September 15 - 18, 2026
Design. Art. Creativity. That’s Highwood.
Aside from being the culinary capital of Chicago’s North Shore, Highwood has a burgeoning arts and design scene. Yep, we’re a super creative city.
Come discover exceptional interiors, innovative ideas, inspiring public art, and extraordinary local businesses through a curated series of experiences that showcase creativity, craftsmanship, and community.
Whether your passion is architecture, interiors, art, technology, or simply discovering something new, Highwood Design Week invites you to see your surroundings and community through a fresh, inspiring lens.
So mark your calendars for these amazing week-long events happening all over town.
Opening Night at Old Plank Antiques
The week begins at the Highwood
Design Week Opening Night
Be among the first to experience Old Plank Antiques' extraordinary new Highwood showroom at 210 Green Bay Road as it opens its doors for Highwood’s Design Week Opening Night. Explore its beautifully curated collection while kicking off four days of creativity, discovery, and inspiration.
The evening also offers an exclusive preview of avec, the acclaimed restaurant from Chicago's award-winning One Off Hospitality Group. Ahead of its Highwood opening this October, the avec team will offer guests a taste of one of the North Shore's most anticipated new dining destinations.
Cream Wine & Spirits will pour a selection of Italian wines, Verde Springs will share its new product, and 4 Sure Entertainment will provide the soundtrack for the evening. Guests will also receive a special Hotel Chocolat gift bag created especially for Opening Night guests.
Opening Night is designed for interior designers, architects, real estate professionals, design industry partners, homeowners with a passion for design, and others who influence how we live, build, furnish, and experience our spaces.
North Shore City Lifestyle is the official Media Partner of Highwood Design Week.
Space is limited. Registration is required.
Photography & Video Notice: By registering for and attending this event, you acknowledge that photographs and video may be taken and used by the Highwood Chamber of Commerce and participating Highwood Design Week businesses for promotional, marketing, editorial, and archival purposes in print, online, and on social media.
Living in a Better Light
From workshops to community gatherings, here's what we have coming up. Mark your calendar—we'd love to see you there.
Whiskey, Vinyl & Textures
An interactive session for makers and thinkers to collaborate, connect, and spark new ideas.
Highwood Through a Different Lens: Guided Photo Walk
Grab your phone or camera and join us for a guided photo walk through Highwood as part of Highwood Design Week.
This is not about being an accomplished photographer. It is about learning to look.
As we explore Highwood, we will turn our lenses toward its businesses, residences, architecture, streetscapes, and people, learning how composition, perspective, and light can transform an everyday scene into an interesting photograph. Along the way, we will also share a little about the places and businesses we photograph.
No photography experience is necessary. Just bring your phone or camera and come ready to see Highwood from a different perspective.
Meet Your Guide: Susan Brigid
Susan Brigid is an award-winning photographer, published writer, and visual storyteller who loves helping people see familiar places in new ways.
A Chicago native, Susan leads phone photography, art, and architecture walking tours throughout downtown Chicago. Her photography and writing have been featured by BBC Travel, Block Club Chicago, Filter Photo, the Julia Margaret Cameron Award, St. Louis Magazine, and others.
For Highwood Design Week, Susan will bring that same spirit of exploration to our streets, helping us slow down, look more closely, and discover what we might otherwise walk right past.
Learn more at susanbrigid.com or follow @HeySusanBrigid.
Friday, September 18 | 4:00–5:30 PM
Complimentary, but registration is limited.
Meeting location will be shared with registered participants prior to the event.
Designed to Pair: Wrap Party
Designed to Pair
Friday, September 18
5-7pm
The Merchant | 122 North Avenue, Highwood
Highwood Design Week concludes at The Merchant with Designed to Pair, an evening celebrating the relationship between culinary artistry, hospitality, and design.
Guests will enjoy a curated charcuterie board pairing selected to specifically complement each of the following four most popular wine varietals - sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir, and cabernet sauvignon.
Designed to be informative, approachable, and enjoyable, the evening will offer guests guidance when choosing wine for a meal or creating pairings of their own.
Bites are complementary; guests can purchase beverages of choice. Advance registration is required, as space is limited.
Photography & Video Notice: By registering for and attending this event, you acknowledge that photographs and video may be taken and used by the Highwood Chamber of Commerce and participating Highwood Design Week businesses for promotional, marketing, editorial, and archival purposes in print, online, and on social media.