Category: Travel

Jayson Home Warehouse Sale

The Jayson Home Warehouse Sale started today and continues all weekend. I got down there about a half an hour before it opened this morning.

The one of a kind stuff goes immediately, hence the line. People know it and they show up accordingly! There will still be plenty left through the end of the sale though — usually leftover stock they won’t be carrying anymore, slightly damaged goods, or furniture in colors that are being discontinued to make room for the new.

If you’re reading this today, you can watch my Instagram story before it disappears to see how packed the place was! I tried to snap a few of my favorites there and for this quick recap. These chairs? I love them. I want one.

So much goodness everywhere. The warehouse sale is (wait for it) in their warehouse, not the store, but you do get a 15% off coupon good for everything at Jayson Home too.

I was tempted by a lot but only picked up a couple of little boxes and a pink pouch. Having just come off of the latest round of the One Room Challenge, I’m not ready to do more redecorating for at least a little while. But then you see yellow tufted leather wingbacks, and you’re like “where can I use one?”

Nah, I’m good. They were awesome though.

November 11, 2016
Vintage Finds from Randolph Street Market

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The weather was perfect in Chicago this past weekend, so I took my best gal with me over to the Randolph Street Market. We stopped off at Dunkin’ Donuts first before seeking our flea market treasures — coffee for me, frozen hot chocolate and a donut for her.

Energized and ready, we continued on our way. The Market is held throughout the year indoors, but my favorite time to go is when they have the outdoor portion open too. There’s a booth that’s always there with vintage anatomical models and posters, and every time, I’m tempted to bring a couple home.

Bats! Cats! I wanted both of these too, but I restrained myself.

These gauges and nautical blue pointy things (technical term) were perfectly weathered. What would I use them for? No idea, but aren’t they pretty?

Giant mirror photo opp! Hello.

Vintage globes. One is cool, but a collection of them is always so much better.

I was into these old puppets.

Eleanor brought a toy butterfly with her to the Market, and we left with a collection of real specimens.

We are now the proud owners of a zillion old butterflies and moths! Such a good score. Some are more interesting and in better shape than others, but we’re both pretty excited about either framing them or coming up with some sort of display under a glass cloche. I’ll be sure to share it here when we do.

September 29, 2016
The Oscar B. Balch House is For Sale

The question comes up occasionally. “Balch? Oak Park? Any relation to Oscar Balch?” Nope, no relation.

Frank Lloyd Wright left his family in 1909 and skipped off to Europe with Mama Borthwick, the wife of a client who had done the same to be with him. Scandalous! Upon their return, not many people were willing to work with Wright, but Oscar Balch hired him to build his home here in Oak Park on Kenilworth (a really lovely street in town). Balch was a decorator who had worked with him previously to build a storefront, and the new home was built in 1911 in the Prairie style that we now associate with Wright.

Brandon’s family is not related to him, and I had to convince him when we were kicking around baby names that Oscar was off the table for us because of the connection (or lack thereof). If we lived somewhere else, sure, but another Oak Park Oscar Balch of no relation? That’s weird, right? (He didn’t agree, but obviously we didn’t choose the name for either of our boys).

The first photo was one that I took last spring while walking in the neighborhood, and below, I’m including several photos from the real estate listing. The seller’s asking price is $1,250,000.

The right side of the floor plan above is the side that faces the street. The main entrance is hidden along the side of the house (a typical Wright design) — you walk along the driveway to get to it.

The kitchen is part of a new remodel and expansion, but done to mimic the FLW style. Many Wright homes in the area (and nationwide, I’m guessing) had been poorly remodeled in the past, and there are a lot of historic houses with cheap mid-century kitchens that look completely out of place and are now falling apart. The trend now that these homes are desirable (and expensive) again is to go with quality custom cabinets and finishes with natural wood finishes and earth tones.

Would you want to live in a house like this? The layout and details are so interesting, but the color scheme (which is period-appropriate) wouldn’t make me happy. I can appreciate it, but it’s not the kind of home you can put too much of yourself into. Or maybe you can? I suppose paint colors and furniture are non-permanent ways to customize any space, but it seems like one buys a Wright home to live with that style.

The real estate listing has more photos of the home, and you can read more about the history of the Oscar B. Balch house.

March 28, 2016
The #LoveYourThings Shoot with Scotchgard Brand at the Randolph Street Market

I am a compensated Scotchgard Brand blogger ambassador. Opinions are my own and additional products used in the project were selected by me.

A few months back, Scotchgard Brand invited me to Chicago’s Randolph Street Market to hang out at their booth, chat with visitors, and take part in a video about things we love and how to protect them. There are always amazing vintage and antique pieces at the show — you might find your new favorite chair or rug, suitcases to stand in as storage, or maybe an old textile that has been (or can be) made into pillows.

The antidote to the all-white interiors trend, eh?

OK, but then you get your finds back home — these things that have already had a long life — and you don’t want to be the one to ruin them. And that goes for our new things too, of course. You know the pair of armchairs in our living room? Someone once spilled orange soda all over them when we were having a party. The person felt awful about it, and luckily the spill came right up, but if it hadn’t… yikes. Either we would have had to reupholster (two chairs, in this case, because they should match), live with a very strategically placed blanket, or ignore the stain. I use Scotchgard Fabric & Upholstery Protector on them now so nothing like that will happen again, because I don’t think we would have been so lucky had it been a drink like red wine. Once you see how it works, which is what we showed people at the Randolph Street Market, you realize what a good idea it is to protect the things you love with it. It repels liquids and blocks stains and can be used to protect your linens, furniture, rugs, clothes, car interiors and more.

Here are a couple of behind the scenes shots from our shoot.

And here’s the video.

I’ve used Scotchgard Protectors for a bunch of our things now. A purse, a couple of chairs, and yes, the crazy floral floor model chair I’m talking about above. I’ll show you how easy it is in an upcoming post. What are some things you love and want to protect?

January 21, 2016
Kane County Flea Market

I met up with a friend yesterday and we took Calvin with us to the Kane County Flea Market. It was kind of a bust shopping-wise, but the company was great, and there were plenty of cute things that I snapped photos of to share!

Hello, adorable old radios.

I liked the leather tufting on these, but not the arms and legs. Too simple.

Darling old sink, though I think the flowers had a lot to do with its charm (if not its practicality). Also, a papier-mâché lady! I liked her.

These always look so amazing when grouped together, but when you only take one home, it’s a disappointment.

I do kind of wish I’d picked up this set of dinnerware. I could have added it to the kids’ play kitchen and replaced the mish-mash they have going on now, but that’s me imposing my taste on them. They’re perfectly happy with their assortment.

Doing my thing. “Baby in one hand, camera in the other.”

Diminutive camping furniture. I have no use for it, but I liked it.

I think I’m over mid-century dressers. Antique dressers have more interesting details and shapes.

This whole work table was nice, but the best part of it was the clamp. And aren’t those old circus drums fantastic? They looked more suited to display than play though.

Baskets, basket, baskets.

I wasn’t looking for anything in particular, and I didn’t find anything there that I absolutely had to have. Still a good way to spend the day though!

July 6, 2015
Inspiration from the Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens, 2015

Not only did I tour a bunch of Frank Lloyd Wright and other historical homes this past weekend, I also went with my mom to see the Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens. The tickets sold for the home tour benefit the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, and this year they presented the former home of the late John W. Hughes, Jr.

My mom and I are both house looky-loos, and we love John Hughes movies (The Breakfast Club is a favorite for both of us), so I bought tickets for us as a Mother’s Day present. I figured we’d spend the morning touring the house, have lunch and enjoy the day, but I wasn’t sure what to expect from the home itself. I’ve been to a handful of showhouses before and while they’re always beautiful, they can be a bit stuffy and too traditional to pull practical inspiration from. Not the case this time!

Again, photography was not permitted, but I was able to obtain photos to share of the interiors this time (hooray!). This was my favorite room: the butler’s pantry, with its original cabinetry receiving a fresh coat of paint (Farrow & Ball’s ‘Drawing Room Blue’) along with other updates by Wily Designs LLC.

My mom’s favorite space was the living room designed by Alessandra Branca. The designer posted several shots of it on Instagram.

My mom also absolutely loved this girls’ bedroom, designed by Jeannie Balsam. A great layout, a window seat, and patterns upon patterns!

Some of what I took away was simply giving myself permission to be more bold. I find myself pulling back a bit in my house sometimes, deferring to the house’s style and history, but yawn. The showhouse was a multi-million dollar historical home, and they painted original dark wood, wallpapered the heck out of it, remodeled the kitchen and bathrooms, took apart and opened up built-in closets, and on and on. There was respect for the home, but it was also fun. The kind of place you could actually see a family living in and enjoying themselves. I mean, how could you not enjoy the type of house that has a hallway with monkeys all over the place (by Sarah Whit Interior Design)?

And behold, a nursery by Steve + Filip Design, drawing inspiration from The Grand Budapest Hotel. Those diapers. Ha!

There were many other rooms I wish I could share with you, but the Showhouse didn’t have photos available of every space. There was a garden room with a pink settee (be still, my heart!). A master bath and “women’s reprieve” (former closet) with the most amazing antique furniture. A killer redesigned kitchen by Christopher Peacock Home — not too large — that had me wishing for its pair of built-in fridges with a black interiors. My mom and I both walked out of the home feeling inspired, and we had so much fun touring it! I’ll end here with a floor plan. And hey, feel free to put an offer in on the place. It will be available in June, “price upon request”.

Photo credits: JS Eckert Photography, Nicole Balch, Werner Straube Photography, Alessandra Branca, Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens, Janet Mesic-Mackie, Wittefini

May 20, 2015