April 2009

If your home office is starting to feel a little too much like your cubicle at work, perhaps it’s time to ditch the Office Max catalog and start treating the space like you would a real room in the house. A place that reflects your style—not Corporate America’s. Graphic designer Julia Archer was decorating her own workspace when she realized that it was way too difficult to find accoutrements that both looked good and functioned the way she needed them to. She thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get all these things in one place?” So she opened @WorkDesign, dedicated to “design-driven, yet affordable product solutions from desks, seating and other furnishings to lighting, shelving, paper goods, and work bags.” 7500 W. Madison St., Forest Park, 708-488-9297.

—Gina Bazer

Alessi, the Italian tabletop store in the old Tree Studios building, has ushered in spring with a delightful display of blooms from Suzanne Cummings Flowers. Catch them until early next week.

—JAN PARR