When HGTV announced the Chicago location of Urban Oasis 2011, interior designer Vern Yip knew exactly where to look for inspiration. "I immediately thought about Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School of Architecture and Louis Sullivan and the Carson Pirie Scott Building," he says. "And I thought about all those iconic architectural moments; Frank Lloyd Wright specifically worked in a really warm palette that was inspired by Mother Nature."

A medley of old and new, living room furnishings are both aesthetically pleasing and functional. A new front-fall desk, inspired by circa-1940s French furnishings, serves as both a cocktail bar and media center (a laptop and printer are stored in the cabinet’s bottom shelves).

Artwork, crafted by Chicago artist Todd Mack, references Chicago’s most popular attractions. The piece, which was completed over the course of several months, incorporates vintage letters salvaged from old business and doctor’s office signs.

A circa-1930s frieze from a demolished building lends textural interest. Lamps that flank the piece, crafted by Chicago lamp artist Ted Harris, incorporate old picture frames and tungsten filament bulbs.