A Gorgeous Fall Day

I am not sure how we got so lucky this week, but this weather has been anything but typical. This morning as Bryce and I did our Saturday cleaning the sunlight poured into the house and because of the all the golden leaves surrounding the light cast a golden hue. I love this time of year, but at the same time hate it because I know our days are numbered. I know there will only be a few more days to open the balcony doors and listen to the rustling of leaves and feel the breeze of warmth stream through. This is a day to savor and I will store away for when they are no more. Enjoy the day!

Let There Be Light

"They never said it would be easy, but they promised it would be worth it." Tonight feels like a moment where you say worth it. After Bryce & Warren, my youngest brother's good friend since kindergarten, finish up the landscape lights we get to enjoy some truly positive light shining on 747. This house has had it's share of dark days, but today is not one of them and going forward I hope that this house shines forth hard work, friendship, love, understanding, faith, patience, persistence and most of all hope.

I had to include an instragram photo. My favorite free iphone app!

Thanks Warren!

Thanks Bryce!

and last by not least in this posting thanks to our friends, Nan & Steele from Landscape Love. Photo from their facebook page.

What Next?

Landscaping! Now that the stucco is all complete we are working on outside layers. Here are a few shots of the backyard before and after.New steel wall.
Peregrine Falcon hanging out the steel for the wall before it is installed.
A backyard that was full of garbage and Buckthorn. All removed!

Nineteen Months

Nineteen months and we are still trying to finish up 747. Every step of this house has been a learning experience and it doesn't seem stop. Mother nature was anything but cooperative in trying to do the stucco. There were two times in the stucco process where the guys had just finished up and a half hour later a huge rain storm came in and down goes the stucco. If we weren't waiting for a window to work we were hoping the rain would hold off so the stucco could dry.

The stucco part is the one thing where people passing by are starting to see the transformation. We have received so many positive comments from our neighbors in the last month. Even neighbors from our old Mill District have stopped by. One neighbor said, "Thank you so much for bringing this house back to life and not tearing it down. Many of the houses in this neighborhood are crumbling and need work and if you don't give it to them they just keep crumbling." She is so right. This house was long overdue with work and Bryce and I sure have talked about how much it easier it would have been to tear it down, however there is joy in knowing that we saved it!New Stucco completed!
Brown coating the front of the house.
Original stucco. Cracking and needing a lot of love!

Taking Shape

After 18 months of interior jobs the exterior is finally taking shape. A few before and afters of what is happening when mother nature is cooperating.Brown coat going on up on the second section of stucco.
Before the new stucco.
Final finish on the first side of the house.
Before stucco.

Trends that are beautiful forever

THESE DAYS I would dissuade people from following trends per se. What I would rather do is encourage people to do 2 things - understand their own personal style and find joy in simple things. If you ensure that every investment you make, from a humble domestic item such as a broom, to a larger piece of furniture, conforms with your own personal style then who needs trends? If an object is truly beautiful today it should be beautiful forever. Paul Hecker

I love this statement that I discovered in an Australian shelter pub, BELLE, this weekend while sitting under a tree at the Walker Sculpture Park. I read it and it sings to me like great lyrics in a song. It is so true. I feel so fortunate to be surrounded by furniture, artwork and all the other little entities that Bryce and I have gathered along our journey together. We have had so many ups and downs with 747, but right now I feel like I am in the honeymoon stage with our home. More and more things are coming together on the interior & exterior.

A few snap shots of what is currently occupying our free time on the interior. Finishing touches in the kitchen..... We finally installed the stone backsplash after it sat in the garage for over a year and the revised island/table arrived. Along with finishing touches the simple things I am enjoying are an open door in the kitchen that lets in the fresh air with a scent of Lily of the Valley and a long table for friends to gather around while drinking wine and singing 80's music.

Artwork by Lori Henson from the Casket Arts Building in NE Minneapolis. I like to think of it as Frida in my kitchen. The smaller piece, the Red C, by Dede Magnuson from the Northrup King Building in NE Minneapolis
Our kitchen island or should I say long & lean Parson's got delivered this weekend from R&B after a needed middle leg on the first Parsons.
The line up of Emeco stools.
The door finally open on a sunny day/sunny moment.

It's all about the layers

On a gloomy Sunday afternoon what better to do then add in layers and layers of accessories. I always say this is what makes a space look like a home and gives it warmth.Adding in a few more pillows on the bed. Building off of a neutral base the texture of the sheepskin and a handcrafted Kuba cloth pillow make the bed feel complete.
Ok, not a lot has changed in the master bath, but I love my weekend find from Unique Thrift and I had to take a picture of it in it's new home. The oval shaped wood bowl on the counter is perfect for small things and it was only $2.42!
In the guest bedroom we finally added in artwork. These two pieces were from a show of mine a couple years ago and I was bummed that they did not sell, however they look like they were meant to be for this space.
Last but definitely not least is the sunroom. We have added many layers into the cherry wood media piece. Thanks Wisconsin friends! It was fun to dig into the closets and pull out ceramic pieces from old MPA colleagues, thrift store finds from many years ago and hang a bold graphic trolley sign from R&B Edina to top it all off.

More difficult than meets the eye

What color to do the exterior of 747? That is the big question right now and we have to make a decision soon. After months of looking at every house in Minneapolis and about a dozen samples, we are down to 3 options. As you can see below they are all versions of off white and you would think it would be easy to choose, however as you analyze the options they start to take on different hues. One becomes more warm, while another has a bit of green and then yellow starts to creep in, and then based on the time of day the amount of sun or lack there of changes everything.
Is this house Natural White?
Is this wall Dover Sky?
And last but not least my all time favorite home on the lake...is it Light Grey?

Just Right!

After moving in our Seattle bed we realized it was taking over our new bedroom. This was a bed that we loved because it was metal, sturdy, great height, interest in the headboard and unique as I had purchased it 7 or so years ago and was no longer part of the R&B bedroom assortment. It was perfect for our loft with high ceilings, however in its new space was not feeling right. We decided to list it on craigslist and see if it would get any action and in 2 days a doctor from Mayo had purchased it and it had a new home. For months we slept with our mattress on the floor trying to decide on a new bed frame. Back and forth between Perspective and Campo, tossing and turning we landed on Campo. We love the low frame that does not obstruct our window, but in cherry gives more warmth to the room. No more rolling out of bed onto the floor.

Where is Spring?

I had hoped that this April would be warm and we could get a peak of sunshine, but mother nature keeps teasing us with grey days and blips of snow. As we wait for mother nature to figure out that spring is here I thought I would share a few colorful photos from the Quinn's home on the St. Croix river. Many of you know that as we were doing our remodel my in-laws were also in the midst of giving a fresh look to their home. The remodel turned out great! The spirit of the home is true to my in-laws and their love of the river. Large windows frame the river like it is Renoir painting.Open living space with floor to ceiling windows, white oak floors, fireplace and stone accents on the interior and exterior of the home. The models in the photos are friends of ours Lauren & Dave taking a mid-afternoon nap.
Dave napping on Chelsea with a loll accent table (from R&B made in Duluth), Noguchi cocktail and a favorite Gabbeh rug of my mother-in-law.
Bryce's aunts artwork in the back ground (Layne Kleinart from Seattle) along with Jackson two sided chaise to take in the artwork.
Another Gabbeh rug at the front door with a colorful Parsons bench in leather. Reclaimed fir on the staircase gives a bit of warmth.

Snow, Snow Go Away!

Last year at this time I was tilling my garden, but this year it feels like it may be awhile till I am able to do that. April 3rd and we still have many inches of snow in our front yard. I did see about 2 inches of grass on the corner that was trying to grab some sunlight. I am ready to get in the yard and get the outside looking alive. Let's hope that April brings more sun and warmer temps!

Out with the New & in with the New

When you buy a "brand new" product you feel like it should be hassle free and run like a charm, not so in the case of our brand new Samsung washer & dryer. From the first time we used these we had issues (water leaking) and we should of known that they would just continue to mount. To not go into too much detail, but after numerous repair men at our house, laying our clothes out over the living room floor to dry and about 25 uses we finally said enough is enough. We need to look at other options. The store was as helpful as they could be after Bryce spent so much time tending to these possessed machines, but it just felt like we needed to look at a different brand so in comes the new! Now we seem to be running smooth with no drips and hopefully these Bosch machines will last many years.

Can't Stop with the Side by Sides

This photo gets me everytime. The reason we bought this house was for the 3 Juliet balconies. We can't wait to open them up over the Parkway when the weather warms up. Good news is the snow on the balconies is finally all gone. CLICK ON PHOTOS TO SEE THEM LARGER we now have our favorite piece of art work on the wall by Hiromi Matsumoto. This piece was the first piece of art that Bryce and I purchased together. We were so excited when we bought it. Hiromi and his wife came over to our loft and helped hang it. It was our first family member. Even now when I look at this work it still intrigues me and I can't help notice new lines and gorgeous colors. The horse above the fireplace is Bryce's favorite new piece. I too love it, but feel there is a bit of horse abundance with the painting and the antique horse to the right of the fireplace. I am still trying to convince Bryce to move it. He says it is too heavy! As you can tell the room is in need of some substance...a sofa. Still pondering, but thinking the space will be perfect for a simple lined frame done in a gorgeous linen. Well see where we land.

By adding the glass to staircase wall it really opened up the entire area. The light that flows through all 3 levels of our home is amazing. I was sad to see the original doorway arches go, but I love sunlight more!

Oh, remember the best room in the house at the time we bought the house...the Master Bath. Very much improved with a double vanity and toilet that is off to the side. I love the Tolomeo sconces over the mirror and the vanity was made by Room & Board partners. Bryce still thinks the cabinets and counters are the best thing our house...Thanks Craig & Stone Crafters!

Full Effect

A few more before & afters. Sunroom - View from the Sanna chair looking at our wooded back yard. Love the feel of our backyard, but yet we have the Minneapolis City Skyline out the side window.

Staircase - Buster Pendant now lights up the original wood staircase

Kitchen - Very tiny before and in need of deep clean. Yes, that is dirt & dust on the old fridge.

Mudroom - when you come in from the garage we now have a mudroom, storage and a big stainless steel sink for my messy garden projects. No more basement laundry and utility in sight.

Found a few more photos

The lofted office area with a few low Woodwind shelves. Opposite of the shelves planning to do a long Parsons desk.
Master Bedroom Walk-in Closet. (Bryce's side) Can't believe there used to be only a small closet for this bedroom. Closet system...so functional.
Hallway to the bedroom. Artwork of celebrities by Minneapolis artist from the California Arts Building in NE.