fun in Chicago!... some "not to miss" spots!

On a typical Springlike sunny day in Chicago, I had the great pleasure to head downtown with a friend!
Our destination, after a Cubs game at wonderful Wrigley Field, was North Clark Street!
If you ever visit Chicago, this area is a MUST for the vintage lover!

Our first stop was to one of my favorite shops in town, Brimfield.

Julie, the owner, named the store after her favorite tartan and you can see from the awnings outside the shop...

just what will delight you as you arrive inside. Julie has done everything in plaid, vintage blankets, skotch coolers, suitcases, pillows galore! This shop is a feast for the eyes!

As you enter, you are automatically drawn in as her walls are lined with vintage finds, some in their original condition and some upcycled.

Glassware glowing with tea lights, old books, leather furnishings, antique trunks, suitcases...

and a wall full of beautifully folded woolen blankets.

In the center of the shop is a full sized canoe filled to the brim with pillows, some made from burlap coffee bags, while others are signature "Hudson Bay"! Restaurantware and enamelware are stacked as high as the eye can see!


There is a wonderful back room as well.( unfortunately I didn't snap a photo of this room) it is kind of an outdoor room. The back of the shop is open air. I believe it was the old loading dock in the buildings previous life. Currently, it is filled with white painted furnishings, pastel accents and some artfully hand painted creations on canvas. Tall ladders abound and pretty coverlets are folded neatly to the sky! Garden pottery, chairs and birdbaths abound! I love how the outdoors is "in", in this room. It is a "painted furniture lovers" paradise!

Granny Square blankets are also in!
(I knew it, because I have been searching for them myself for the past several months!) Julie and her friendly staff have piled them high on yet another tall ladder! Oh how I wish I had 12 foot ceilings!

Since opening her doors last May, she has expanded to her "man shop" in the lower level of the store.

Cowboy boots, clever uses for vintage ties and belts and locker baskets and so much more...All are just a delight to behold!

I love the old battery lanterns and the plaid covered stools!

And, that wonderful piece on the wall behind the couch is to die for!

Her prices are surprisingly reasonable for a shop in Chicago. This shop is an inspiration to vintage lovers and sellers alike! Upcycling is her passion. You see it in the wonderful chairs that she reupholsters using vintage Swiss Army blankets. You will find (my phrase) "Scout Couture" throughout the shop! Lots of khaki and army accents too!
Julie specializes in custom work! She is a talented shop owner and a very kind soul!


You can follow them on twitter brimfieldchi and they are just getting their blog up and running as well! Their Website is http://brimfieldus.com/ for additional views of the shop! Brimfield‎ 5219 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60640-2101(773) 271-3501‎

Next door to Brimfield you will find a creatively curated shop called SCOUT. This shop is full of Vintage "Industrial Chic" pieces. The Shop owner has purchased some thermos' from Brimfield, next door, and has upcycled them into lamps! What a great look! You will find ingenious use of vintage maps and charts, old carts and tables that have that great industrial style. Makes me long for a loft in the city so that I could repurpose one of the tables into an island for a kitchen!

Adjacent to "Scout" is "White Attic".

A bright and colorful shop that specializes in Refinished vintage furniture and custom lamps.

You can pick up a fresh candle and admire the freshly painted finds!

There are other great shops in the area, many more to see including: Gethsemane Gardens

a tranquil spot featuring outdoor gifts as well as indoor home and garden decor!

The gardens are located just up the block from Brimfield.

About a block and a half south on Clark street you will find a shop called ROOST!!! This one was too much fun and this is about the time my camera "died":( This shop would be much like how I would set up a shop if I could!I wondered in the shop about 6:20 pm and the hours were til 6! The kind gent that was working was happy to have the company and didn't mind the late arrivals at all!I left about 6:45 and people were still entering and buying after that! A smart way to do business if you ask me! Roost 5634 North Clark StreetChicago, IL 60660 (773) 506-0406‎
So much to LOVE in the Chicago area and I am told that the Brown Elephant Shops are wonderful resale shops and are located in the area as well. for more information please check out the link about Andersonville! happy hunting! martha