May 2015 – Unison

Black Is the New Black

May 20, 2015Libby CortezDesigner's Eye

Modern design is all about meaning. It’s where aesthetics meet implications, where the ultra-chic collides with the culture it inhabits.

Take the latest color trend we’ve been watching (and embracing) since early this year: black. More dynamic and moody than the sugary tones of recent years, black has suddenly taken the interior world by storm.

But why the dramatic turn toward this bold-and-dark classic? Perhaps it’s a reflection of our global situation—of the tensions, conflicts, and disasters that seem to define our world more each day. Or perhaps it’s a reaction to all this—a deeper, richer, and more comforting palette to shelter a home’s inhabitants from the fast-evolving complexities of our time.

Whatever your reason for choosing black this season, you can amp up the safe-haven ambiance in myriad ways: black hard goods, walls, tables, chairs, shelves, and kitchen fittings; black or dark-toned soft furniture, textiles, and rugs; and heavy-textured materials like velvet, plush, wool, and suede to compliment black’s weight.

The result: a deeper visual presentation that brings tough and cool together for a dramatic punch.

For starters, try revving up your white-hot summer with some of our best suggestions for beautiful black:

Antique-French-Mantle-and-Accessories-at-Ashley-&-Sloane

The People in Our Neighborhood: Ashley & Sloane

May 19, 2015May 26, 2015Libby CortezPeople

We recently kicked off a series of posts featuring the awesome talents in our design-centric corner of Chicago. It’s been great to hear from our neighbors about why they love this area and adore what they do.

Next up: Betsy Karp, the impeccable eye behind Ashley & Sloane. We recently caught up with this globe-trotter on the phone, while she walked the drippy streets of Paris, France and shared some insights into her importing business.

Unison: Tell us about Ashley & Sloane

Karp: As an importer, I make frequent trips to France and bring back shipments of antiques and French classic design furniture. Everything from armoires—which are as great for décor as they are practical for storing your linens—to tables, bistro chairs, outdoor furniture, you name it.

I also bring in modern French pieces, keeping up-to-date with the contemporary pieces that can work with a mixture and a blend of antiques. I’m really a minimalist in my own way. It’s about how all of it can work together.

Unison: What are your thoughts on Chicago’s design community?

Karp: The design community in Chicago is centered in the warehouse areas. In West Town, where our building is located, we have a variety of people manufacturing, doing restoration, etc. Obviously, modern design is very important.

Unison: And what kind of an impact has your location had on your business?

Karp: The beauty of this area is that the designers who are in the city can come see what I’m unloading and sorting. I meet people by appointment there—especially city designers. And it’s wonderful to have the loading doc down there, to be able to unload the whole shipment and have it all there for anyone who wants to see it.

I also love the building itself. The location is easy to get to. I come from the north suburbs of Chicago—as do many designers who come to see my pieces—and we can get to this spot with great ease.

But best of all, it’s been an incubator building, because many businesses have started and grown from there. It’s a place that gives you wings—that nurtures you in starting a business. That’s the beauty of it. It’s a place where people can come and see new, growing, developing businesses—from artists to woodworkers to established businesses like Ashley & Sloane or Unison.

The environment is great, too. I have the luxury of space and of setting up a show room there. The natural light that comes in is wonderful for my pieces. And the white floors and walls—wonderful for what I’m doing.

If you can’t make it to their Chicago showroom at 2010 W Fulton St you can also shop a selection of Ashley & Sloane at Anna’s in Highwood. For their main warehouse and showroom please visit:

Ashley & Sloane

Libertyville, IL

847-951-1803

Behind the Scenes at Garfield Park Conservatory

May 15, 2015February 5, 2018Alicia RosauerMaking Modern

Here in Chicago, Garfield Park Conservatory is one our few respites from the long, cold winters (besides Lincoln Park Conservatory – and, of course, just heading south for a while).

Garfield Park Conservatory was designed by Jens Jensen in 1908 and went through a traumatic remodel after a huge hail storm destroyed a lot of the windows.

Many of the plants there are as old as the building. It’s become quite the treasure.

And since they are open to photo shoots, the conservatory trees and plants became the backyard scenery for our summer collection. The traditional Moroccan fountain is also amazing and set the backdrop for our new water buckets.

Take a look:

Travel Diary: How We Spent Spring Break

May 12, 2015Alicia RosauerPeople

Working in the Unison studio and office every day is so inspiring and fun. But we couldn’t pass up the chance to duck out for a week over spring break this year. The idea of warmer temperatures and new scenery (besides snow!) sounded really good after a long Chicago winter.

Our Founder/Designer Alicia Rosauer and Marketing Manager Daisy Hoeft packed their all-weather bags and headed out to Florida and Tennessee, respectively. They were so excited about their trips that they shared some vacation pics here. Scroll down to check them out.

Alicia’s Trip: Hobe Sound, Florida

The Sunshine State delivered on its promise. There was lots of sun and fun for Alicia, her husband Robert Segal (Unison’s other founder), and their two daughters.

springbk4 — A soft sand beach gave views as far as the eye could see of the crystal waters of Saint Lucie Inlet.

springbk3 — Modernism follows Alicia and Robert wherever they go! Here is a cool shot of The Kimpton hotel in Palm Beach — a Cubist gem with spotless glass reflecting the palm trees.

springbk_2 — Back at the beach! (How could they possibly stay away?)

springbk_1 — Spring break is all about simple pleasures. So taking advantage of those cool ocean breezes to fly a kite was definitely in order.

Daisy’s Trip: Knoxville, Tennessee

Daisy and her travel mates had never spent much time in Tennessee and really wanted to get a taste of the culture and meet the people.

20150322_165800 — An excursion to “The Lost Sea Adventure” near Knoxville was “amazing,” says Daisy. “We hiked down 14 stories and learned about stalagmites and stalactites and how the Native Americans used the caves as shelter from the colder months and as burial grounds.” At the end of the cave, they boarded a boat and took a picturesque tour around the lake.

20150326_124720 — A hike through Great Smoky Mountains National Park was on their bucket list — and it was beautiful!

Quiet roads and tunnels dug out of the sloping forest were welcome changes from the Kennedy Expressway.

What could be a John Constable painting was the real-life view Daisy enjoyed while traveling the mountainous outskirts of Knoxville.

What did YOU do over spring break? Tell us in the Comments!

Mother’s Day in Unison

May 7, 2015May 8, 2015Libby CortezPeople

Fact: a staggering 2/3 of those celebrating Mother’s Day will gift Mom with a flower or plant, spending $2.3 billion dollars on stems for mom.

Of course, we have nothing against flowers. (In fact, we love them – and we love helping you decorate your home with them.) But in case you’re looking to step away from the majority and get a bit more creative with your mommy plans this year, we’ve got some inspiration for you.

Turns out, some of the folks on our very own Unison team have great traditions and stories from Mother’s Days passed. Check it out and steal for yourself:

Alicia Rosauer, Owner / Designer

Most every year, we have a Mother’s Day brunch with the grandparents included. Then, later in the day, we take the kids to the Chicago Botanic Garden. It’s always at its peak with flowers and trees bursting out, and the kids love the fountains the best!

Erin Madden, Customer & Sales Manager

I have been lucky to celebrate Mother’s Day with my mom and my mother-in-law every year. We always have brunch with my mom, and it’s a great way to start the day. We switch off making brunch at my parents’ house or going out to eat. Mom’s pick!

From there, we head to my in-laws for dinner and do it all over again. My husband and his 5 brothers are in charge of the menu, so we (my mother-in-law and 5 sisters-in-law) get to sit back and relax…for a moment.

Daisy Hoeft, Marketing Manager

We celebrate Mother’s Day differently every year. This Sunday, my family is so excited to be headed to the United Center for game 4 of the Chicago Bulls vs. Cleveland Cavaliers semifinal series! #SeeRed!

Mia Oetter, Store Manager

Every Mother’s Day, my boys Colin & Phoenix and their father take me out for brunch and shower me with gifts ranging from homemade artwork to care packages. My favorite tradition is when the boys pick out cards and add their own personal sense of humor to it. One of my favorite gifts were these letter pressed “stop talking” cards to hand out to my kids when I needed some quiet time. The boys found the gift to be perfect and hilarious, I found it to be quite useful 😉

Caitlin Ragan, Marketing Coordinator

Well, I’ll speak frankly: my family has never celebrated Mother’s Day the same way every year. For about 6 or 7 years now, my sister and I haven’t lived near my mom – so it’s been a lot of heartfelt cards, Skype calls from vastly different time zones, and flowers sent to her office.

So though we haven’t established a true Mother’s Day tradition, I can say that my sister and I have never had a better friend than my mom, and we celebrate that every day with calls, silly texts, and even a private mother-daughter blog to document our favorite conversations together. So cheers to my mum. She’s very loved!

#ThirstyThursdays With Rhinehall

May 7, 2015February 5, 2018UnisonGet Inspired

We teamed up with neighbor and local distillery, Rhine Hall to bring you a delicious #ThirstyThursday drink!

Rhine Hall’s G+G (see recipe below)

rhinehall-gg — Toyo Clear Medium Tumbler, $4-6

1.5 oz Rhinehall Grappa

13 oz Ginger ale

5 drops vanilla bourbon bitters

Lime for garnish

Ceviche Celebration: A Recipe for Cinco de Mayo

May 5, 2015April 17, 2017Libby CortezGet Inspired, Recipes

We love that Americans have embraced Cinco de Mayo as a celebration of Mexican culture and heritage. After all, there’s a lot to love about the vibrant hues, foods, and fun of our sister to the south.

This year, to get ourselves in the mood, we whipped up a batch of Ceviche Estilo Sinaloa from Mexico: The Cookbook. This version of the old world South American dish hails from the Sinaloa region, also known as the “breadbasket of Mexico” due to its widespread agricultural production.

But with or without the carbs, this little number is worth your time & effort. Simple to make and fresh on the palette, it’s sure to be a crow pleaser, no matter your crew.

Ceviche Estilo Sinaloa

– 1 1/2 pound / 700 g red snapper fillets, skinned and diced
– juice of 8 limes
– 2 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
– 3/4 white onion, finely chopped
– 1 large cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
– 3 pickled jalapeño chiles, membranes and seeds removed and finely chopped
– 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (coriander)
– sea salt and pepper
– extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
– tostadas, to serve
– 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced, to serve

Put the fish into a bowl, add the lime juice, and let marinate in the refrigerator for about 3 hours or until the flesh changes color without losing its texture. Drain off the liquid.

Combine the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and chiles in another bowl and season with salt and pepper. Gently fold in the cilantro (coriander) and fish and drizzle with olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.

Serve on tostadas covered with sliced avocados.