Wright auction house and gallery is gearing up for a massive, headline-grabbing sale of all things Eames, and the doors are open now until the April 8 sale to preview the 133 lots of furniture, models, photos, and ephemera... Read more
Our top five picks for things to do this week: Black Lips at Logan Square Auditorium, Hannibal Buress and Kid Sister at the Hideout, Frank Gehry at the library, and more Read more
A grand home in Lake Forest goes formal and nearly flowerless with Euro-style landscape design Read more
List Price: $7.95 million
The Property: When I first visited this Lake Forest house (in 2002, when it was only a year old), I could hardly take my eyes off the living room ceiling, a soaring masterpiece of beams, arches, and planking, all crafted from trees from the same Wisconsin grove. Recently I made a... Read more
To Be Perfectly Frank
Alexander Brunacci kept the opening of Lincoln Park’s new Franks ’N’ Dawgs (1863 N. Clybourn Ave.; 312-281-5187) quiet, despite having some serious coattails to ride—his brother, Frank, is the chef at Sixteen, the Trump tower restaurant. Read more

Here’s what’s on my radar after a recent spin (OK, make that trend-seeking triathlon) around the International Home and Housewares Show. Purple royally ruled the runways and furnishing forecasts last season; now it’s trying on housewares. Fav execution? Le Creuset’s enamel cast iron and utensils in Cassis and their Lilac and Violet stoneware counterparts. Aluminum frying pans sporting anchors, Union Jack and bright finishes on their meant-to-be-seen bottoms were swoon-worthy! For the kitchen sophisticate, go for shimmery mineral tones sure to match countertop and tile trends. Two examples: Kitchenaid’s Artisan Series mixer in lush metallic and Farberware’s pots and pans in black and bronze with a hint of glimmer. Wesco’s breadbox and knifeblock in New Silver looked retro-fabulous. Garbage cans got the treatment in prints from The Macbeth Collection; keep an eye out for their new line (we heard The Container Store chain is a fan). Loved their chic prints on shower curtains—even tub mats! On the cleaning scene, I’d like the mini Mint automatic floor cleaner to come dust and mop my hardwood floors. Even germophobes can delight in high design with touch-free paper towel dispensers from Clean Cut and iTouchless. If the person who swiped the Pantone color-sample books (worth hundreds of dollars) from that company’s booth happens to be reading this—please return them immediately, and shame on you.

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Roll Out
Steven Song, who owned Tsunami, the Gold Coast sushi temple that closed last spring, returns to the scene with Masu Izakaya (1969 N. Halsted St.; no phone yet), scheduled to open late this month in the space that housed Minnies. It'll be the second izakaya—Japanese after-work bar—to open in two months (Izakaya Hapa was first). “Izakaya dishes are a little bit... Read more