Five Ways to be Green in Chicago

Chicago is home to Obama, Oprah and 'oh so good' deep dish pizzas but what about its green scene? Here are five impressive green places to get you started.

Shop at Pivot (pictured above)
After you've sat in the audience for a taping of Oprah (we should all be so lucky) and then checked out the Oprah store, why not walk a few blocks to Pivot and shop for some sublime eco fashion? Pivot is 'Chicago's first boutique devoted to eco-fashion' and their stylish, CFL lit, zero-VOC painted store has every popular eco label a girl could wish for: Mociun, Del Forte, Ecoganik, She Bible, Toggery, Kate Organic and of course, Chicago based designer, Lara Miller. Pivot often hold events in store which is great news for any local green girls but for those girls not lucky enough to live in Chicago, you can still purchase Pivot's chic pieces through their online store. Want more good news? It's currently sale time at Pivot and they are offering a whopping 40-70% off items in store and 50% off online purchases (until July 24th). Just visit their website to nab the special discount code.

1101 W. Fulton Market, Chicago, IL, 60607
Pivot Boutique




Eat at Green Zebra
This vegetarian-friendly restaurant is located in West Town and offers a slick and sophisticated menu featuring tempting taste bud delights such as Roasted Parsnip Ravioli, Foraged Mushroom Dumplings, Miso Risotto and equally scrumptious desserts. In fact ever since reading the description of their Vegan Chocolate Cake with crispy peanut butter, banana sorbet and salted caramel, I have not been able to think of anything else!

1460 West Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL, 60642
Green Zebra




Shop for little ones at Green Genes
This adorable store is relatively new to Chicago (it opened in March 2008) but their carefully selected range of eco-friendly products for 'children and their grown-ups too' will excite both locals and tourists alike. Not only do owners Heather and Christina aim to fill their store with organic and eco-friendly products but they even made sure their store interior adopted a similar eco conscious philosophy by using bamboo counters, low VOC paints and packaging from biodegradable materials. Look out for their online shopping site coming soon.

5111 North Clark St, Chicago, IL, 606040
Green Genes




Eat at Karyn's Fresh Corner Cafe and Raw Vegan Gourmet Restaurant
Karyn Calabrese is making it oh so easy to live a healthy life in Chicago with her two restaurants, holistic day spa and weekly meal program! At the North Halsted location you will find a Raw Salad Bar, Fresh Juice Bar offering exotic smoothies such as the 'Really Rare and Raw' smoothie made with 'nutmilk, dates, banana and vanilla' and raw, vegan desserts like strawberry cake and lemon squares. Yum, yum, yum! The Raw Vegan Gourmet restaurant serves an eclectic menu from pad thai to tamales of corn husks filled with organic masa and other wondrous delights! There is also a store and an Inner Beauty Center on site.
1901 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL, 60614

Karyn's Cooked - Conscious Comfort Foods
Vegans need their comfort food as well, so this is the perfect stop for anyone seeking a delicious alternative to the raw food offered at the Raw Vegan Gourmet restaurant. Here you will be served wonderful brunches of banana french toast or lunch and dinner dishes like vegan pizzas, enchiladas and burgers!

738 N Wells St, Chicago, IL
Karyn Raw




Shop fair trade at the Greenheart Shop
Shopping for an array of products under one roof is bliss but what about when all the products are fair trade? A green girl's heaven! Greenheart is Chicago's 'only nonprofit eco friendly, fair trade store' and you can happily, rest assured all the wonderful products lining the shelves come from artisans who have been paid 'fair living wages'. Greenheart has a treasure trove of items for everyone and every occasion. It is the ideal place to purchase gifts that are both ethical and aesthetical for your family, friends or you (choose from clothing, homewares, beauty, food - it's all here). They even stock my favourite eco bag brands, English Retreads and Mar y Sol, formerly known as Mad Imports. The store has recently moved into larger premises (1911 W. Division) proving the demand for green is growing in major cities like Chicago.

1911 W. Division
Greenheart Shop (online shopping is available through their website).

Love Walking Through Your Front Door

I went onto Nate Berkus' website yesterday to look for photos of his West Village apartment for inspiration for Black gloss trim, his turned out to be blue-black. Anyway, while there I stumbled onto his portfolio for his interior design firm, Nate Berkus Associates, and all I could think was wow! When you think of Nate Berkus, you immediately think of him making over tired and sad spaces for maximum impact on The Oprah Show but what I saw was simple yet elegant, refined yet comfortable and sophisticated but not stuffy.


My litmus test of a great interior designer is if I could see myself moving into their finished design and being completely at home without making any changes and Nate Berkus passed my test. One of the quotes says, love walking through your front door and I would love to walk through the front door of any of his designs.

This photo above is one of my favorites. I wish I knew where all the homes were located but to me, this is the perfect look for a more sophisticated beach house. Not every weekend getaway home needs to be super casual, especially if that's not the way you usually live your life.

This is a detail from the room above and I am in love with those chairs. I wish I could find something similar at the flea market so I could upholster it in a similar fabric.

I think one of the reasons that I'm drawn to Nate's work is that he doesn't seem to use a lot of bright colors or patterns. It's funny that I love looking at fun prints and crazy patterns but in my own home, I like calm and soothing tones. I think it's one of the results of living in a crazy city. When you come home, you want a sanctuary of peace.

Nate may not use a lot of pattern but he does use a lot of great textures and color combinations. There are a lot of colors in the room above but it's still harmonious and soothing.

Great artwork also seems to be a Nate Berkus hallmark. Who knows if he or his clients picked it out, it all seems to flow beautifully into his designs. I love the gallery walls he creates.

The porcelain Nymphenburg rhino on the mantel above looks like the one Nate has on his desk in his New York apartment. I wonder if it's a coincidence or if they borrowed it for the photo shoot.

When you think of beige, you usually think boring but there is nothing boring about the room above. Again, it's the use of textures and tones that keeps it interesting.

The bedroom above and the bathroom below I think are from a private home but they have the look of a fine French hotel like the Ritz in Paris. That bed is to die for and so is the chandelier above the bathtub. Amazing!

And if his great designs and friendship with Oprah weren't reason enough to want to hate Nate, he's also dating the hottest shoe designer around, Brian Atwood. Brian not only designs his own eponymous line but he was also just tapped to turn around Bally, and if anyone can do it, he can. Talk about a designing duo. I look forward to seeing what these two have up their sleeves next!

Chic in Chicago

Thanks to a recommendation from Decorno, I checked out the wonderful blog Brown Turtleneck Sweater who recently profiled the assistants to Nate Berkus. The duo were featured in the new issue of Chicago Home + Garden which led me to the website where that story wasn't up yet but where I did find the super chic Chicago condo of architect David Ries.

David reconfigured the walls as any architect would be want to do and opened the space up to give it a more expansive feel and a view of the lake and Wrigley Field.

The article touts the condo as a small space but compared to New York standards, it's practically a McMansion. I think the best part is the "white space" that gives your eye a place to rest. Judicious editing is the hardest thing to get right in interior design and it's something I'm struggling with right now in my shoebox sized apartment since I have a penchant for collecting.

Lying in bed at night, Ries’s view is of a painting in the living room, “Three Seeds,” by Chicago artist Jenny Miller, a friend. I wish more people took the time to think things through like Reis and how sight lines should be integrated into their design.

"A lover of flea markets, Ries found this painting at the Chicago Antique Market on Randolph Street. Because the canvas is a standard size, he was able to find a perfect frame on the cheap in Artists’ Frame Service’s clearance department." His tablescape reminds me of those of Ron Marvin and are just as perfectly composed.

David reconfigured the apartment so that the living room opens onto the bedroom with French doors, he made two small spaces feel like one big one.

The antique scooter on the kitchen wall can serve as a shelf and adds a bit of whimsy. When extra seating isn’t needed a chair becomes a plant stand and the grasscloth looking wallpaper creates another focal point and defines the kitchen/dining area.

Inexpensively framed mirrors make real impact when hung in a grid pattern above a rustic dining table the folds down to conserve space and out to accommodate a large dinner party.

I love this condo because it's not too cluttered and looks like it would appeal to men and women. I hope Small Spaces, Big Style finds David Reis soon because he certainly has created great style in a so-called small space. And he definitely makes me want to find a bigger apartment soon!

Oh, and kudos to Chicago Home + Garden for their great website. I will definitely be adding them to my list of chic websites and you should too!

Rare Find Indeed

Jayson Home and Garden

1885 North Clybourn

Chicago, IL 60614

I happened to stumble upon Jayson Home and Garden today and boy was I impressed. They are based in Chicago but they also have an amazing assortment of furniture, accessories and even flowers available on their website. Definitely check out the rare finds section! Even if I don't have access to a store for geographic or financial reasons, I still love checking them out for inspiration and you should too!