Furnishing Touches

By Lisa Arnett
August 2023 View more Discover

Spruce up your space, inside and out, with wares from these home decor stores

Michelle Gentile Interiors + Home

DOWNERS GROVE

In a navy-hued building bookending the southern part of Downers Grove’s downtown district, this home decor boutique is also the base for owner Michelle Gentile’s interior design business. Gentile is rebranding the store, formerly called Maple Home Market, and her design business under the same name. Her selection of new and vintage furniture is constantly rotating—from a bamboo headboard to upholstered ottomans and console tables—and she also has designer pillows, wallpaper, window treatments, and artwork to browse. “Right now I’m showcasing a local artist, Cynthia Dybsky,” Gentile says. “She actually trained in Italy last summer.” 1015 Maple Ave., michellegentileinteriors.com
Good to know: Need a little design expertise? Or maybe a whole lot? You can hire Gentile to work on one room or your entire house.

Arhaus Studio

NAPERVILLE

Opened in April, this sleek furniture studio is the more petite sibling to Ohio-based Arhaus’s sprawling multilevel showroom in Oak Brook. “It’s a more intimate shopping experience in a smaller footprint where clients can work closely with Arhaus design consultants,” says Arhaus interior designer Sandra Spence, who previously worked at the Oak Brook location. The design team can customize furniture and create three-dimensional floor plans so you can envision each sofa, sideboard, or lamp in your own home. “We’re excited to be offering these services and have received a positive response from the local community,” says Spence, who has lived in the Naperville area since the ’80s and raised her three children here before pursuing a career in interior design. 151 W. Van Buren Ave., arhaus.com
Good to know: The Design Center has hundreds of swatches and samples on hand.

Yardbird

OAKBROOK TERRACE

At this outdoor furniture showroom across the street from Oakbrook Center, you can shop dining sets, sofas, fire pit tables, umbrellas, and more to outfit your alfresco space. The inspiration for Yardbird began when cofounder Jay Dillon and his wife were shopping for their own outdoor furniture. “We quickly found that the furniture options were either at a really high price point or at a low price point for low-quality pieces,” he says. Dillon teamed up with his father, Bob, who had worked in the furniture industry for years, and they opened the first Yardbird showroom in 2018 in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. In addition to affordable prices, sustainability and durability are also a big focus; they use materials such as ocean-bound plastic and stain- and water-resistant materials like Sunbrella fabrics and aluminum. 1S550 Rte. 83, yardbird.com
Good to know: Need a patio lounger for your deck or chairs for your balcony? Be sure to check out the latest sale.

Photos: Lisa Arnett (Michelle Gentile); Heather Talbert photography (Arhaus); Yardbird