// BAR BEAUTIFUL
UPSTAIRS FROM WEST LOOP DINING HOT SPOT HONEY’S, THE HIVE IS FAST BECOMING A PRIMO PLACE FOR KEEPING AN EYE ON THE CITY’S A-LIST.
In the West Loop, The Hive is fast becoming a primo place for keeping an eye on the city’s A-list.
When Takashi Murakami followed up the MCA’S recent 50th anniversary fête with an after-party at The Hive, it all but crowned the pocket-sized tippling space as the city’s de facto see-and-be-seen room. Not that it needed formal coronation—upstairs from chic restaurant Honey’s and accoutered with lived-in-but-luxe sofas, sexy side tables, and a strikingly simple marble bar, the room’s unstuffy style solidified its cool-kid cachet from the jump. “We wanted it to be a comfy vibe, in the vein of a bohemian traveler,” observes managing partner Justin Furman of the Venetian plaster-finished hideaway, where hip patrons of all stripes unwind over impeccable craft cocktails.
To orchestrate the atmosphere, Furman kept it in the family, tapping his wife, Jenn Dixon, for design duties. A fashion designer by trade, Dixon sourced the room’s signature pieces via auction (the imposing Napoleon portrait near the entry), Craigslist (the refinished hutch mooring the hallway that leads to Black Dove Lifestyle-designed bathrooms), or, in the case of select throw pillows, her own hands (“I made most of those out of old kimonos and velvet curtains,” she notes). And pairing alcove-anchoring sofas with ottomans and other petite accents was done for reasons both aesthetic and social. Explains Dixon: “Smaller pieces of furniture lend themselves easier to conversations.” A stylish talking point, indeed. 1111 W. Lake St., 312-877-5929; honeyschicago.com