Photo: Sarah Crowley

Stepping inside Marrow Fine, a jewelry store specializing in stacked rings and reworked heirlooms, feels like slipping into the lobby of a chic hotel. Taking cues from Art Deco design, opulent materials and finishes such as velvet walls, marble-accented jewelry cases, Venetian plaster and American walnut abound.

While shades of red feature throughout the space, design firm Bells + Whistles took the palette to another level in the store’s intimate private salon (nicknamed the Babe Cave), where a deeply saturated monochromatic red envelops the room, giving the illusion of being transported into the center of a hollowed-out ruby. “Each of our showrooms is a different visual experience,” says Marrow Fine founder Jillian Sassone. “Chicago feels the moodiest. The deep rusts and vintage lighting feel sexy, and there are special design elements everywhere you look.”