SOLO Home Design Has a New Line for Modern Co-Op

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• The cutting boards are $75 each; two are available.
• The doormat is $95.
• The coasters are $50 for a set of four; two are available.
• The trivets are $40 to $45; two are available.

Modern Cooperative has new Pilsen digs—and new home goods to nest with. Meg Leese of SOLO Home Design has created an exclusive line for the store using recycled bike parts and reclaimed wood. Picture maple-wood cutting boards edged with bicycle rims; coasters comprising tire parts and curly maple wood; a doormat made from artfully joined inner tubes; and more.

So, do you have to have a tricked-out Wicker Park loft to make these pieces work? "These items work in almost any home," says Leese. "They to fit into [homes that are] modern, industrial, rustic, or eclectic." And, Leese predicts, the bike-inspired overtones will resonate particularly well with locals.

Bike Lane on Milwaukee Ave. donates scrap to SOLO, helping spokes find second lives as trivets and rims to show up in coasters. "Incorporating all of the bicycle parts touches home with a lot of Chicagoans because this is such a bike-friendly city," Leese says.

We asked Leese how she'd christen the pieces if she took them home, and her plans sound homey and delicious. For a holiday meal, "I'd set the cutting board on the dining table with the honey-glazed ham glistening, ready to slice in front of our guests," she says. "I'd have the trivets out with the piping-hot side dishes of green-bean casserole and mac & cheese, and my glass of Merlot breathing on my coaster."

· Modern Cooperative [Official Site]
· Solo Home Design [Official Site]