Colorful Addition for Globetrotters and Their Pugs
A Minneapolis home gets a new living room, mudroom, powder room, master suite and dog-friendly touches
Before we go any further, meet two of the most important members of the family, Peggy and Mabel. “My clients are huge pug lovers and dog rescuers, and these two are prime subjects in a lot of their artwork,” Horstman says. Thought was also given to how the design would work for these two.
Brilliant Blue Sets the Tone
The bright blue wall color was one of the first choices made for the room. White on the millwork provides a crisp contrast, while the deep reds from the Turkish rug give the room a rich, worldly look.
One spot where the color revs down is on the neutral gray sofa. And Horstman replaced the couple’s over-the-top bright and sparkly sequined pillows with a more subdued mix of custom pillows that suits their eclectic style. This allows the collections and fireplace surround to draw the focus they deserve.
Brilliant Blue Sets the Tone
The bright blue wall color was one of the first choices made for the room. White on the millwork provides a crisp contrast, while the deep reds from the Turkish rug give the room a rich, worldly look.
One spot where the color revs down is on the neutral gray sofa. And Horstman replaced the couple’s over-the-top bright and sparkly sequined pillows with a more subdued mix of custom pillows that suits their eclectic style. This allows the collections and fireplace surround to draw the focus they deserve.
The addition begins at the edge of the kitchen. The corner with the kitchen’s blush color on one side and the brilliant blue wall next to it marks the old edge between indoors and out. So the living room and that hallway beyond it are all new. The new master suite is above the living room.
The floors throughout the addition were matched to the 100-plus-year-old home’s original floors, which are 1¼ -inch white oak hardwood.
The floors throughout the addition were matched to the 100-plus-year-old home’s original floors, which are 1¼ -inch white oak hardwood.
Architecturally, the team continued the color and style of the millwork from the original house, and Schrader came up with the coffered ceiling design. “There was ductwork we had to incorporate up there, and he figured out a way to turn it into a beautiful architectural accent,” Horstman says.
The television over the fireplace is a Samsung frame TV that camouflages itself as art.
Find a design-build firm in your area
The television over the fireplace is a Samsung frame TV that camouflages itself as art.
Find a design-build firm in your area
A Special Handpicked Touch
The fireplace and its flanking built-ins nod to the types of details typically seen in Arts and Crafts-era architecture. The antiqued mirror behind the open shelves is a design twist rooted in tradition.
But it’s the Arts and Crafts tile by Motawi that is an absolute showstopper. “The homeowners handpicked every tile themselves for the design. The cardinal [on the right side of the hearth] is a favorite,” Horstman says. It’s an iconic Charley Harper figure. They had the glaze made to match the walls, which are painted in Behr’s Blue Stream.
The fireplace and its flanking built-ins nod to the types of details typically seen in Arts and Crafts-era architecture. The antiqued mirror behind the open shelves is a design twist rooted in tradition.
But it’s the Arts and Crafts tile by Motawi that is an absolute showstopper. “The homeowners handpicked every tile themselves for the design. The cardinal [on the right side of the hearth] is a favorite,” Horstman says. It’s an iconic Charley Harper figure. They had the glaze made to match the walls, which are painted in Behr’s Blue Stream.
Arranging Vast Collections
The couple had collected a wide variety of artwork and objects from all over the world — there were block prints, photographs, paintings, masks, ornaments, vases and much more. So Horstman’s task was to edit and arrange it in a way that worked. The result is pleasingly curated maximalism, with the couple’s items on every wall and peppered throughout the built-ins.
To bring some order to a varied and vast collection, the designer recommends creating little vignettes that feel special on their own. To make them feel special, vary things by size, color, texture and dimensionality.
Sofa: Joybird; red chair: Room and Board; ceiling light: Circa Lighting; throw pillows: Lenox House Design; woven Roman shades: Hunter Douglas
The couple had collected a wide variety of artwork and objects from all over the world — there were block prints, photographs, paintings, masks, ornaments, vases and much more. So Horstman’s task was to edit and arrange it in a way that worked. The result is pleasingly curated maximalism, with the couple’s items on every wall and peppered throughout the built-ins.
To bring some order to a varied and vast collection, the designer recommends creating little vignettes that feel special on their own. To make them feel special, vary things by size, color, texture and dimensionality.
Sofa: Joybird; red chair: Room and Board; ceiling light: Circa Lighting; throw pillows: Lenox House Design; woven Roman shades: Hunter Douglas
The French doors lead out to a new patio and the backyard. The homeowners love to garden and enjoy the view and easy access. To the left of the French doors is the new mudroom, and just past that the new powder room, all part of the addition.
“This mudroom space is really compact, about 5 feet by 5 feet, if that,” Horstman says. “The goal was to make it look bigger and like a natural extension of the family room.”
“This mudroom space is really compact, about 5 feet by 5 feet, if that,” Horstman says. “The goal was to make it look bigger and like a natural extension of the family room.”
Pattern Above and Below in the Mudroom
“The mudroom design really began with this floor, which my clients found themselves and absolutely loved — they simply wanted my blessing on it and now it’s now my favorite tile of all time,” Horstman says. However, she does warn that it might not be the Minnesota mudroom choice for everyone. “My clients embrace all of the dirt and patina that will happen when they mix Minnesota weather and encaustic cement tile,” she says.
While she kept the walls white and the cabinetry just ever-so-slightly gray to make the room look bigger, she brought some more pattern to the ceiling. “There is such a global influence in the living room that we continued that with this ikat pattern,” she says. The pattern also continues the blues from the living room.
Floor tile: Clé Tile; wallpaper: Schumacher; light fixture: Circa Lighting
Otomi, Suzani, Kantha, Ikat: What’s the Difference? | Browse hexagonal tile
“The mudroom design really began with this floor, which my clients found themselves and absolutely loved — they simply wanted my blessing on it and now it’s now my favorite tile of all time,” Horstman says. However, she does warn that it might not be the Minnesota mudroom choice for everyone. “My clients embrace all of the dirt and patina that will happen when they mix Minnesota weather and encaustic cement tile,” she says.
While she kept the walls white and the cabinetry just ever-so-slightly gray to make the room look bigger, she brought some more pattern to the ceiling. “There is such a global influence in the living room that we continued that with this ikat pattern,” she says. The pattern also continues the blues from the living room.
Floor tile: Clé Tile; wallpaper: Schumacher; light fixture: Circa Lighting
Otomi, Suzani, Kantha, Ikat: What’s the Difference? | Browse hexagonal tile
“We really needed to max out storage for each of them, for the dogs and to create drop zones in here,” the designer says. She set up the space for launching off on walks and putting things away as they return home. It also contains the wet snow during the winter so it doesn’t make it beyond the hexagonal floor into the living room.
Cabinet paint: Coastal Fog, Benjamin Moore; wall paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore
Cabinet paint: Coastal Fog, Benjamin Moore; wall paint: Decorator’s White, Benjamin Moore
A Blushing Bathroom
Beyond the mudroom is the stylish new powder room. “The toned-down tones are a little surprise and make you feel enveloped,” Horstman says. She designed the midcentury-modern-inspired wall-mounted vanity and had it made. And she helped her clients find just the right shade of blush to warm the walls and ceilings. “We didn’t want it to stray into a fleshy color,” she says.
The pendant light is from Minneapolis company Hennepin Made.
Wall paint: Pink Moiré, Benjamin Moore; window treatment: custom, Lenox House Design; find round mirrors
Beyond the mudroom is the stylish new powder room. “The toned-down tones are a little surprise and make you feel enveloped,” Horstman says. She designed the midcentury-modern-inspired wall-mounted vanity and had it made. And she helped her clients find just the right shade of blush to warm the walls and ceilings. “We didn’t want it to stray into a fleshy color,” she says.
The pendant light is from Minneapolis company Hennepin Made.
Wall paint: Pink Moiré, Benjamin Moore; window treatment: custom, Lenox House Design; find round mirrors
The dramatic backsplash tile is a metallic-tinted travertine and the floors are black travertine.
Tile: Ann Sacks; sink and faucet: Kohler
Tile: Ann Sacks; sink and faucet: Kohler
“My clients were determined to have a feature wall. So the jumping-off point in the master bedroom was this metallic grasscloth,” Horstman says. A more subdued navy graces the other walls, while a tray ceiling keeps the drama going overhead.
On the right are two walk-in closets concealed by mirrored doors on barn door tracks. “They were also determined to have separate closets,” the designer says. “One of them admittedly is messier than the other!”
Sconces: Circa Lighting; ceiling light: RH; drapery fabric: Kravet
10 Considerations for the Bedroom Addition of Your Dreams
On the right are two walk-in closets concealed by mirrored doors on barn door tracks. “They were also determined to have separate closets,” the designer says. “One of them admittedly is messier than the other!”
Sconces: Circa Lighting; ceiling light: RH; drapery fabric: Kravet
10 Considerations for the Bedroom Addition of Your Dreams
European Hotels (and Chinese Dogs) Influence the Bathroom
A recent trip to Greece inspired the bathroom. There the couple fell in love with black-and-white decor, and with black-and-white large-format porcelain slabs in particular. “The checkerboard floor was a must, and they also knew they wanted jet black cabinets,” Horstman says. The double pocket doors allow a wide-open view from the bedroom to this glamorous, symmetrical master bath.
Cabinet paint: Caviar, Sherwin-Williams; mirrors: Pottery Barn; pendants: Cedar & Moss
A recent trip to Greece inspired the bathroom. There the couple fell in love with black-and-white decor, and with black-and-white large-format porcelain slabs in particular. “The checkerboard floor was a must, and they also knew they wanted jet black cabinets,” Horstman says. The double pocket doors allow a wide-open view from the bedroom to this glamorous, symmetrical master bath.
Cabinet paint: Caviar, Sherwin-Williams; mirrors: Pottery Barn; pendants: Cedar & Moss
Miss Mabel, right, was an important influence on the bathroom’s design. “We completely designed this seat as Mabel’s perch, so that she could sit up here and look out the window whenever my clients were in the bathroom,” Horstman says. “We chose a super soft cut velvet for the cushion.” Peggy is welcome up here too, of course.
While the counters are quartzite and the backsplash tiles are marble, the shower walls only look like natural stone. They are large-format digitally printed porcelain slabs made to resemble marble. “They loved this look at the hotel in Greece and wanted to copy the large-format slabs that minimize the grout lines,” Horstman says. “They also wanted shower heads and faucets that had a European look.”
A separate toilet room at the other end of the bathroom has an intriguing bit of artwork.
It’s a lovely ode to pugs.
Takeaways
Movin’ On Up: What to Consider With a Second-Story Addition
Read more about home additions
Takeaways
- A good way to balance out a lot of color is with light, neutral-colored millwork.
- Don’t let ductwork muck up your ceilings in a haphazard way. Instead, use it as an opportunity to integrate it within an attractive ceiling design.
- Curate favorite collections into small vignettes. This will take some trial and error until you find the arrangements that please you.
- In a small space, try placing the strong patterns on the floor, the ceiling or both.
- The powder room’s metallic-tinted travertine, blush walls and a brown leather accent is a great little palette to file away.
- A headboard wall is the best spot for a feature wall in a bedroom.
- Pet perches are certainly something important to consider when designing.
Movin’ On Up: What to Consider With a Second-Story Addition
Read more about home additions
Addition at a Glance
What is it: A two-story addition that includes a living room and master suite
Who lives here: A couple of world travelers and their two dogs
Location: Minneapolis
Size: The addition is 1,200 square feet (111 square meters); the footprint is about 20 by 30 feet
Designer: Jennifer Horstman of Lenox House Design
“These clients really love color — they even pushed me beyond the edges of where my comfort zone was and I love color,” interior designer Jennifer Horstman says. Her clients are a couple who have been traveling the world together for more than 25 years — to Africa, Alaska, the Amazon and, most recently, Greece and a mission trip to Haiti. They pick up artful mementos to have a piece of the places they’ve been at home with them in South Minneapolis.
After more than 2½ decades together, the couple, along with their beloved pugs and their cherished mementos, needed some space to breathe. A two-story addition to their early-1900s home was just the ticket. Downstairs, the addition incorporates a spacious new living room, mudroom and powder room, and upstairs is an expansive master suite with two walk-in closets. The homeowners acquired most of the furniture and artwork themselves. Some of it they bought new for the addition, but much of it was collected during their travels, such as the Chinese chest and Turkish rug seen here. Horstman helped them edit and put it all together. She also worked with Andy Schrader of design-build firm Schrader & Companies, who ran the design-build aspects of the project, including the architectural drawings and contracting.