The first time I reached for a bottle of beer at a friend’s home in the traditional yet very stylish Cotswolds, I became obsessed with the fridge. They had an off-white masterpiece of high quality retro with all kinds of high polished chrome fittings. Whenever I happen to pay them a visit, my eyes always wander towards their kitchen to catch a glimpse. I admire the line of fridge designs as I would a 1956 Saab Sonett I sports car. Both are designed to please the aesthetic sensors in our brains while functioning as top notch machines. Form follows function but function doesn’t need to be ugly. The SMEG fridge is available in a multitude of colours and sizes. Most are on the smallish size in comparison to William Perry “The Fridge”, but who needs to store fifty boxes of frozen TV dinners? Fresh food is better for us anyhow. The retro chrome appliance also tends to travel from home to home just as a 52″ flat panel tv does. At least that’s what I hear.

SMEG makes a complete line of kitchen appliances to fit a stylish home of traditional or contemporary flavour. To buy SMEG Stateside, visit SMEG USA Inc.

Interesting article posted by re-nest abundant design for green homes.  I could see exceptional growth potential with this type of architecture considering the cost of scrap materials.  I’d find it satisfying to design a rather complimentary garden and outdoor room for such a property.

Ever wonder how container architecture works? Where do the containers come from, how are they modified and exactly how much do they cost? Well, we’re hoping to do a container house at our architecture firm, so earlier this week we headed to the south side of Chicago to Vaccaro Trucking, Inc., a container shipping, storage and modification company.

If you are looking for something to do this blustery December weekend, why not see the Nutcracker.  The Civic Ballet of Chicago will be performing at the Centre East in the North Shore Center for Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, IL.  The performances will be held on December 12-13 at 3pm. Tickets are $35.00 and can be purchased by calling 847.673.6300 or by clicking here.

Winter in the Chicago area can be expensive for a homeowner.  There are all kinds of commonsense ways to help on being efficient in a cold climate.  It’s not always easy to remember all the various ways to winterize, so here is a helpful link to refresh your memory.

There are healthy signs in the Chicagoland real estate market.  According to the Illinois Association of Realtors, pent-up demand and a tax credit drive, have pushed sales up 33.3% in the Chicago area, as of October ‘09.  Statewide, numbers are also up in the double digits, at 24.2%.  These are encouraging signs for sales that have been on the decline over the last couple years.  Between the record low interest rates offered on mortgages and the tax incentives, buyers are stepping off the curb to take advantage of the buyers market.  For more on this latest trend, click here.

Interested in seeing what’s available in Chicago or the North Shore?  Call or email Jason Hartong of Prudential Rubloff.  Tel. 1.847.512.2781 or email. jhartong@rubloff.com

The Evanston Symphony Orchestra will hold it’s holiday concert at Evanston Township High School auditorium, on December 6th 2009 at 3:00 pm. Located at 1600 Dodge Avenue in Evanston.

“An Evanston Symphony Christmas”, will showcase music selected by Director of Music, Lawrence Eckerling.  The selection will include, festive holiday carols, Winter from Vivaldi to Handel’s Messiah.  The chorus of 100 voices should be a joy to the auditory senses.  The concert attracts well over a thousand visitors annually.

Tickets are $23 for general admission and $10 for children.  There is special pricing available for families.  For more information, visit the Evanston Symphony website.  The event is sponsored by Romano Brothers & Co., an Evanston financial firm.

There are endless ways to add a little something, to spice up a bland living space.  New homes offer many desirable characteristics but many times lack anything to distinguish themselves, from the rest of the pack.  A great way to solve the cookie cutter syndrome is to buy antique salvage.  Anything from the kitchen sink to an ornate vintage mantel can be found and easily installed.

I’m rather fond of AGA stoves.  This native kitchen appliance of the British Isles, has a long history in cottages and country homes.  AGA cookers or as we call them in North America, stoves, have begun to emerge in stylish living spaces across the US.  Favoured for their sturdy construction and multitude of colour choices, they have a vintage look that lends well to the brands versitility in a modern dwelling.  Apart from being bought new, the older ones are very collectible.  For more about AGA stoves, visit aga-ranges.com

A great source for a vast range of antique salvage is, Salvage One.  The company is located in Chicago and carries everything from lighting fixtures to Victorian door knobs.  Plan to spend several hours there, as they have three full floors of showroom.  For further details, click here.

I’m finally back from a four month long trip to Africa.  Check in for exciting news from Chicago North Shore Home & Beyond.

Recently, I was interviewed by the Chicago Tribune for a story about the fall in property values. The market that sticks out like a sore thumb, is the upper-bracket multimillion $ homes dotting the shores of lake Michigan. I have seen property values in this sector plummet by nearly half their values from the market peak. Just a few years ago these homes were selling for top Dollar, with multiple offers as the wealthy had to find places to secure their investments.

Now, with the stock market and property having gone through major corrections, most potential buyers are finding it hard to come up with the cash to invest in property. Many have their capital tied into their own property and over the last couple years, many of the properties they own have lost significant value, making it hard to trade up the property ladder.

For more on this phenomenon, here’s a link to the Chicago Tribune.

The Fountain Square Arts Festival is one of Evanston’s top events of the Summer season. It runs from 6/27/09 to 6/28/09. The hours are from 10am to 6pm. It’s a free festival with an optional $5 donation.

Sunday’s weather is predicted to be pleasant with plenty of sun.  I can’t think of a better way to see a multitude of artists with fine art for sale.  I’d highly recommend having a look. For more details, click here.