September-October 2010

Several exhibitors at this past summer’s Guerrilla Truck Show and the nearby reception for the Object Society (a group of independent Chicago-based furniture and object designers) showed off furniture injected with shots of color. Angela Finney-Hoffman of Post 27 presented a George Nelson–inspired credenza from her new Lapel collection, a collaboration with Stone Blitzer, with door panels in vivid hues. Seth Deysach of Lagomorph Design debuted a walnut and leather rocking chair with a thin aluminum plate, powder-coated orange, supporting the seat. Jon Martin of Mode Carpentry and Andrew Kephart of Ism Furniture showed chairs made of wood, powder-coated steel, and lacquer finishes in lively colors, “adding a fun element that makes the design more interesting,” says Kephart. We couldn’t agree more. Read more

PALETTE PROS: Three designers give us the inside story on how they use hues Read more

Summer Thornton juxtaposes elegant grays and yellows with blues both muted and bright at the Palmolive Building. CHEERED-UP CHAIR It’s hard to believe this chair originally had a grandma-ish mahogany frame with red velvet upholstery. Thornton had the wood lacquered black and the back re-covered in a silk tartan, the seat in a complementary fabric. “I was going for that sort of cheeky, youthful British look,” she says. Read more

In an Evanston Victorian, Julia Edelmann uses a lively palette of yellow, turquoise, and gray that’s bright but not too sweet. CITRUS PUNCH “The grapefruit yellow Mokum fabric on this banquette gets more discussion than anything else in the house,” says Edelmann. “It was the first one we chose, and I’m always getting phone calls asking me where I found it. The client moves this piece all over the house—it works in any space.” A black drum shade and table base “keep a bright decor from feeling precious,” she says. Read more

Morlen Sinoway uses primary hues with black and natural wood tones to define spaces in a sprawling home on the North Side. ROCK THE RED How do you transform a boring all-white bathroom into a lively space that wakes you up in the morning? Bring in some vivid red tile. Sinoway did just that, and added other arresting touches in the form of a felted wool rug and black- and-white towels. Wooden “tractor seat” stools, a stone floor, and white walls and plumbing fixtures keep the look grounded and simple. Read more