Winnetka's The Lake Effect Opens In Former Chestnut Street Flowers Space

WINNETKA, IL — A new retail shop has opened in Winnetka, taking over the original home of Chestnut Street Flowers at 547 Chestnut Street.

The Lake Effect opened this month and aims to introduce a retail experience shaped by everyday life along Chicago's North Shore.

The shop is the next chapter for Allison Cassato, who built Chestnut Street Flowers around the idea that flowers can bring beauty and intention to everyday moments. The new venture was developed in partnership with creative director Katie Cassato.

At the center of The Lake Effect is what the founders call a "lake edit," a curated assortment of apparel, accessories and tabletop pieces. The collection is intended to fit a range of settings tied to life near the water, from a day at the beach to a weekend at a friend's cottage, time on the boat and relaxed evenings at home.

The store's physical design follows the same idea. The space was designed with natural materials, a light, open palette and a calm, intentional layout. The result is meant to feel less like a traditional retail shop and more like an extension of life by the lake.

Allison Cassato said the concept grew out of daily routines shaped by the shoreline.

“I wanted to create a shop that feels really natural to how we live here - easy, pulled together, but never trying too hard," Cassato said. "Living by the water shapes your day in small ways, and I wanted the shop to reflect that - someplace you’ll want to swing by no matter what your day along the lake has in store."

The brand is rooted in what the founders describe as the rhythm and style of life on the "third coast." In the announcement, that idea frames both the product mix and the look of the store itself.

The opening adds a new retail option in downtown Winnetka while also returning activity to a familiar local address. For shoppers who knew the original Chestnut Street Flowers location, The Lake Effect marks a new use for the space while keeping Allison Cassato's design perspective at the center of the business.