The latest issue of Rue (an online shelter magazine) is charming me with two hundred and ninety-seven pages of gorgeous images accented with just the right amount of thoughtful text. A feature on Angela Stone’s Chicago home (page 277) is utter perfection. The aesthetic of the space is Farmhouse Modern; Adrienne Murrill described it with eloquence, “It’s the juxtaposition of storied, character-rich pieces with minimal urban elements.”
I love the idea of carefully curating each piece in your home. As the feature in Rue boldly asked, “Why not bring a little more story and individuality into our homes? Why not know who made the dining table you share so many memories at or the bedside table you wake up next to?”
Ms. Stone is a curator for the Chicago-based design collaborative Hinge. “The goal is to give people an easy alternative to the mass-produced big box design stores that have become second nature to many people,” Angela said. “The Hinge aesthetic is very much centered on seeing the beauty in what is commonly discarded or overlooked.”
I fell in love with Hinge the moment I read this on the website:
“It is our need to connect that makes us tick and our innate desire to link our past to our present that makes us human. Hinge is a design community of local Chicago artists, furniture designers and antique dealers. We are inspired by our surroundings and the places life takes us. In each piece created our purpose is to tell the untold story.
At Hinge, we like our furniture with a little soul, from unadorned farmhouse antiques, to sleek vintage pieces and sustainable custom furniture.
Nothing about you echoes mass produced or generic. Why should your home?”
Now that you undoubtedly love Rue and Hinge – pay them a visit!
Live in Chicago? Visiting the windy city? Don’t miss a great list of Angela’s favorite local resources in Rue (page 291).
(Original story by Adrienne Murrill for Rue. Photography by Emily Johnston Anderson for Rue.)