Bright Idea
Sepia, a new loop restaurant, updates traditional by adding a touch of contemporary
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recent visit to the new Loop restaurant Sepia had us craning our necks, and it wasn't just to see what the person at the next table had ordered. We were inspecting the lighting designed by Gary Lee Partners. Mirroring the chef's traditional-with-a-modern-twist menu, Lee updated the classic chandelier by adding a contemporary shade. Turns out this is something you can try at home. Lee suggests using wire to attach a regular lampshade (they used a Moooi shade with a 27 1/2-inch diameter from twentieth.net) to any chandelier from New Metal Crafts, 812 N. Wells St., 312-787-6991. Not up for a D.I.Y. project? The Mylar-enclosed Clare chandelier, $995, at Jayson Home Garden, 1885 N. Clybourn Ave., 773-755-8358, is just the ticket. River West's newest furniture gallery, Caste, brings a bit of the modern West to the Midwest. Owned by Montana transplants Ty Best and Brad Rowley, it's filled with simple, organic-feeling furniture designed by Best, an installation artist and self-taught furniture maker. Through mid-January, the space will feature Best's take on a traditional wood cabin. 521 N. Halsted St., 312-432-0717
