Gray and yellow is such a modern, yet soft, color pairing. So hot right now.

The home-front (aka the area around Halsted and North in Lincoln Park*) just became a little more PLRG friendly with the opening of the city’s first West Elm store! Before now you had to hike up to the suburbs, or take your chances on an online purchase, but not anymore. This stylish, eco-conscious and wallet friendly retail furniture store should be a do-not-miss for all of you who love to decorate. Yesterday morning, we got a sneak peak tour of the new store and a chance to talk with West Elm execs.

Pinkish-purple and gray with black accents, mixed with fluffy pillows and mirrored pieces...our fave combo!

The color of the season that the design team at West Elm hope you embrace is yellow, and you will see it everywhere, from side tables, throw pillows and dinner wear. With all the grey (and white) weather we have been suffering through, not to mention the economy, it’s a nice change to embrace something so bright and energizing.

Keep your eyes peeled for a departure from their usual store layout/décor. There is definite attempt to mix materials and textures in their vignettes, as well as more installation art (think Anthropology). Currently, art from students at the Art Institute of Chicago hang throughout the store, which is a really great local addition.

So, the next time you are in desperate need for something new to spruce up your abode, or are just in the area, be sure to check out this new addition to Chicago’s design community!

West Elm Chicago
1000 West North Avenue (at Sheffield)
Chicago, IL 60622

(Katie Rogulski)

*PLRG Fun Fact- the new West Elm is located in the old Whole Foods space, which is conveniently located very near the new Whole Foods space (dubbed “the clubhouse” by team PLRG for their readily available free parking & internet, made-to-order burritos and alcohol). Um, when the weather warms up, we might just start camping out at this intersection.

Being a poor little rich girl sometimes means taking on a challenge in order to save some dough.

For example, when my friend and client, Steph, told me she wanted an upholstered headboard, but was on a tight budget, I decided that we could make one. I’m not particularly handy, but designers do it all the time on those design-on-a-dime TV shows and all the websites we checked advertised “chic and easy” instructions. So why couldn’t we build one?

If you have read my column before you know that I tell it to you straight. Was it fulfilling to see the end result of our labor? Hell yes. Would I do it again? Definitely. Was it a walk in the park? Nope.

As a designer, I do have an ace or two up my sleeve that really helped us complete this project. I have a good relationship with a great carpenter, Chris Favia, who took his Sunday to help us put together the wood framework for the headboard. I do not recommend attempting this project without someone who has access to and is comfortable with saws, drills, etc. I also have a friend who is going to school for fashion and owns an industrial sewing machine. Special thanks to Teddy Schellenbach for helping us sew together our fabric. Matching the pattern would have taken me HOURS.

Even with all this help, Steph and I unintentionally (although it should have been pretty obvious) made things a bit harder for ourselves by choosing a curved design, which required more material and carpentry. To simplify this process, choose a rectangular design. Secondly, due to her 12′ high ceiling in the bedroom we chose to build a 6′ tall headboard, which looks AMAZING, but ended up proving difficult to haul around, even in an SUV. Unless you have unusually tall ceilings, like Steph, I recommend you make a shorter headboard. I make these mistakes so that you don’t have to!

Upholstered headboards are really en vogue and are an amazing way to glamorize your bedroom. Below are the directions we followed and the pictures we took so that you too can build one (without sugar coating the gritty details).

Materials:
two 1/2″ sheet of medium-density fiberboard (MDF)
batting, fabric and decorative trim
tempered hardboard (bendable board)
2×4s
staple gun (we got away with just using nails)
drill and wood screws
table saw or circular saw
measuring tape
miter saw
jig saw

1. Tip #1: You need to bring an SUV or truck to the hardware store. Tip #2: Have the hardware store cut the 2×4s into:
For the top of the frame:
two at 13-1/2” long
two at 10” long
two at 5” long
one at 30” long
one a 60” long
For the bottom of the frame:
Six at 60” long

2. Build the top of the frame as follows:

3. Build the bottom frame as follows:

4. Attach the bottom and the top frame together

5. Lay the MDF on the top of the framework and with a pencil outline the curves on the top of the headboard. Then with a saw cut along those lines so that the MDF matches (fits the exact size of) the headboard. When completed, attach the MDF to the framework.

HINT: This is where we got into a problem. Even though we had an SUV, this thing was so freakishly large that we had to chop the headboard into two pieces, in a jig-saw like way, and then reattach them on-site. Unless this MAJOR extra step sounds like fun to you, build a smaller headboard.

6. Attach the batting to the entire MDF covered side of the headboard, and the sides and top of the framework. I recommend using something rather thick, at least 1.5 inches, because that is what your head will be hitting when you are in bed. A staple gun will work, but we used nails.

7. If you want to add depth to your headboard, like we did, we added extra batting along the edges. We used slightly less thick batting for this part because it is easier to handle.

8. Steph and I also made our lives harder by choosing a fabric with a pattern. Sewing the fabric together so that we did not break the pattern was VERY TEDIOUS! (Thankfully, we pawned this part off to an expert). Cover the batting in fabric and attach it with either the staple gun or nails. Hide your nails/staples in the framework on the back and at the edges where you placed the extra batting.

9. To hide where you placed the staples or nails use a fabric glue to attach a decorative trim.

10. Attach the headboard to your bed and admire your 2 full days of work (not kidding)!

Katie Rogulski is our go-to gal for all things design, from choosing a paint color to installing a light fixture. Send her all of your design questions and comments and she’ll will do her best to help you design a fabulous pad without breaking the bank! Katie@PoorLittleRichGirls.com

"Shop" is tucked away on Armitage.

Every now and then I drive by a store with no visible sign or curb appeal and I can’t help it- I need to know what it is. Curiosity finally motivated me to stop into what I thought was a temporary warehouse sale, but turned out to be much more. Millionaire Rejects (soon to be called “Shop”) is tucked away on Armitage (at Sheffield, in the old Salon 1800 space). It is, get this, a consignment boutique for high-end decorative furniture and household items. I love this concept and it is beyond timely in this economic climate. Think about it- there are dozens of clothing consignment shops in Chicago but, woe is me, what can the wealthy do with their beautiful, pricey furniture when it’s once again time to remodel? Answer: sell it to me and all the other PoorLittleRichGirls!

Owner, Carol Brody, is a modern-day (ethical) Robin Hood of sorts. She consigns from the rich and sells to the poor for a great price. The store is stocked with marvelous buried treasures, large and small. Items range from decorative mirrors and blown glass to high-end signature armoires and one-of-a-kind signature pieces.

(Shop) Millionaire Rejects
1009 W Armitage Ave
Chicago IL 60614
312.479.4143

(Article written by, Pam Sherman, founder of Chicago Anytime Assistants, a flexible ‘anytime-you-need-it’ personal assistant service for the busy Chicagoan. She is constantly hunting down deals and sales for her clients and is now sharing them with PoorLittleRichGirls as a contributor.)

Katie Rogulski and I hit the streets last weekend to find out where all the great furniture/home accessory sales were happening. If you’re looking to redecorate you entire apartment, or just spruce it up a bit for spring, then check out the steep discounts at these stylish stores:

Kreiss (415 N. LaSalle)
Moving Sale; Up to 70% off select showroom samples
Kreiss is known for it’s bold, unexpected combinations of fabrics, textures, finishes and accessories. Check it out for deals on everything from furniture to lighting. Oh, and we won’t lie, the sample sale prices might still be a bit steep. But, depending on what kind of a piece you are looking for (say a sturdy bed frame built to last for years to come) quality is key and getting it on sale helps put the item in a PLRG’s reach.

Cambium (113-119 W. Hubbard)
Display/Floor Sample Sale; 20-50% off select display/floor items
Cambium seeks to provide clients with design that is unique, creative, but also functional. During this sale you can score not only furniture at great prices (counter stools for $198, down from $305), but entire kitchens! Homeowners- whether you’re looking to sell your place for top dollar (even in this economy) or just want a refresh, they have kitchen cabinets, islands, the whole works for half the price. If we were remodeling a kitchen, we’d pick the Alder wood kitchen with inset doors and blue steel frame and leg construction (the whole shebang is just $16,530, down from $39,000, pictured).

PA Larkin (118 W. Kinzie)
Floor Sample Sale; 20-50% off select items
P.A. Larkin offers a line of timeless Asian furniture including dining tables, chairs and benches, stools, chests, tv stands, screens and more. They are well known for their custom pieces where you can pick everything from the dimensions, to the wood, to the hardware. And, while the floor sample pieces may not have been customized just for you, the pieces are still made by fifth-generation craftsmen using ancient methods. Meaning each piece is 100% wood and uses no glue or nails in it’s construction.

Sultan Oriental Rug (300 W. Grand Ave. #100)
Sale; Up to 80% off select items
Sultan specializes in handmade floor coverings from the Middle East and Asia. Most of the rugs are new and designs include everything from contemporary to traditional (though this store leans towards the latter more than the next listing). Small rugs can start around $75 and go all the way up to $10,000 for a large rug, depending where the rug is imported from.

Al-Sahara Oriental Rugs Ltd. (301 W. Grand Ave.)
Sale; 80% off select items
Al-Sahara also carries rugs imported from the Middle East and Asia, but if you’re taste is more on the contemporary side, we think this floor covering mecca will be more to your liking. In fact, we saw a zebra print rug there that would be fantastic in an eclectic room with graphic colors, like this!

Design Inc. (1359 W. Grand Ave.)
Moving Sale; 20-50% off select items
If you are in the market for something different and unique, look no further than Design Inc. Most all of the pieces are one of kind (the owner tells us about 98% of the artwork is original) and all are custom designed by talented artists and manufacturers. They carry just about anything you might want, textiles, lighting, furniture, sculpture and even gifts and accessories. Note- PLRG always recommends stocking up on giftable items when they are on sale. You’ll always be prepared, but will never have to pay full price!

Euro Furniture (2145 W. Grand Ave.)
Spring Clearance Sale; 10-50% off select items
Euro offers the largest selection of Modern Classic and Contemporary products, accompanied by thousands of items in inventory available for immediate shipment. An authorized retailer of brands like Kartell, Blu Dot and Della Robia, this store has serious contemporary clout.  Some of our favorite sale items include the La Palma Log Stool, $200 (down from $399.99) and the PoppyStar Stackable Chair, $149.99 (pictured right, down from $169.99), which makes for great outdoor seating.

(Katie Rogulski & Lacey Brenly)