Chicago Shops

DL Mullen, the female founder behind Semicolon, one of Chicago’s newest independently owned bookstores, has created a space where the library of titles is immense and the comfort is instant. An afternoon spent browsing books is a lesson in sensory pleasure, with rotating art on the walls, plenty of seating, and gorgeous decorative touches, like bright rugs and literary quotes. It’s the kind of spot where settling in with a stack is encouraged and questions are welcome. Mullen and her team provide thousands of donated books to Chicago public school students, and Mullen (who has a PhD in literary theory) is a seasoned pro at helping reluctant-to-read kids and young adults find books they won’t be able to put down. Images courtesy of Zach Caddy.

A former architect and auctioneer, respectively, Jared Peterson and Don Schmaltz partnered up to open one of Chicago’s best furniture showrooms in West Town. This is the kind of place where American, Scandinavian, and Italian mid-century modern designs attract interior designers and new home buyers from around the city. You’ll find Eames chairs, Arne Jacobsen flatware, and more obscure finds (there’s an Alvar Aalto tea trolley, for instance), but it’s a good idea to browse the website before making an appointment at the store: Some may not be ready in the showrooms, but a quick call or email ensures that whatever you’d like to see is brought from the warehouse to the shop for your perusal.

It's no secret that we're RH fans at goop HQ, but RH Chicago is really its own self-contained wonderland—you'll find a top-notch lunch spot, where you can choose to eat in the Grand Courtyard (a light-filled, extremely comfortable space that really lives up to its name), plus a more casual café with espresso and fresh-baked treats, and a glamorous wine vault and tasting room. Of course, there's also the stunning 70,000-square-foot display of RH furniture, which is art in itself. The best part: The gorgeous courtyard is shielded from the elements with a lofty glass and steel roof, which means you can revel in it even in the dead of winter—an experience that really can't be overstated.

This progressive, impeccably curated natural beauty boutique stocks a wide range (more than 100) of nontoxic brands from around the globe, including top skincare and makeup products from de Mamiel, Ilia, Kjaer Weis, Kypris, RMS, Tammy Fender, and our very own goop by Juice Beauty. The original shop debuted in 2015 in San Francisco and quickly gained a huge following. Sister locations have since opened in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and here in Chicago, where there is an exclusive Tata Harper spa, much like the other locations.

We’ve always been fans of Nordstrom, but now we have another big reason to stop by their Mag Mile outpost: From May 12th through June 25th, goop is setting up a shop-in-shop inside. We’ve assembled a wellness-centric edit of best-selling clean beauty products, workout gear, dinner-simplifying cooking tools, and so much more—including essentials from our own family of house lines: goop by Juice Beauty skincare, closet basics from goop Label, goop Wellness vitamin and supplement regimens, plus goop Fragrance edition 02—shiso, which is crafted from gorgeous, natural ingredients (without any of the typical toxins). You can find goop-in@Nordstrom (furnished by 1stdibs) in seven other cities—including LA, Seattle, Toronto, and Dallas, to name a few—plus a full expression online, through June 25.

With 30-plus years of experience, and three locations in the city, A New Leaf has become a Chicago mainstay florist. Their arrangements, many of which include gorgeous exotic flowers, are available for delivery or pick-up. This shop in the Loop is only open weekdays, but early (8am). The other two shops are both in Old Town and open seven days a week. A New Leaf also has an awesome event space in Old Town with an outdoor courtyard and open, airy interior with exposed brick and cool industrial details.

With 30-plus years of experience, and three locations in the city, A New Leaf has become a Chicago mainstay florist. Their arrangements, many of which include gorgeous exotic flowers, are available for delivery or pick-up. Next door to this shop is New Leaf's awesome event space, which has an outdoor courtyard and open, airy interior with exposed brick and cool industrial details. There's another location, also on North Wells, which is open seven days a week, and late, too. The third shop is in the Loop, and only open weekdays, but early (8am).

With 30-plus years of experience, and three locations in the city, A New Leaf has become a Chicago mainstay florist. Their arrangements, many of which include gorgeous exotic flowers, are available for delivery or pick-up. Conveniently, this location is open seven days a week, and until 8pm on weekdays. The other location on North Wells has an awesome event space next door with an outdoor courtyard and open, airy interior with exposed brick and cool industrial details. The third shop is in the Loop, and only open weekdays, but early (8am).

This beloved vintage furniture/décor/botany mecca was a major contributor to making the Chicago goop Pop the experience it was. Somewhat rare, Jayson Home designs floral arrangements that are as exceptional as their furnishings. Perusing the shop's bright space is always an inspiring experience, but you can also order flowers and plants from their online store for delivery in the Chicago area.

Located in Chicago's River North district, Fleur de Lis is run by two women—one with a background in fashion and window displays and the other in graphic arts. They deliver Monday through Friday, offer floral design classes, and host events in the shop's great atrium space. Fleur de Lis has a few packages that make for a pretty great gift (that gives more than once): a year in flowers (an arrangement delivered each month) and a season in flowers (four times a year). This is also a nice option for corporate events.