In Minneapolis, Crafting a Space for Home and Work By: Shannon Grant

Linda Aldredge, the owner and creative director of Lulu Organics, has grown up and lived all over the country. For the past two years, she has called the top floor of a sprawling Victorian in Minneapolis her home. When her friends bought the 4600 square-foot, six car garage space, she thought, “Wow! They really overbought!”. But then Linda says, almost immediately she found herself without a home shyly asking them if she could take over the upstairs in-law space. Between the 1600 square-foot apartment and three garages available to her, she had to the challenge of taking a very large open space and dividing it up to be functional for work, and comfortable for her and her stepdaughter Gitzie, who she shares the space with. She loves the idea of a minimal home, but it just doesn’t work for her.

Linda says her decorating goals were fairly modest. She loves a space to look eclectic and bohemian, but being the nomadic soul that she is, she always prioritizes comfort and function. She’s adapted the space to work for her many crafting interests, and fills it with furniture and collected objects that have been in her family for generations, from photos to textiles to even a seam ripper – everything has special meaning for her. Features like the peaked roofs lend a magical vibe to the space that Linda loves, but most of all she loves that she is able to spread her wings in such a huge space that allows her to pursue her passions. –Shannon

Photography by Josh Grubbs and Styling by Toby Rae

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1fd50gx From Shannon Grant

A Catskills Home with More History Than Meets the Eye By: Shannon Grant

When it comes to historic homes, the common phrase, “they don’t make them like they used to” often applies in unexpected ways. Take the home of Jeffrey Monteiro and Clayton Dean Smith in Peakville, NY, in the Western Catskill. It is part of a small hamlet surrounded by seven other houses, including what was once a general store/post office, a hotel and bar and a one-room schoolhouse, among others. Eager to make the historic space their own, Jeffrey and Clayton have taken on a number of projects and worked around a few structural challenges in the six years they have lived there.

From discovering wall insulation made of denim jeans paired with 1930s newspaper, to working around the lack of a basement (at the time it was built in 1890 it originally had earthen floors), they are continually striking a balance between modern convenience and historic charm. Perhaps the most surprising experience was a couple of years ago when they were shoring up the stone wall attached to the house. “While working on the wall and the slope near it, the stone mason happened upon what was once the burial ground for unwanted household items, including ceramics, utensils, tin toys, intact glass bottles, boots, belts, clothing, tools and other household detritus to the total of 5 tons that had to be carted away. Which explained why that particular slope was pitted and unstable — it wasn’t earth that was under there! It only added to the sense of history that we appreciate about the hamlet. To this day, the occasional cup and saucer emerge from the front lawn.”

Whether it’s gardening, decorating or digging up archaeological curiosities, it is always a work in progress, but the two realize that just being in there is part of the process. There are certainly more projects on the horizon, such as solving the awkward layout of a bathroom that adjoins the master bedroom with the guest room (privacy please!), but they are content with the tranquility and connection to nature that the space affords them. When they aren’t busy working around the house, Jeffrey, who has a background in design and fashion, runs J.M. Generals, an online store showcasing American Cashmere along with an array of American-made lifestyle and body care products. Clayton is an actor working in film, television and theater, currently finishing Off Track Betty, a film he wrote and directed to be released later this year. —Shannon

Photography by Maxwell Tielman

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1Fmmso5 From Shannon Grant

A San Francisco Home Built for Play By: Shannon Grant

What would happen if the kids’ playroom turned into the entire home? It would look a lot like the San Francisco home Julia Busenitz shares with her husband Dennis, two sons Rune and Sepp, and dog Gucci. They were already living in the neighborhood — just a little over a block away — when the family fell in love with this house. They saw the potential even though it was “tiny, dark and stinky,” as Julia says. They knew they could make it their own with a lot of work and love. Fast-forward seven years and the house is transformed into a light-filled, lived-in, kid-friendly space.

It wasn’t easy to transform the home. There have been challenges along the way, lots of projects built just to be torn down again, but that’s just part of the process, Julia says. Their biggest objective, though, was to make sure the space was not precious at all. They wanted their home to be fun and inspiring: a place where their kids would bring their friends over to play, while still being comfortable enough to host big dinners.

Details such as the net lofted above the living room to the “porthole” above the boys’ bunk beds are proof of the family’s dedication to make every detail of the house playful and experiential. Julia’s husband Dennis built much of the furniture, making everything feel special and truly one-of-a-kind. His custom woodwork pieces are complemented by fabulous Craigslist scores (the oven, and a brand new bathroom sink and toilet). Outside, they are surrounded by a riot of lush greenery, their chicken coop, and Julia’s studio. Aside from being the coolest parents in the neighborhood, Julia runs a textile design business, Luca Jackson, and Dennis is a professional skateboarder. Thanks to both Julia and Dennis for demonstrating that a space for kids and a space for adults don’t have to be two separate things. —Shannon

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1LIi1ZC From Shannon Grant

Seeing the Potential in a San Francisco Rental By: Shannon Grant

When renting in a big city, it’s almost always a given that an apartment won’t automatically meet all the criteria of one’s idea of a “perfect” home. That’s okay, you just have to decide what is most important. Is it the neighborhood, the price of rent, the size? Sometimes an opportunity comes along that requires a game-time decision, and you are challenged to see through the things you don’t like in order to make a home you love.

This is exactly what happened with Shara Lotfi and Chris Koesler. They were living happily in the quiet Inner Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco when this apartment, located in the Mission, became available. It was a much bigger space, and presented a chance to move back to a neighborhood they loved. But it wasn’t a home run. As Shara says, “I can’t believe it now, but we were actually reluctant to move at first! When we first saw the apartment it was not in the best shape. There was wall-to-wall mint green carpet and all the windows were covered with dark, heavy drapes. There was peeling wallpaper in the bedroom, and everything was just generally looking a bit old and shabby.”

The couple decided to seize the opportunity and set upon making some big changes right away. The first and perhaps most dramatic change was tearing up all the carpets that were covering the hardwood floors. “I think if we had known exactly how much work that would be, we might have talked ourselves into living with the carpet, but luckily I was pretty adamant about tackling that project,” Shara says. They did it all themselves (including removing the pesky carpet nails!), and then hired someone to polish the floors. The other major improvement — that is, in my opinion, one of best, cheapest, (and easily reversible) ways to transform a space — was to paint every wall in the house, as well as the kitchen cabinets. Following those two major overhauls, they continue to make changes here and there, including making the home baby-friendly since their daughter, Ayla, was born in 2013.

In all, they have created a place well-suited for their family of three with enough space to work from home. Shara is the designer behind Lotfi, a textile and accessory design company, and Chris is a freelance illustrator and part-time professor at California College of the Arts. Moving beyond the interior space, they are now shifting their focus to the backyard, as Ayla loves being out back. Shara says she is not much of a gardener, but she sees the potential for a beautiful garden, and as any renter knows, that is half the battle. —Shannon

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1OYwtxo From Shannon Grant

In Madrid, Respecting the Old and Embracing the New By: Shannon Grant

For the past two years, jewelry designer Olivia Terrell and her husband Andrew have lived in this apartment in the Malasaña neighborhood of Madrid, Spain. They have moved a lot during their five years of marriage, but they’ve lived in this space the longest. Olivia says it has always been a challenge to make each new place feel like home, but that was especially true when they moved into this apartment.

The space was new to them, but very old. Built in 1873, it was oddly shaped and had no straight lines or right angles to speak of. Hardly a blank canvas, it came partly furnished with a variety of white IKEA furniture. Olivia, who leans more toward neutral earth tones and antiques, decided to embrace a modern, albeit quirky, white-washed look. She and Andrew sourced a variety of found objects and furniture to infuse the space with their personal aesthetic. They love objects with history and revel in the occasional dumpster find, declaring, “People throw away some amazing things!” This eclectic approach to decorating works for them, especially since Olivia feels unattached to any particular style at this point in her life. This open-minded point-of-view informs her work as well. As her life changes, so does her jewelry design. While the general aesthetic remains, she has evolved from organic shapes and textures to something more architectural and geometric, which she attributes to her surroundings. These days, Olivia and Andrew truly feel at home. Whether they are watching sunsets on the balcony or hosting American Thanksgiving for their Spanish friends, they love incorporating familiar traditions into their new life in Madrid. —Shannon

Photography by César Perez 

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1IIilX2 From Shannon Grant

When Renovation Meets Collaboration By: Shannon Grant

Graphic designer Jon Harvey (also known as Big Jon) has lived in this London home for about 12 years now. Six years ago he and his partner, Stuart, decided to move in together, and rather than just combining their belongings in what was up until then only Jon’s home, they made the definitive move to transform the space into something new that they could both call their own. This meant a renovation that doubled the ground-floor living space and transformed the property overall. The result is an open and airy space, filled with an eclectic mix of art and mid-century furniture and objects set against a mostly white backdrop. These graphic pops of color create an aesthetic that mirrors Big Jon’s playful stationery collection. They loved being involved in every part of the process, from working with the architects to developing the interior design. Most importantly, Jon and Stuart love that their home is now truly a reflection of the two of them. -Shannon

Photography by Jon Harvey

via Design*Sponge http://ift.tt/1CbvG6F From Shannon Grant