NOVEMBER: WELCOME HOME!
November turns our attention inward—to the comfort of home and the spaces we create. This month, Talk of the Town is exploring interiors and architecture: discovering destination-worthy home-design stores, paging through beautiful coffee table books that bring the art of home right to your living room, and showcasing two local non-profits dedicated to providing safe, welcoming homes for Chicagoans in need.
For design lovers, shopping can be as inspiring as visiting a museum—and sometimes more fun. Here are a few home-design stores that invite you to step inside and experience interiors that can spark creativity and bring fresh character to your living space.
With locations in Millbrook, New York and Manhattan, Creel & Gow offers an extensive range of rare objects sourced from around the globe. Visitors will be captivated by an impressive selection of rare minerals, coral, silver, shells, and exotic decorative accessories that fill these veritable cabinets of curiosities.
Across the pond in London, world-famous designer Beata Heuman welcomes guests by appointment to a historic townhome where her inventive style and vivid-hued visions come to life. Discover homewares and furnishings designed entirely in-house and produced by a small network of trusted suppliers and skilled craftsmen.
Interior Designer Lizzie McGraw opened Tumbleweed and Dandelion in Venice, California in 1997 to showcase her signature “French California” style. This inviting shop on iconic Abbot Kinney Boulevard features a curated mix of found goods and custom furnishings made by local craftspeople in the LA area.
For 35 years, Chicago’s Golden Triangle has been the region’s go-to source for unique cultural artifacts, antiques, and furniture from Asia and Europe. Presented in beautifully designed, room-like tableaus, their latest collection, unveiled this fall, features Art Deco furniture from India, circa 1925 to 1950. Look for upholstered chairs, tables, and cabinets that blend fine indigenous materials and meticulous craftsmanship with classic Art Deco styling.
A stable home is the foundation for security, dignity, and opportunity. These two Chicago-based nonprofits are working every day to make sure more of our neighbors have safe and welcoming places to call home.
Through our Goodwill Works program, Baird & Warner partners with Habitat for Humanity Chicago and recently completed 4 build days across the Metro area. Partnering with volunteers, donors, and families themselves, Habitat constructs homes that are both affordable and energy-efficient. Their two ReStore locations on the city’s North and South Sides also play a vital role—selling gently used furniture, appliances, and building materials to keep them out of the landfill and support local Habitat projects.
Housing Opportunities and Maintenance for the Elderly (H.O.M.E.) focuses on helping Chicago’s seniors remain independent in their own homes. Through a variety of home-repair and maintenance services as well as providing affordable intergenerational housing options and moving assistance, H.O.M.E. supports older adults who might otherwise face the difficult decision of leaving their longtime neighborhoods. By keeping homes safe, accessible, and comfortable, H.O.M.E. helps preserve both dignity and community connections.
This season, consider volunteering your time, shopping at ReStore, or making a donation to help strengthen Chicago’s communities from the ground up.
Showcasing a variety of design aesthetics, these standout volumes are beautiful to look at, inspiring to read, and perfect for any coffee table.
If you can’t make it to London to visit her showroom, Beata Heuman’s Every Room Should Sing showcases ten of her studio’s projects along with advice on decorating a home, finding your voice, and forging a truly unique space.
In The Bald Mermaid: A Memoir, Harlem-based designer Sheila Bridges pairs her own story with personal photographs of her work. Known for her Harlem Toile de Jouy fabric and wallpaper, Bridges’ many notable projects include the Harlem offices of Bill Clinton and the redesign of One Observatory Circle for Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff.
Written by renowned architecture and design writer Marcus Binney, Anouska Hempel captures the celebrated designer’s eclectic projects—from luxury hotels and residences to a dramatic black-sailed yacht—revealing a bold aesthetic shaped by global influences.
A Passion for Aesthetics is the first coffee book dedicated to Thái Công, one of Asia’s most sought-after designers. With a background in fashion and photography, the German-Vietnamese designer creates sumptuous interiors that are both luxurious and personal, artfully blending elements of Western pop culture with timeless Asian traditions.
Learning about great design and architecture can start at home with Netflix’s fascinating documentary series Abstract: The Art of Design. Across 14 episodes, you’ll meet innovative designers in a variety of disciplines, from architecture and illustration to interior, stage, and automotive design.
Locally, you can explore architectural treasures like Unity Temple in Oak Park. Completed in 1908, this is Frank Lloyd Wright’s only surviving public building from his Prairie period. Tours are offered every day except Sunday.
The Chicago Architecture Center offers a rich variety of classes, workshops and talks. On November 11, their Architect Talk will feature trailblazing New York architect, author, and activist Pascale Sablan.
