“Casa Loca” in Spanish does not mean “crazy house,” says Angelo Varias, proprietor of the furniture shop by that name at 1130 N. Milwaukee Ave.
The name for the new Wicker Park store, which held its opening party Thursday, was suggested by Varias’ 15-year-old daughter, Andrea, to imbue its colloquial meaning of vivaciousness, colorfulness, liveliness.
“Just the spirit and intention of the project,” says Varias.
Casa Loca provides an answer to the traveler’s dilemma: You find the perfect piece of folk art furniture in a tiny Mexican village, there’s nothing like it anywhere in the U.S., but it’s too big to carry and impossible to ship.
Varias intends to be a local source for aficionados of both antique and contemporary Mexican folk art furniture in styles ranging from an- tique-inspired rare chairs from a Jalisco carver in a lovely swan motif to brawny carved Spanish-flavored seminarios, or chests to armoires .
A unique offering is the hand-lacquered tray tables with legs by artisans from Erongaricuaro, Michoacan. Their hand-painted tops range in styles from Henri Matisse and Paul Gaugin to Fernando Botero and Frida Kahlo.
Varias even has managed to find a source for high-quality equipales, rustic or ranch furniture made of pigskin and wood with a curved half-barrel back . The equipales normally seen here are rickety tourist versions.
Some decorative arts also are offered, such as the polychrome Oaxacan pottery angels ; picture frames carved and painted with chiles, rabbits, coyotes and moon themes ; pottery lamps ; Oaxacan wool rugs , etc.
Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday. Call 312-278-2972.
