Design Hunter | Chicago Botanic Garden Antiques Fair

Vintage swimsuits

A vintage table very similar to one I recently purchased for my apartment.

I Married Adventure - everyone's favorite vintage book.

I have a thing for fur pillows.

A pair of Fornasetti chairs

Malachite stool and brass and lucite lamp.

I'm on a mission to find something similar for my kitchen - I plan to mount it on linen and display in a lucite box frame.

Porcupine quills mounted in lucite.

Hello!  I hope everyone had a lovely weekend.  My mom and I went to the Botanic Garden Antiques Fair over the weekend and although I didn't purchase anything, I did find a ton of lovely pieces and loads of inspiration.  Some of my favorite items included a Fornasetti chair, porcupine quills mounted in a lucite block, a stunning malachite fabric bench and metal knife template that would look awesome framed in a lucite box and hung in a kitchen.

The International Antiques Fair at the Merchandise Mart opens this Friday so if you happen to be in town I suggest stopping by.  There is a keynote presentation by Charlotte Moss on Friday and a Young Collectors' presentation by Leslie Hindman on Saturday.  I plan to stop by the show on Friday so if you'll be there let me know!  Happy Monday!

images by kristin kerr luber

Design Hunter | Winnetka Antiques + Modernism

This weekend I drove up to the North Shore to attend the Winnetka Antiques + Modernism show.  This was my second year attending (check out my pictures from last year's show here).  Although I didn't purchase much, I did walk away with loads of inspiration.  I go to these shows knowing very well that I can't afford 99.9% of the items but I love the hunt, talking to the dealers and learning about the history of the pieces that catch my eye.  Above are just a few of the items that struck my heart strings.

.Laslo for Mikasa Prisma flatware. Gold, silver, lucite, need I say more?  The Delux NY booth was hands down my favorite.  They had a great mix of vintage jewelry, accessories and furniture.

.I love the idea of displaying unusual objects as art.  This mounted necklace was just one of the many interesting pieces available at the Cunha St. John booth.  They also had a beautiful collection of vintage automobile lens displayed of custom iron stands.

.Sedge Meadow Antiques had an interesting collection of non traditional antique items. I found the  link detail on these 19th century steel elevator doors to be particularly inspiring.  One day I will have steel windows and doors in my home, one day!

.I always gravitate to the vintage jewelry booths at antique shows and I could have spent hours combing through Loana Marina Purrazzo's collection. These 1970s Trifari earrings reminded me of the items I shared in my Optical Illusion post last week.  I sent Paul a picture of them asking if he's buy them for me for Sweetest Day but he didn't respond. Ha!

.When I spotted this Curtis Jeré raindrops mirror in the Lee's Antiques booth I literally gasp at it's beauty and it's price tag. This mirror has been added to my Ultimate Wish List.

How was your weekend?  What do you have planned for the week ahead?

Design Hunter | CS Interiors Anniversary Home

Foyer design by Anne Coyle

Living Room Design by Tom Stringer

In celebration of their five-year anniversary, CS Interiors has partnered with Chicago’s most distinguished interior designers to create “The Anniversary Home,” inspired by the magazine’s impact on the Chicago design community over the past five years.  I had the pleasure of attending the press preview yesterday and let me tell you, this space is the definition of luxe! Interior designers Julia Buckingham Edelmann, Tom Stringer, Jessica LeGrange, Anne Coyle, James E. Rudd and Tracy Hickman each created a room in the residence and drew inspiration from Chicago couple, Katrina Markoff and Jason Scher of Vosges Haut-Chocolate.

Pictured above are the foyer design by Anne Coyle and living room by Tom Stringer.  The moment I walked in the door I knew I was in Anne's space.  The small but impactful foyer had her signature luxe touches of gold and lucite.  The large Louis Philippe gilt mirror, crystal sconces and modern are made set the tone for the rest of the home.  A small hallway worked as a transition between Anne's vibrant design and Tom's rich, leather-clad living room.

I tried my best to capture the beauty of the space but lets be honest, my photography skills are not the best. So if you like what you see and really want to take in all the luxe details then be sure to join CS Interiors in their celebration on October 12th and 13th, 2012 at the Ritz-Carlton Residences from 10am to 5pm. The ticket sales are benefiting The Lynn Sage Foundation and Infant Welfare Society of Chicago. Be sure to be the first to view these beautiful designs!

Design Hunter | Jayson Home's Fall Flea Market

GO NOW! The annual Jayson Home Fall Flea Market started this morning and you can bet your bottom dollar I was the first one in the tent at 8AM!  My sister thinks I'm a lunatic but every year I make sure to get to the "Flea" bright and early because a) I want first dibs on the incredible selection of vintage and antique pieces from across the globe and b) I love seeing how buyers Caroline Scheeler and Devin Kirk style the tent.  Pictured above are just a few of the treasures you'll find if you visit this weekend.  And if you're not fortunate enough to live in Chicago, don't fret, the sale goes live on their website October 15th.  Happy shopping!

(photography by kristin kerr for simply smitten)