Cozy Vintage Shop is an Oasis
of Bygone Charm in Wicker Park

Amidst the germination of cookie-cutter condos and $8-valet parking establishments sprouting up along Wicker Park's Division Street stretch, Lilly Vallente, the burgundy colored den of home furnishings and vintage clothing, is like the fresh-faced new kid on the block.

Opening up a few months back on the site of what was once a homeless shelter, Lilly Vallente, 1746 W. Division Street, has brought back some sparkle and bourgeoisies charm to the changing face of a neighborhood once an affordable haven for Chicago artists.

The storefront window lined with glass blocks is set to a rich red hue spanning the interior and exterior walls.

The name of the boutique is scrawled classically in large gold-trimmed characters on the storefront. And judging from its façade, one might not think to find a retail establishment within.

"The glass blocks confuse people," admits Lisa Chunyk, co-owner of Lilly Vallente. She runs the store with partner Nancy Becker, 34, who in addition co-owns Una Mae's Freak Boutique, a hipster hub selling retrowear and affordable threads located on Milwaukee Avenue.

"People walk in expecting a bar or coffee shop," she says. "But instead they find this."

"This" is the warmly lit, New Orleans-like parlor; a relaxed environment complete with lounge-able grandma sofas and vintage scraps in the backdrop.

"I wanted it to be a place you'd go to hang out at," says Chunyk, 29, who christened the store after her pseudonym. "I designed it to be like someone's living room."

Pretty much everything but the rug you walk on is for sale at Lilly Vallente. Home furnishings include vintage lamps, chairs, frames, elegant mirrors and lacy bedspreads. Even odd one-offs like a chandelier, wheelbarrow or baby carriage carry price tags. And as far as clothing goes, you won't find anything new.

Top-selling duds include '70s cotton sundresses and dyed slip skirts for the ladies and ringer cotton T's and plaid pants for the men. Prices are affordable, ranging from $8 to $60. There's even a trunk filled with cheap reads -- a buck a book.

The most popular items are the colorful slips that Chunyk hand dyes herself. Not just store co-owners, Chunyk and Becker and are also artists in their own right. Chunyk makes the candles sold at the store and sews some of the threads there too; and Becker's acrylic paintings that grace Lilly Vallente's walls sell quickly.

Both women find ways to add their personal touch to the place, like in the buying of clothing for Lilly Vallente. Says Chunyk, Becker likes to threads more cutting edge, while she prefers classic cuts.

Their friend, local seamstress Selina Van Den Brink, whose line of re-sewn fashion is featured at Lilly Vallente, also assists with running the boutique. Currently there are no paid employees. Chunyk and Becker have been relying on the support of their group of friends.

Chunyk had been recently holding a bartending job twice a week at Get Me High Lounge. But with business picking up, she left it to focus solely on her new enterprise.

"It's like having a baby," she says. "You just want to be here all the time."

© Copyright 2002 Holidayness.com All rights reserved