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Text By Judith Stern Friedman •
Styling by Kathy Curotto
Nine-year-old Ben Crispell, like most boys his age, is fascinated
with toys and transportation. But Ben knows one thing most other kids do not:
how many days until the next flea market. He’s gone flea marketing with his
family on every second Sunday of the month since long before he could walk or
talk. Now he’s a fan himself, collecting old robots, space paraphernalia, and
advertising icons such as Charlie the Tuna.
Ben and his 13-year-old sister,
Madeline, are children of a wildly imaginative pair, Gar and Linda Crispell,
whose passion for repurposing has become a way of life. Some would call them
packrats, but Gar and Linda defy the image. Their home on Chicago’s North Shore
is artful in every respect—clean without clutter, whimsical without kitsch. From
sea glass gathered in a shapely urn to old-fashioned candy jars lined straight
as soldiers, every collection is deliberately and aesthetically
displayed.
Gar and Linda have an equal voice in the décor. “We savor simple,
clean design, using our collections to add color, pattern, and texture.” Their
style is comfortable and unstuffy. “You can tell by all the nicks and dents that
these things have obviously been loved,” Linda says. She also appreciates
flea-market finds for their environmental benefits: The resources to make them
have already been used and they come without any packaging. “We see beauty in
old junk and try to reuse it.”
(a) Always sensitive to visual cues, Linda color-coordinated the cakes
with her ceramics collection. “I’m always trying to recreate the palette of
those old Dick and Jane primers.” Gar’s father, Roger Crispell, did the large
painting. Recycled baby food jars strung from ribbons make a charming votive
chandelier. (b) A tranquil spot in a living room corner.
(c) An old church bulletin case displays a wall-size collage. The
children’s artwork flanks vintage dime-store toys. (d) Antique
typewriters are bookends for six volumes tracing Crispell family history back to
1660. (e) Linda wants her kids to remember a magical childhood. (f) Classic cake
decorations attest to her love of entertaining.
Reuse, Recycle, Relax page
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