-
Windy City: Michael Thompson’s Kites Soar in Chicago Homes by Laurel Feldman & Lauren Coburn
We cherish our global community of designers and artists, but we’re not immune to hometown pride. When two notable Chicago interior designers both gravitate toward one of our favorite Chicago artists – and select his work for their clients’ outstanding homes in Chicago — it showcases the local design alchemy that we’ve cherished since PAGODA […]
-
Hints of History: Alice Benjamin & Andrea Schumacher Make What’s Old New Again
Infusing soul and depth to a space—be it in a contemporary or vintage home—is a top priority for many of our favorite designers. This is where antiquities play a pivotal role, making a home feel collected, thoughtful and, perhaps most importantly, deeply personal. The delicate craftsmanship of Qing dynasty Chinese latticework and vernacular furniture adds […]
-
PAGODA RED at Pembroke Lodge: The 2025 Lake Forest Showhouse & Gardens
The Lake Forest Showhouse and Gardens is one of our favorite Chicago design events. The legendary, biennial event has been a premier fundraiser for The Infant Welfare Society of Chicago for over two decades, and each and every showhouse is brimming with artistry and inspiration. This year’s featured house is Pembroke Lodge, a 3.5 acre […]
-
Kintsugi, Ju Ci, & the Art of Repair
The Japanese arts of kintsugi and sashiko have permeated pop culture and fashion, from the kintsugi repairs on Kylo Ren’s helmet in The Last Skywalker in to the sashiko patches on Y3 sneakers and Valentino jeans. Their beauty is the obvious draw, but the philosophy behind these arts also resonates. After all, kintsugi, sashiko, and […]
-
Moon Garden Magic with Jeanne Nolan
Jeanne Nolan of the The Organic Gardener is known for creating gardens that are as nurturing as they are beautiful. For Nolan, a home garden can be touchstone of daily life: a source of food and cut flowers, a place of meditation and play, and an endless source of creative inspiration. Like us, Nolan is […]
-
MK Pritzker at PAGODA RED: A Celebration of Illinois Design
In his introduction to A House That Made History, designer Michael Smith describes Governor JB Pritzker and First Lady MK Pritzker as a “dynamic and deeply engaging” couple. Their longtime friend is spot-on, as our community discovered with Mrs. Pritzker at PAGODA RED as she signed copies of her new book with Rizzoli. A House […]
-
PAGODA RED Essentials: Custom Waterfall Tables
If PAGODA RED was a fashion house, custom reclaimed wood waterfall tables would be our signature little black dress. Our clients and designers love them for the same reason black dresses endure — they’re effortless, chic, and can be dressed up or down depending on the space. Each table is designed in-house, crafted with 18th […]
-
Theories of Relativity: Erin Minckley Talks Textiles
“I could write a novel for each pattern,” Erin Minckley recently told us, in a conversation about Relativity Textiles, the standout wallpaper, fabric, and rug company she founded in 2015. It’s her unique approach to pattern design —philosophical, well-researched, and often political—that has helped Minckley grow Relativity from a Kickstarter campaign to a successful company […]
-
A Moment Worth Celebrating: Evan Millárd at the Lake Forest Showhouse
The 2023 Lake Forest Showhouse is a pop-up design wonderland, full of creative possibilities and inspiration. The lavish estate was originally designed by Walter Frazier in 1969 and has been updated and re-imagined by 33 interior designers and 8 landscape architects. Nashville-based designer Evan Millárd was one of several designers who worked with PAGODA RED to […]
-
Outside In: Stone Trough Sinks in a Mallorcan Getaway
At PAGODA RED, we gravitate toward natural materials, objects with history, and creative reuses—no surprise, then, that we love traditional stone troughs reimagined as sink basins. Over the years, we’ve worked with clients who have incorporated troughs as sink basins in sleek Chicago apartments to outdoor garden areas in rustic lake houses in California. The […]