A few weeks ago Michael and I took Aadi to Chicago to see his grandparents. The two of us spent a day in the city alone while Grandma Stewart baby sat. Whenever we are in a new city we check out home furnishings stores to see what others are doing with similar merchandise. We went to the well known Jayson Home and Garden, and liked how they had stored and displayed their upholstery fabrics. The whole shop was clean and bright, with a neutral palette that kept everything coherent even though it wasn’t very strictly vignetted. They had a cool display of vintage chairs in the windows. The photos don’t do justice, but give you some idea of the exterior.

There is a big difference between owning a shop in a small town versus a big city, so comparisons are kind of moot. But one of the coolest things about visiting similar businesses is that it helps us to better define what we do at furbish. After the Chicago tour my definition of furbish was intimate, fun, current, sophisticated yet friendly. And colorful. 

On the way to Andersonville we stopped at my old apartment in Ravenswood. Michael and I met while l was living in this apartment with my friend Rita eleven years ago! She introduced us and we all went to the Ravenswood Diner for dinner and then The Green Mill. The rest, as they say, is history. Here’s Michael in front of my apartment. He will be very embarrassed when I tell you he serenaded me with Blue Moon one night right outside that very first floor window on the right : ).

Every time I go to Chicago I get all nostalgic for our early days. It will always be the most romantic city in the world in my head.