This Decor Shop’s Chicago Location Exudes European Charm

Photo: Rosemary J Photography

After noticing most of her antiques were being shipped north, Karen Abell of Naples, Florida-based home decor shop Patina Collection decided to open a second location. “I always thought it would be fun to have a store in Chicago,” she says. “It’s the right place; the city has a revival coming.” She deemed a 100-year-old building in Old Town with original wood floors, brick walls and metal-framed windows as the right venue to house her artisan goods, antiques and vintage furnishings.

To recall a European market, she hired an artist from Italy to paint the ceilings and installed massive display cabinets found at Les Puces flea market in Paris. An antique arch, also from France, demarcates the back of the store, where a pair of citrus trees and a bistro table approximate a garden conservatory. “I had so much fun designing the space,” Abell says. “There’s a European feel to it.” Adding to the charm are a collection of handmade textiles, glass vases, garden statuary, antique mirrors, vintage art and chests of drawers sourced from across the globe. Beyond the assortment of one-of-a-kind and handcrafted products, Patina Collection also plays host to pieces from Bunny Williams Home, for which the store is the exclusive provider in Chicago, as well as a pillow bar amply stocked with Penny Morrison fabrics.