American Storefront Chicago
“...along with its amazing neon and steel work of art that lords over the street corner. ”
An honor to small mom and pop shop Chicago Business who have withstood the test of time.
Long live the neighborhood appliance store. Cole's Appliance and Furniture was opened in 1946 on Lincoln Avenue in Northcenter. 74 years and 3 generations of the Krasney family later, it's still going strong ... along with its amazing neon and steel work of art that lords over the street corner.
Designer Ted Zahn with Studio Z pays tribute to Cole's with this illustrated portrait of the storefront and signage.
10% of the sale price of all Chicago items will be donated to the Chicago Community Covid-19 Response Fund.
“These independents and family businesses continue to provide our neighborhoods with character and a connection to history. ”
A tribute to the icons of Windy City streets ... and a little history lesson right on your wall! Designed in red and light blue to pay homage to the official flag of Chicago, this print honors classic Chicago storefronts like the Green Mill Lounge, Margie's Candies, and the Patio Theater. These independents and family businesses continue to provide our neighborhoods with character and a connection to history. Sadly, they're fading fast in the era of big boxes and gentrification. Designer and illustrator Ted Zahn draws detailed restorations of each, creating minimalist portraits that immortalize each storefront in a pristine state, painstakingly recreating architectural detail.
10% of the sale price of all Chicago items will be donated to the Chicago Community Covid-19 Response Fund.
How Small Shop Owners are Getting By During Coronavirus by Architectural Digest
Sharing this Great Article in Architectural Digest about our friends and partners over at Scout in Andersonville @Scoutdesign
Coronavirus Hasn’t Dampened the Spirits of These Design-Shop Owners
From FaceTime appointments to online sales, home-store owners nationwide are having to be more creative than ever to cope with COVID-19
“I get by with a little help from my friends.”
We are here for you!
The safety of our customers and community is our top priority. Our entire staff is taking the proper steps to be sure we are doing our part for you.
During this time, we are happy to consult & process all orders over the phone, 773-525-1797 or via email, kevin@shopcoles.com.
The Latest Kitchen Trend: Mixing Metals - GE Café Appliances
Gone are the days of matchy-matchy kitchen metals. Yes, it’s ok to mix metals in the kitchen—especially with hardware, lighting, fixtures, and appliances. Rules? There aren’t any hard and fast rules, but a few design suggestions will ensure you achieve balance and keep it from looking unintentional. Before you grab those brass candlesticks and that copper bowl, review our design tips to make your kitchen shine with your own personal style.
The Temperature of Your Palette
Are the base colors of your room warm, cool, or neutral? The metals you introduce into your kitchen can have a dramatic effect depending on the overall tone of your room. Think about the color temperature of your current kitchen space and what you may want to add to spice it up.
If you have a cool gray or blue kitchen with stainless appliances, a few gold or copper accents around the room can add needed warmth. Try adding brass light fixtures or change out your cabinet and appliance hardware with copper knobs. You’ll gain visual interest and balance out an otherwise seemingly cold room.
For a warm room with buttery yellows, adding brushed stainless appliance hardware and aluminum bar stools can cool it down and balance the kitchen space. A white neutral kitchen might need a mix of metals sprinkled across the room to create drama and visual appeal.
Photo by Carley Page Summers
Add Texture with Metal Accents
Metals can also bring in interesting depth and texture. Pewter and gunmetal drawer pulls and handles are understated, yet bring an aged feel to cabinetry. Pewter faucets are more matte, but have a more satin appearance. Bring in gunmetal light fixtures or other accents for a warmer, worn feel. These cooler, gray tones provide balance to warm kitchen colors. They also ground and lend visual substance to a lighter feeling, minimalist kitchen.
Choose a Dominant Metal
To keep your kitchen from looking overdone, choose a base or dominant metal first. Most likely, your cabinet and appliance hardware are in one set color. Add one or two other accent metals all around your kitchen. For example, if your room is filled with brass, adding one copper pitcher won’t cut it. Add several touches of copper in various places around the room so it looks intentional and well planned.
If your kitchen faucet is shiny stainless steel, you can even add some brushed metal pieces around. Play with metallic elements like picture frames, vases, spoon rests, and pendant lights in a variety of metals and with different textures. Just be sure to stick with one or two metals in addition to your dominant tone.
Bring in a Pop of Color with Metal
If your kitchen needs a punch of color, try adding a few bright, shiny metal accents around. Brass, copper, and shiny silver tone pieces can draw your eye to an area or just bring in a new color to a neutral room. Aged brass or copper with a patina can really bring in new colors, too. Mix shiny copper with some aged copper accents to keep the warmth but bring in interest.
Don’t be afraid of mixing it up. You don’t have to just consider your cabinet hardware when you want to try out a new metal accent in your kitchen. The Café Matte Collection allows you to customize your kitchen appliances with a choice of additional hardware colors. Choose from Brushed Bronze, Brushed Copper, Brushed Stainless, and Brushed Black handles and knobs to create your own personal kitchen style.
SALE! Going on Now!
The Best Slip Covers
They’re high style, versatile, and always fresh….slipcover sofas are having a real moment of glory in 2020. Slipcover sofas were once considered a bit old-fashioned, available only in limited options and rarely in contemporary styles. These days, many of the slipcovers on the market are chic and tailored, allowing sofas to be the superstar of any room. At Rowe, we prioritize fit and style to bring you the best-looking pieces on the market, and many of the sofas, chairs and even ottomans in the Rowe and Robin Bruce lines are available in slipcovers. Want to know the best options to suit your style? You know we’ve got you covered!
Top Reasons to Choose a Slipcover Sofa
Easy to Clean – For those who don’t want to sacrifice style even with kids and pets in the house, choose any look you want (hello, crisp white sofa) knowing that you can unzip the cover, throw it in the wash, and keep it looking its best. Slipcovers can be ideal for high traffic spaces like a family room in a busy home, or even a hospitality setting like a resort, hotel lobby or restaurant lounge.
Change, Change, Change – Have you rethought your style? Want to swap colors for the season? Purchasing a new slipcover is a lot easier than buying all new furniture. Likewise, if the unthinkable happens and your cover is ripped or otherwise damaged, it’s a lot easier to replace it than to have your sofa reupholstered or replaced.
Sleek and Chic – Gone are the lumpy, poorly-fitting slipcovers of the past. Today’s slipcovers fit like a well-tailored suit, hugging the curves and angles of a sofa in all the right places. Does your style run more to the casual end of the spectrum? A slightly looser cover (think perfectly drapey, not baggy or oversized) in a natural blend like linen or cotton can put a space at ease, making everything just a bit more easy & breezy.
Good to Go Green – A good slipcover (or even a series of slipcovers) increases durability and can extend the life of your sofa or chair dramatically, helping to keep large pieces of furniture in use for many, many years to come. Keeping what we have for longer is always a green choice!
Moreau Slipcover Sofa
The sleek lines, slightly flared arms and bench cushion seating of Moreau look perfect dressed in a slipcover, like a simple linen sundress on a summer day. Want to change with the seasons from linen to velvet? Swapping slipcovers is as easy as trying on a new dress!
Derby Slipcover Sectional Sofa
Family-friendly decor, meet chic uptown style. Derby combines the comfort and ease of a sectional sofa with a structured look and a slipcover that’s so tailored, you’ll never even guess it isn’t upholstered.
Nantucket Slipcover Three Cushion Sofa
Nothing says “take me to the beach” like crisp white paired with comfy cushions, so Nantucket is a natural favorite for coastal styles. When combined with a perfectly tailored but easily removable slipcover, life is just a bit more relaxed & breezy!
Laney Slipcover Sofa
Laney is a classic beauty whose transitional style makes it a versatile, family-friendly and attractive option for just about any look. Whether you choose a fresh (and easy to care for) white as seen here or something a bit more dramatic, Laney is sure to turn heads.
Design: The LifeStyled Co
Sylvie Bench Cushion Slipcover Sofa
Sylvie is one of our top sellers for a reason! This sofa is a streamlined and versatile beauty, looking crisp and lovely dressed in a slipcover for an organic-meets-modern style.