The Silk Trading Company (Home Furnishings - Mag Mile)
900 N. Michigan (third floor)
Chicago, IL
312.664.7600
By its name alone, The Silk Trading Company evokes the romance of the ancient trade route along which luxury goods traveled between the great civilizations of the East and West. True to its name, the company sources and manufactures along this same route, importing silks from India and Southeast Asia, furniture and objets d'art from China, and European as well as domestic fabrics and home furnishings.
The company's new flagship store is a "life style" store, where seductive room settings of furniture, fabrics, and accessories entice shoppers to put themselves in the picture – or wrap the picture up and take it home. Some settings are so enticing, shoppers might be tempted to sit down and make themselves at home.
The beautiful bedrooms, though, willput no one to sleep. Here you can pop for a $75 pillow, splurge on a $2,2000 bed. Or you can actually recreate the entire room in your own home – including bed, bedding, draperies, lighting fixtures, even the color-coordinated paint on the walls.
A favorite of designers and architects, the store began as an upscale source of imported textiles for upholstery and draperies. Today's vast drapery choices include silk, velvet, mohair, linen, cotton, wool, chenille, and shingu burlap. For shoppers not prepared to measure, cut and sew their own, The Silk Company offers two smart alternatives: Drapery-By-Design creates handmade custom draperies in thousands of combinations of fabric, color, trim and length. Buyers overwhelmed by these choices might prefer Drapery-Out-Of-A-Box, a ready-made selection of the store’s best sellers.
The store's luxurious upholstered furniture can also be customized with your choice of fabrics. And the small collection of imported, Asian-influenced occasional tables complements almost every room in The Silk Trading Company house.
Whether you're looking for a special piece, creating a room, or pursuing a dream, this could be a good place to start your search.
Spoil Me (Women's Accessories - Wicker Park)
1533 N. Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL
773.772.6868
Spoil Me, a new accessory shop in Wicker Park, is the perfect place for people who love the current designer styles, but don't want to pay the accompanying high prices.
The store boasts oversized leather shoulder bags "inspired" by such internationally renowned designers as Jimmy Choo and Prada.
Even if they're not the real thing, they are fashionable touches at the right price (between $38 and $45). Spoil Me also sells Tiffany-inspired jewelry, but the best pieces in this shop are the hand-blown, one-of-kind glass necklaces priced from $30 to $40.
The name Spoil Me suggests this would be another high-priced boutique. But the prices couldn’t be more reasonable, with beaded and embroidered handbags selling at $18 to $20. Even better, there's a table where everything is just $5! Look for these bargain prices and special in-store sales whenever you come in.
And unlike many accessories-only stores, the products here don't promote morning-after regret. No “what was I thinking” guilt. The craziest items are feather-shaped dangling earrings and large red belts, which are reminiscent of 80’s fashions. But even dangling feather earrings can sometimes be just what an outfit (and a girl) needs!
With kicking music on the stereo and a little pink on the walls, this store feels feminine – almost dainty, and the dangling earrings and beaded purses fit right in. Spoil Me is a must-see shopping location for women who want just a little more, for a lot less.
The Sunflower Market (Organic Grocer - Lincoln Park)
1910 North Clybourn Ave.
Chicago, IL
773.348.4667
Food is necessity of life, but more and more it seems like our food, especially hydrogenated oils and pesticides, poses health risks.
If you long to shop for high quality natural and organic foods at low prices, then The Sunflower Market is for you. Opened since August, the store is located just north of the commercial corridor at North and Clybourn in Lincoln Park, in a smaller format than Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.
The prices at this store don’t make eating healthy feel like it's putting you into debt. On our recent visit, packaged sushi was $5.00, wild salmon $1.99/lb., and Wallaby yogurt, four for $2.
Nothing is missing from The Sunflower Market. A bakery case containing hemp brownies and other all-natural goodies flavored and colored without chemicals is right there as soon as you enter the store. There’s a specially-cooled produce room that feels like a farmer’s market without the sun and the heat. And like a farmer’s market, most of the produce is locally grown.
There’s a wall of oats, grains, nuts, and dried fruit. And instead of Hershey’s and Snickers at the check-out aisles, there are organic jelly beans and nearly an entire case of organic Ben and Jerry’s. Yes, you can eat organic and Ben and Jerry’s. And you can bake organic cakes, drink organic wines and beers, and enjoy heat-and-serve convenience foods.
Celiac disease sufferers can load up on gluten-free mixes and breads. There are even beauty products, cleaning products and diet shakes that are nearly entirely organic. A banner in the store proclaims that whenever possible its organic foods are free of artificial flavoring and hydrogenated oils.
The Sunflower Market is owned by SuperValu Foods, parent of Jewel-Osco and Albertson's grocery store chains. The Chicago store is just their second store (Indianapolis opened in January 2006).
Check out the store’s website to find out what’s on sale before heading out.
Photos courtesy of Spoil Me.
We recommend checking with stores for product availability, prices and store hours. Suggested prices may change without notice. SeeMore Shopping is not responsible for errors or omissions.
SeeMore Shopping Contributing Writer – C. Magnotta
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. SeeMoreShopping incurs all expenses associated with reviews. Publ. 11/9/06.
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