And for good reason. The pickings are plentiful and easy to find locally, thanks to the area’s history and geography. In addition, there is plenty of space in this rambling city for dealers to set up shop for the large stashes of imported goods they snag.
Chicago’s roots make antiquing here intriguing. First came the immigrants from across the world, who settled here with family treasures and heirlooms that have been passed down through the generations. Then came the industrialists and entrepreneurs, who amassed remarkable collections of furniture, art, decorative accessories and jewelry. And then the innovations in architecture that originated here and made the city one of the most important design centers in the country also generated artifacts that would eventually be coveted by collectors.
Of course, plenty of collectors clamored for goods that couldn’t be found here, spurring Chicago’s dealers to scour European and Asian markets. Thanks to all these forces, Chicago’s antiques shops are well-stocked and well worth your own hunt. But perhaps best of all, given the more affordable nature of the Midwest, sources here are generally more economical than those on either coast, so it isn’t surprising to spot out-of-town dealers trolling the city’s stores for stock to resell in their own shops, or designers from other locales with clients in tow.
Here’s our select list of spots to get you started this summer.—Lisa Skolnik
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River North and Gold Coast
Evanstonia
120 W. Kinzie St., 312.222.0102
4555 N. Ravenswood, 773.907.0101
Kinzie: Monday – Friday 11 to 5; Saturday 11 to 4. Ravenswood: Monday – Saturday, 11 to 6.
evanstoniaantiques.com
Both these showrooms sport an astonishingly broad selection of traditional 19th- and early 20th-century furnishings and decorative accessories culled from Europe and America.
COUNT ON FINDING: Pieces from virtually every historical period represented in the 19th century, running the gamut from dignified sideboards and gracious dining tables to genteel writing desks and leggy dining chairs—all in styles such as Georgian, Colonial, Regency, Federal, Sheraton, Chippendale, Jacobean, Louis XV and more. They also all happen to be utterly pristine yet perfect for today’s lifestyles—despite the fact that most pieces date from the mid-1800s to late 1900s. That means table heights are perfect for their intended functions, and beds are queen or king-sized; these furnishings owe their dazzling perfection to the expert restoration services by European-trained craftsmen who are on staff here.
WHAT'S NEW? Stock is edging into the 20th-century; Art Deco, Arts & Crafts, Mission and mid-century pieces have recently been added to the mix. Best of all, they have also been restored to the same exacting standards as the rest of the stock.
Golden Triangle
330 N. Clark St., 312.755.1266
Monday – Friday 10 to 6; Thursday 10 to 7; Saturday 10 to 5
goldentriangle.biz
This 23,000-square-foot emporium has everything for those enamored of an Eastern aesthetic, from a significant selection of fine-antique Asian furnishings and accessories for purists to Asian-inspired contemporary pieces developed for 21st -century needs.
COUNT ON FINDING: This emporium, recently relocated from a few blocks away, that now sports two full-size authentic period houses built-out inside to highlight different furnishing collections (one has Chinese styling and the other a British Colonial aesthetic). There are also astonishingly comprehensive caches of stock in several arenas, including superbly restored period pieces of every ilk from Thailand, Burma, China and Tibet for purists; colonial furniture as well as the finely wrought 19th- and early 20th-century European pieces that inspired it for Modernists; and
custom cabinets for pragmatists that use reclaimed Chinese wood and are designed to meet 21st-century audiovisual needs.
WHAT’S NEW? Pieces that take gloriously ravaged slabs of wood salvaged from Thai rainforests or old British railroad tracks, such as a stash of rosewood ties that came from a rail system between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, are a specialty here. The creations play to the individual strengths of the wood, leaving some bare and polishing others, then pairing them with metal bases to forge idiosyncratic dining tables and desks or leaving them as is to become benches, tables or stools that stand on their own. During the last two weeks of August, visit an amazing sidewalk sale that slashes the prices on some pieces by as much as 70 percent.
Old Plank Antiques on Huron
3 E. Huron St., Third Floor, 312.981.7000
Monday – Saturday 11 to 5; Sunday by appointment
oldplankonhuron.com
Tucked away on the third floor of an historic graystone, this intimate shop sports a mix of goods from divergent periods.
COUNT ON FINDING: A little bit of everything here, culled from buying trips to out-of-the-way spots in the United States, Europe and South America. Items range from idiosyncratic to elegant, yet tend to be affordably priced. Find handsome dark wood tables and desks; Moderne serving carts from Argentina; French sideboards in
a variety of styles;
massive armoires harvested from European castles; mid-century occasional tables; and singular finds such as a handsome mahogany dining table with bookshelves for legs or an Art Deco vanity clad in smoked glass.
WHAT'S NEW? Recent shipments yielded clean-lined, leggy dining and occasional chairs from Argentina and France; muscular club chairs; a selection of 19th-century French gilt-framed mirrors; curvy glass-display cabinets; and gold-leafed vitrines.
Lincoln Park and Bucktown
Daniels Antiques
2062 N. Damen Ave., 773.276.9600
Tuesday – Saturday 11 to 6; Sunday 12 to 5, or by appointment
danielsantiques.net
This oft-used source for design mavens—from collectors and decorators to Hollywood set designers—has a new Bucktown home that sports a precious and novel mix of items that won’t disappoint.
COUNT ON FINDING: Furnishings, art and collectibles ranging from the late 18th century to the newly hot 1980s, but the mind-set here is “anything goes, as long as it’s great design,” says co-owner Daniel Popuch. Thanks to his discerning eye, only exceptional items make the floor. Find 20th-century Venetian mirrors that get frothier the older they are and lighting of every ilk, from drippy chandeliers to handsome lamps. But special pieces that come and go (and quite quickly, at that) can range from a courtly William and Mary oak library table or a stately mid–19th- century American secretary to cushy leather 1930s club chairs or a romantic bow-front chest. If you’re looking for something specific, ask. “You never know what’s in our warehouse,” Popuch adds.
WHAT’S NEW? Popuch’s latest finds include a respectable collection of framed 17th- and 18th-century maps of Asia; a matched pair of cerused oak chests from the 1950s by Chicago designer Sidney Simon; a muscular wrought- iron and bronze settee with a pair of matching chairs from the 1940s; and a cool little 1940s maple and aluminum watchmakers bench.
Pagoda Red
1714 N. Damen Ave., 773.235.1188;
902 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, 847.784.8881
Monday – Saturday, 10 to 6; Sunday, 12 to 5 on Damen Ave.
Tuesday – Saturday, 10 to 5 in Winnetka
pagodared.com
The uncommon reigns supreme at this spacious showroom for Asian antique furnishings, where idiosyncratic pieces are utilitarian and artifacts decoratively beguiling.
COUNT ON FINDING: The exquisitely restored, and unexpectedly singular, stock here is structurally sound, yet still
possesses some of its original wear and tear for character and depth. Find chunky rustic tables and stools from the 18th and 19th centuries, made of gnarled rootwood, and sporting the sort of gruff, organic aesthetic that makes them eternally stylish; large-scale cabinets with their beautifully weathered mirror-andglass exteriors intact; gracefully aged architectural fragments and artifacts that range from fireplace mantels and ornamental courtyard doors to latticework screens and ornately painted panels; dense reclaimed Chinese timbers that sport interesting patinas and are ready for reuse in contemporary projects; enormous Chinese inspiration stones to incorporate into new garden and building projects; and more.
WHAT'S NEW? At a time when prime Asian pieces are hard to find, this retailer has just unearthed a large collection of pristine 18th-century cabinets and chests from Shanxi province that has been locked away for almost two decades, with the original finishes and
fittings in impeccable condition.
Vintage Pine
904 W. Blackhawk St., 312.943.9303
Tuesday – Saturday, 10 to 5; Sunday, 12 to 5
vintagepine.com
The name belies the stock at this huge emporium, which actually features a phenomenal and broad selection of American and European furnishings of every ilk from 20 different dealers.
COUNT ON FINDING: An antique “mall” in a new class, with spacious, beautifully merchandised “booths” that are akin to tony individual boutiques. Namesake gallery Vintage Pine specializes in fine English and French antiques that range from formal to provincial. But there also is stock from locally acclaimed interior designers, such as Richard Abrahamson, whose R.J.A. boutique is a local favorite for its eclectic mix of American and European furnishings and oil paintings that reflect a “to-the-manor-born” aesthetic, and dealers including Brook James and Greenleaf Gallery, who both ply funky vintage items that embrace a shabby chic, farmhouse-sweet or primitive
aesthetic. Still others specialize in custom design and bespoke reproductions or feature totally new decorative home accessories to complement the antiques.
WHAT'S NEW? There are two new retailers on the first floor: C’est Moi, a boutique filled with French-inspired linens, rugs, cutlery and more; and Maremont Allen, an atelier for custom-made upholstery, window treatments and pillows that was formerly only open to-the-trade.
Wow & Zen
1912 N. Damen Ave., 773.269.2600
Tuesday – Wednesday 12 to 6, Thursday – Friday 12 to 7, Saturday 11 to 6, Sunday 12 to 4
wowandzen.com
With frequent shipments from Asia, owner RJ Seidel keeps his store filled with a well-edited inventory of antiques and collectibles that range between the years of 1850–1950 and Asian-inspired decorative accessories. All are at prices that attract wholesale buyers as well as retail.
COUNT ON FINDING: Jade and horsehair calligraphy brushes, lovely hand-painted Chinese document boxes, Tibetan trunks, old wooden window screens and lattice doors, wedding boxes, grain baskets and Buddhas as well as an assortment of fine country furniture from China and Mongolia.
WHAT'S NEW? Recently added to the mix are one-of-a-kind items from Burma and Thailand such as old ox cart ornaments, a four-foot-tall Singha and large handcarved teak horse heads.