If you love Arclinea kitchens and cooking demos of Italian food (that you later get to eat!), we recommend stopping by Arclinea Chicago at 314 W. Superior St. on Thursday, March 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. for the event Italia in Cucina. Chef Federio Comacchio of Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush will be manning the stove.

—GINA BAZER

Dad always said it’s what’s on the inside that counts. So when he sent along an e-mail filled with these kitschy but clever photo tarpaulins, I finally figured out what he meant! They’re made by a German firm that went from window and door decals to Style Your Garage. Neighbors will certainly stop in their tracks (or move!) at the sight of your swanky new Cesna, mid-life crisis mobile, stable doors, garage band, or any of the many hilariously designed cover-ups SYG offers on their site for $200 and up. So whether you have a warped sense of humor or no solution to your unsightly “up and over” garage door—they’ve got you covered. The site says they are as easy to attach as a screen in a window. All it takes is the Velcro fastener system they include, 15 to 30 minutes, an extra hand, measuring tape and a bit of moxie.

—BARRI LEINER GRANT

Naomi Cooper, director of marketing and public relations for Pierre Deux, the French Country boutique, was in town last week to present a preview of the company’s new spring line. If French Country isn’t your style, fear not: We spied plenty of things at the new store in River North that would blend beautifully with many types of décor. In particular, we loved these mega bottles ($120) of hand-blown glass (they’d look terrific grouped on a side table) and this line of pillows (shown: 12 inches by 18 inches, $250) from Ankasa, hand-embroidered, from France. Couture for your couch.

—JAN PARR

MCM Grand has just received a huge shipment of vintage Danish furniture direct from Denmark. Designers include Kristian Vedel, Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, Johannes Andersen, Kai Christiansen, Ole Wanscher, Oman Junior, Borg Mogensen, Illum Wikkelso, and H.W. Klei. MCM’s owners believe they now have the largest selection of this style in the Chicago area.

—JAN PARR

The Nantucket-vibing Winnetka home furnishings shop Seagrass has just issued a very enticing offer: “We’ll come to your home before you come to our store. For free.” Not bad if you need a little advice before making the plunge on a home accessory or piece of furniture. And it’s a darling shop, too.

— GINA BAZER

Photo: Denise Orlin

A handful of design boutiques in Oak Park are shifting shape, and we’ve got the scoop. Careful Peach is relocating from 128 Harrison St. to 1024 North Blvd.—and gaining 300 square feet of retail space. The new location, slated to open April 1, will boast more room for vignettes and an expanded inventory of home goods. We can’t wait to browse imported French dinnerware by Jars and upholstery fabrics from Broderies Langlet, not to mention jewelry by Parisian designer Anne-Laure Frizot. Tres chic, non? Nearby Maison Suzanne is shaking things up, too. Mid-March, the antiques dealer will close its Glen Ellyn location and expand its 206 S. Marion St. shop to encompass the neighboring storefront at 208 S. Marion, a space that’s currently occupied by Michael FitzSimmons Decorative Arts. (FitzSimmons will be shacking up with Barley Twist over at 144 N. Oak Park Ave.) The expansion will boost Maison Suzanne’s square footage from 4,000 to 8,000, allowing for a deeper selection of European and Asian antiques, custom pillows, and vintage textiles.

–Bridget Herman

As if we needed any more convincing that Holland is totally cool, this tulip-happy design-savvy country that serves spacecakes at its cafes has recently launched a marketing campaign with the slogan “Just Be. In Holland.” I would love to just be. In Holland. Right about now. But here I am blogging about it instead! I suppose it’s to make us all feel better (and to get us on their promotional email list) that the tourism board of Holland has launched a contest (that started yesterday and lasts until March 3), offering the opportunity to win a Moooi Carbon Chair, designed by Dutch designers Bertjan Pot and Marcel Wanders. All you need to do is visit www.holland.com and answer the quiz displayed after you hit: "Just click. To win."

—GINA BAZER

We’re crazy for the Liberty of London line for Target! It will be available around March 13.

—JAN PARR

This is the coolest fan I’ve ever seen. The Air Multiplier from Dyson is safe, easy to clean, and generates smooth airflow (for about $300, in 10- and 12-inch table models). “The blades on conventional fans cause unpleasant buffeting because they chop the air before it hits you,” Dyson says. Who needs unpleasant buffeting? It’s sold at Luminaire here and will be at Bed, Bath & Beyond, Best Buy, and Target the end of March.

—JAN PARR

—JAN PARR