating interest in an unexpected area,” says Osborne & Little showroom manager Sarah Piwoni. Why hide a surface behind blah white paint when you can instead use it to make a room glow?

Interior Intel

Organic Looms (401 N. Wells St., organiclooms.com) has just released three new designs of its sustainable, handcrafted rugs. “The new design trend is definitely all about texture,” says Christopher Frederick, owner of the River North showroom. His artisan-made rugs blend various materials, like silk and wool, to create a look that’s practically a piece of abstract art. Their hand-knotted silk shag, called Dawn, for example, pairs a shaggy silk with orderly grey loops, all inspired by the sunrise. “It’s really made to be the focal point of a room,” says Frederick.

Gain some inspiration for your home rehab by spending the night at the brand new Ace Hotel Chicago (311 N. Morgan St., acehotel.com/Chicago). It’s officially opening on September 1, but preview rooms are ready for booking at a friendly rate of 25 percent off through the end of August. Enjoy sweeping views of the West Loop, meals at City Mouse courtesy of Jason Vincent (Giant), and bragging rights to being the first to sleep in the city’s coolest new hotel. Bonus: 10 percent of your reservation cost supports Ace Hotel Chicago’s three community partners: Little Black Pearl, Young Chicago Authors, and 826CHI.

Sales

After three years in River North, ID (375 W. Erie St., Ste. 101, idchicago.com) is moving on to other digs. In preparation for their relocation, the boutique is offering 20 to 60 percent off on furniture from Blu Dot and Gus Modern, as well as decorative accessories from Normann Copenhagen. (Sunglasses are half off, too!)

The bi-annual Jayson Home (1885 N. Clybourn Ave., jaysonhome.com) sale starts this Friday and runs through August 14. Insiders claim that this is the only time to find much of the emporium’s eclectic vintage and modern furnishings on sale. The loft-like showroom has expanded, too, which means there’s more edgy items hand-selected from around the world to choose from. Come early—and come often.

Spanish brand Punt is on sale now through August 1 at Haute Living (213 W. Institute Pl., haute-living.com). Furnish your condo with gorgeous storage units, dining tables, desks, and sideboards that double as wooden works of art.

Events

Room & Board (55 E. Ohio St., roomandboard.com) is putting up for sale 33 limited-edition prints by Chicago artist Barbara Raidl. The pine-framed prints ($199) are available exclusively at four stores—and the downtown Chicago store is one of them. Each print is signed by the artist, who received her BFA from the Art Institute of Chicago and her MFA from the University of Chicago; she is currently a lecturer in the graphic design program at the School of Design at DePaul University.

CB2 (800 W. North Ave., cb2.com) is back with their After Hours late-night store events. This Thursday, pop by for drinks, shopping, and a performance by Eryn Allen Kane (who we profiled as a top up-and-coming Chicago artist) plus music spun by DJ Alissa Jo from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. RSVP here.

Fans of landscape architecture firm Hoer Schaudt Landscape Architects, rejoice! The revered firm’s debut publication, Movement and Meaning: The Landscapes of Hoerr Schaudt, celebrates 45 private, public, and cultural projects in a gorgeous coffee-table format. On July 19, partner Douglas Hoerr will be at Pagoda Red (400 N. Morgan St., pagodared.com) signing copies and sharing stories over small bites and drinks from 5 to 7 p.m. Be sure to RSVP at info@pagodared.com.