Artful Living Magazine | Autumn 2010

FALL 2010

THE

DESIGN ISSUE NATE BERKUS

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from the publisher ||

Design is Everything

E

VERY ONCE IN A WHILE, a product or visual experience breaks through our clutter and makes us conscious of great design. In this issue, Artful Living sets out to celebrate design and style.

Design is the planning that lays the basis for the making of every object. In its broadest sense, no other limitations exist and the final product can be anything. Creation can be painstaking and usually requires considerable research, thought, modeling, interactive adjustment and redesign.

To inspire great design, Sir Cecil Beaton said it best: “Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.”

One of the local places to see great design is International Market Square. In this issue, we celebrate 25 years of International Market Square. With more than 75 showrooms, IMS is the largest one-stopshopping destination in the Upper Midwest for home furnishings, decorative accessories, and kitchen and bath products and solutions.

We are proud to announce that Artful Living has become the Official Magazine of IMS. Look for future features and coverage of this inspiring design institution.

Another story we’re proud to feature in this issue is about Nate Berkus, a Minnesota man who has accomplished greatness in the field of design. Leave it to Oprah Winfrey to discover this interior designer — and now TV star — from Hopkins who is about to become famous in his own right.

The great recession has not stopped the hoteliers of New York City from creating new state-of-the-art accommodations and revitalizing dozens of institutions of lodging. Rudy Maxa and Natalie Murray’s “I’ll Take Manhattan” story on page 57 provides an overview of the latest New York boutique and luxury hotels, from new construction to historic rehabs that will make you want to book a trip.

And if you are looking to stretch your dollar, our real-estate report shows just how much you can buy for $500,000 and up, including some fine properties offered by Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty.

Here’s to the power of great design and how it can transform lives. May this issue inspire your own ideas on invention, and change the way you see the spaces in your life.

Cheers,

Frank Roffers Publisher Artful Living Magazine

Artful-LivingMag.com Artful Living

| Spring 2010

5

features

AUTUMN 2010

I’ll Take Manhattan 57

Discover the new wave of luxury hotels that are luring guests to New York City.By Rudy Maxa and Natalie Murray

What I Love Now 73

Designers and trendsetters share their favorite things.

82 Interior designer and Oprah protégé Nate Nate the Great

Berkus gets ready for his own stage.

By Alyssa Ford

8 Artful Living

| Autumn 2010

Artful-LivingMag.com

Take a seat in the lap of luxury.

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4901 American Blvd. W. | Bloomington, MN 55437 | 952.837.6300 | www.FeldmannImports.com

||

AUTUMN 2010

contents

spotlight 140 staging

Laurie Fleming’s eye for design preps a house to sell.

142 green living

Mulberrys keeps clothing care clean.

144 artist

Shane Schaaf’s reclaimed-wood workings make for fine design.

42

22

38

live artfully 15 what to

64

collage 34 profile

38 transportation

The BMW 7 Series’ larger models still offer the pep and power of a sports car.

40 beauty

The Twin Cities beauty institution revamp!

Salonspa celebrates its 20th year.

42 weekend getaway

The Peninsula Chicago hotel’s new program gives access to five-star private shopping.

44 designer discoveries

Martha O’Hara Interiors and Eminent Design dish on the hottest trends for interiors.

home 86 makeover

Customized townhouses at the Brownstones on France allow homeowner’s to add their personal touch.

94 custom living

Shopping, eateries, and diversions are just steps from the Brownstones on France.

Useful and beautiful everyday items for your home.

152 craftsmanship

From the depths of obscurity to high-flying fashion, Panerai’s outsized watches have come a long way.

158 spas

Elan Sassoon’s new Sojourn line offers real balance for your mane.

160 back page

A thoughtful creation speaks to our values and gives us joy.

100 green

Sneak preview of Cambria’s 2011 colors.

104 build

111 real estate

How far will your dollars go in today’s realestate market?

International Market Square marks 25 years of influence in the Midwest.

recurring

Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens looks ahead in technology and style.

An Orono home showcases the forwardthinking design of an architectural merger.

48 reinvented 52 design

The doctors of Edina Plastic Surgery remain a cut above in the changing world of plastic surgery.

148 technology

Send, drink, discover, attend, read, eat, shop.

At 23, Vadim Lavrusik leads the next generation of journalists on the Web.

146 transformation

119 Property Gallery

135 Marketplace

144

Look Good Feel Great with Beautiful Skin

Smooth & Wrinkle Free

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Experience Counts and Quality Matters

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www.CrutchfieldDermatology.com 651.209.3600

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For additional information on any items in this magazine, please call: 952.230.3100 To be removed from the mailing list please e-mail “unsubscribe” in subject line to: hayley.dulin@lakesmn.com

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customer service

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Ketti Histon To advertise in this publication, please call 952.237.1100

ISO 12647-7 Digital Control Strip 2007

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Lakes Artful Living is published by Roffers Group, LLC, all rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reprinted without permission.

Roffers Group, LLC cannot be held responsible for any error or omissions.

If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard.

It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers.

We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully. Each Office is Independently Owned And Operated. ®, TM and SM are licensed trademarks to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates, Inc. An Equal Opportunity Company.

Equal Housing Opportunity. Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. is Owned and Operated by NRT Incorporated.

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Writers: Billy Beson, Carolyn Crooke, Elizabeth Dehn, Hayley Dulin, Alyssa Ford, Ivy Gracie, David Mahoney, Rudy Maxa, Natalie Murray, Todd Shipman, Alecia Stevens, Lori Storm, Mitchell Wherley Other photography: Kristi Kienholz, Seth Hannula Style + Product Coordinator: Jill Roffers

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contributors

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Heidi Libera

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marketing

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Naomi Johnson

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business manager

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70 40 40

Hayley Dulin

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managing editor

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Art Director: Mollie Windmiller

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design

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Frank Roffers

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publisher+editor

structural integrity.

Personal accountability.

Uncompromising commitment. Open communication. Honest answers.

Passionate people. Skilled craftsmanship. Unrivalled experience.

In the kitchen that Streeter built.

CUSTOM HOMES • RENOVATION • DESIGN

952.449.9448

View tour locations, properties and portfolio at www.streeter-associates.com Photography by Paul Crosby MN Lic #1380

Contributors Carolyn Crooke

is a freelance writer based in Minneapolis.

Elizabeth Dehn

is the founder of BeautyBets.com, and a regular lifestyle contributor to Minnesota Monthly, Star Tribune, and Twin Cities Live television.

Alyssa Ford

has been covering Twin Cities’ architecture and design since ‘04. She has written for Midwest Home, Minnesota Monthly, the Star Tribune, and many other publications.

David Mahoney

writes about travel, wine, and the environment for a variety of national and regional magazines. A former senior editor at Sunset and the former editor of Minnesota Monthly.

Rudy Maxa

is host and executive producer of “Rudy Maxa’s World” on public television (maxa.tv) and a contributing editor with National Geographic Traveler.

Alecia Stevens INSPIRING DESIGN, INSPIRED BY YOU.

is a freelance writer and interior designer, dividing her time between Minneapolis and New York.

Her blog is www.aleciastevens.blogspot.com.

Lori Storm

has been covering people, places and hot trends in the Twin Cities for more than a decade. She is the former Editor of Twin Cities Statement, and has a background in television as a producer at KARE 11.

Brandi Hagen, Principal Designer

Mitchell Wherley eminentid.com • 612·767·1242

is the owner, CEO and driving force behind the passion, inspiration and creativity that define Spalon Montage.

AUTUMN 2010

live artfully What to...

16 Send 18 Drink

20 Discover 24 Read 22 Attend 26 Eat

28 Give 30 Shop

Artful-LivingMag.com Artful Living

| Autumn 2010

17

Rediscover the place you call home.

live artfully || send

Wish You Were Here HazelMail makes sending digital memories a snap. | BY NATALIE MURRAY

RAMSEY ENGLER LTD “Nothing tells a story like a picture.”

M

Interior Design & Project Management 612. 339. 9494 RAMSEYENGLER.COM

eet Hazel, the easiest way to share memories to friends and family worldwide. Simply snap a picture with your phone and zap to the site; add a personalized message and Hazel will do the rest. Download the newly created HazelMail BlackBerry or iPhone app to directly upload snapshots while on vacation. Hazel will create a custom postcard and print, stamp and mail it for only $1.50 anywhere in the U.S. or $2 to Europe. Just like Hazel says: “Nothing tells a story like a picture.” Visit Hazelmail.com for more information.

live artfully || drink

Making a New Mark For the first time in more than half-of-a century, Maker’s Mark is introducing a new bourbon — and it’s well worth the wait. | BY DAVID MAHONEY

C

hange isn’t undertaken lightly at Maker’s Mark.

The storybook-quaint distillery in the hills of Kentucky has always made its iconic waxsealed bourbon whiskey in the same way it was first made more than 50 years ago by Bill Samuels Sr., who came up with the novel idea of substituting wheat for the more traditional rye in his whiskey to give it a softer flavor. While other bourbon distilleries spun off all sorts of new whiskeys, from small batch to single barrel to barrel proof, Maker’s Mark stuck to its tried and true family formula.

So it came as a big surprise to bourbon enthusiasts when Maker’s Mark recently announced that it would soon be launching a new product called Maker’s 46. Priced about $10 higher than standard Maker’s Mark, it began appearing on liquor-store shelves this summer.

Bill Samuels Jr., who has been at the helm of the distillery since 1975, has fond childhood memories of watching his mom and dad working on the recipe for their whiskey (or whisky, as they’ve always spelled it at Maker’s Mark) in their kitchen. “They were trying to come up with a taste people would talk about,” says Samuels. He had the same objective in mind when he decided it was finally time to extend the Maker’s Mark franchise.

Instead of worrying about how they would

20 Artful Living

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Artful-LivingMag.com

make their new whiskey, Samuels and his master distiller Kevin Smith focused first on what they wanted it to taste like.

“Our goal was to ramp up the flavors, while keeping them in the front of the palate, and to tease people with a little bit of spice,” says Samuels.

They decided that the best starting point would be fully matured Maker’s Mark. For advice on what to do next, they turned to Brad Boswell at nearby Independent Stave Company, a major producer of barrels for wine and spirits. It was Boswell who came up with the idea, after much experimentation, of inserting seared oak staves into the barrels (the particular profile of stave he chose was #46, hence the name) for an additional aging period to give the whiskey the desired flavor boost without extracting harsh tannins from the wood.

The result? If Maker’s Mark were a dignified Kentucky colonel, Maker’s 46 would be his more voluble younger brother. While retaining some of the genteel personality that has always distinguished Maker’s Mark, Maker’s 46 exhibits tantalizing cinnamon and clove notes as well as the hint of extra firepower that comes with a slightly higher proof.

Whether you’re already a Maker’s Mark fan or just a bourbon fancier who wants to try something new, this is definitely a change you can believe in.

liquid gold The Kentucky bourbon

distillery’s new release is a smooth fall drink with hints of cinnamon and clove.

The diamond that says “I would marry you all over again”

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The original diamond from your wedding ring

Your mom’s wedding ring diamonds

From the first diamond earrings he ever gave you

Custom Jewelry by:

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live artfully || discover

Gourmet on the Go Surdyk’s new airport location gives travelers a reason to arrive early. | BY HAYLEY DULIN

S

urdyk’s Liquor and Cheese Shop, located in northeast Minneapolis, has been a destination for wine aficionados since its opening in 1934. This fourth-generation-ownedand-operated bottle shop and gourmet food market has recently unveiled its second location, Surdyk’s Flights, in the Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport Terminal 1, located just past the security checkpoint.

Surdyk’s Flights features a full-service bar that includes a variety of the finest wines from across world, available by the glass or as a trio of wine flights. Specialty cocktails and a variety of both locally brewed and premium beer are also among the extensive drink list.

They additionally offer gourmet meals daily at breakfast, lunch and dinner, with such foodstuffs as artisan cheese and salami plates, salads, sandwiches, panini sandwiches and delectable desserts.

Meals are made to order or packaged for you as an on-the-go option for your flight. Choose from a selection of more than 100 wines by the bottle, a perfect hostess gift or simply a fine wine to enjoy once you reach your destination. surdyksflights.com, 612-727-2323

live artfully || attend

Trina Turk

ASID Sample Sale Find unique accent items and high-quality pieces during this three-day event. | BY ALLISON DENT

T

he American Society of Interior Designers Sample Sale is an annual three-day experience at International Market Square that offers the public deeply discounted showroom-exclusive home furnishings that are otherwise available only to designers. Sale items range from 50 to 80 percent off original retail value. The ASID Sample Sale attracts hundreds of attendees each year who are on the hunt for everything from one-of-a-kind accent items to high-quality investment pieces.

Sale items reflect the superior style and construction standards of the IMS showrooms and designers. Participating this year are the esteemed showrooms of Francis King Ltd., Design Professionals Inc., Art Resources Gallery and many more. Additional showrooms and featured sale items can be found on Facebook.com/ASIDSampleSale.

Shoppers have the exclusive opportunity to consult one-onone with interior designers for expert advice and uniquely tailored recommendations. Designers, identifiable by the lavender clipboards they carry, will be roving IMS and available by appointment for complimentary 30-minute consultations.

ASID Sample Sale November 4—6, 2010 Thursday: 4 p.m.—8 p.m.

Friday: 9 a.m.—6 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m.—12 p.m.

International Market Square 275 Market St., Minneapolis

A Contemporary Womens Boutique 223 Water Street ~ Excelsior ~ 952-474-4519

Artful Living_30AUG10.indd 1

8/29/10 9:06:22 PM

live artfully || read

What to Read Now

On your way to Balthazar in SoHo for a cappuccino and croissant, pick up a memoir about New York society that reads like good fiction and a design book as inspiring as the Manhattan skyline. | BY ALECIA STEVENS

Them: A Memoir of Parents

Design in Black & White

Here’s the arc of the story: You live in Paris, born there in 1930, and are the only child, of Tatiana Lacovleff, a stylish and sophisticated Russian woman and lover to the futurist Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky. Your father, divorced from your mother, is a French diplomat and, when you are 10, dies in a car accident fighting for the Free French in the South of France.

Still in Paris, your mother marries a Jewish Russian immigrant named, Alexander Liberman, a charismatic artistic type, and they proceed to weave a fascinating but narcissistic life that is a tapestry of the artists and intellectuals of France in the ‘30s and ‘40s. When they move to New York to escape the persecution of Jews in Europe, they take the city by storm, building their own social empire and careers in the new world: Liberman, as president of Condé Nast publishing, which catapulted Vogue magazine to the fashion stratosphere, and Mother as hat designer to affluent New Yorkers and movie stars (“Tatiana of Saks”).

Meanwhile, as the bright, insightful, agreeable child that you are, you adapt dutifully to their world even though you often feel an accessory to their lives. Who could make this up?

With the rigor of the intellectual that she is, author Francine de Plessix Gray, who is a regular contributor to the New Yorker and an awardwinning biographer of the Marquis de Sade, dives into the realm of the heart as she poignantly untangles the threads of a life that was, at once, both privileged and lonely. And so much better than fiction.

I’ll never forget the visual mood of Woody Allen’s movie Manhattan.

Shot entirely in blackand-white, it made its mark on me. To this day, black-and-white and all shades of gray are my favorite “colors.” As a palette, like the city itself, it shows strength and more than a little chutzpah, when a designer or artist limits oneself artistically to this minimal paintbox.

In Design in Black & White, Janelle McCulloch peeks into interiors from around the globe given to this particular confidence. Whether in Miami, Florence, Nantucket, Australia or Africa, we are reminded of the high-octane impact of this simple palette, one that emphasizes shape, texture, light and shadow, and never seems to go out of style.

Written by Francine de Plessix Gray Penguin Group, 2005

26 Artful Living

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Artful-LivingMag.com

Written by Janelle McCulloch The Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd, 2010

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Investment products: Are Not FDIC Insured

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May Lose Value

live artfully || eat

Sweet Harvest Apple season ushers back Kowalski’s Signature pie. | BY HAYLEY DULIN

W

hat better way to enjoy the cooler months ahead than with a melt-in-your-mouth, decadent slice of apple pie? Look no further than Kowalski’s Signature Rustic Apple Pie. This four-pound pie made from-scratch delivers the best flavor one could imagine. With handmade crust that is tender and flaky, it is packed with fresh apples and sprinkled with a special blend of cinnamon and sugar.

Its open top showcases the succulent filling that pairs perfectly with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream. Find this sweet treat at any one of Kowalski’s nine Twin Cities locations. www.kowalskis.com.

live artfully || give

The Gift of Wine Toast-its labels dress vino for the perfect present. | BY ELIZABETH DEHN

E

ven the simplest gift is more fun to give — and receive — when it looks too good to open. A swath of silk ribbon can transform a paperback book or a handful of wild flowers. Wine, however, presents a trickier proposition.

Handing an unadorned bottle to your gracious host looks uninspired. Putting a fancy vintage in a cheap paper bag is like serving it in plastic cups. Which is why we’re pleased as punch about Toast-its.

Designed by Minneapolis-based branding firm Imagehaus, these clever labels offer a clean, classy way to gift wine. The seasonal patterns are fantastic, and the blank space for jotting a celebratory note will save you the trouble of a separate card. At only $3.99 a piece, they’re definitely worth toasting. toast-its.com.

P H OTO G R A P H Y: PA U L C R O S BY | B U I L D E R : S T R E E T E R & A S S O C I AT E S

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|

952.473.9503

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CRSARCH.COM

Simplify the Simplify Season

live artfully || shop

Old Goes Online Hunting for that perfect vintage find?

Try sleuthing these sites. | BY ALYSSA FORD

1st Dibs

1stdibs.com

The Basics: A by-invitation-only Web site that acts as an

aggregator for some of the top antiques dealers in the world.

Site founder Michael Bruno says the site has more than 250,000 regular users and an 800-dealer waiting list.

As the holiday season draws near, party planning and the hunt for creative meal solutions become top of mind. There’s no better place to find the quality and selection you crave than at your local Kowalski’s Market.

Whether you’re hosting a dinner party for five or throwing a party for five hundred, Kowalski’s can help you Celebrate With Taste. Go to kowalskis.com to plan your event, or call 1-888-972-7890 to work with one of our event coordinators.

k

• Catering • Party Trays • Fruit baskets

• Chef-Prepared Holiday Meals • Signature Floral

• Gifts for any occasion

k

Check out our Catering Brochure and order Holiday Meals online at kowalskis.com.

Artful: Intriguing historical articles and timely interviews

with tastemakers make this site a destination even without the shopping.

Annoying: Prices are sky-high. Then again, buyers are paying for a kind of quality guarantee they won’t find on eBay.

Bond & Bowery

bondandbowery.com

The Basics: Founded by a father-and-son team in 2007, Bond & Bowery has about 180 dealers in the U.S. and U.K. and is particularly strong with items from the 1960s and 1970s.

Artful: Intuitive design makes searching a cinch.

Annoying: With so many search options and so few dealers, many searches yield just a single item!

Fyndes

fyndes.com

The Basics: Based in Los Angeles, Fyndes has an interesting mix

— not just antiques, but contemporary designers and visual artists are also represented. Founder Mark Castellino has personally invited all 76 dealers on the site.

Artful: Nicely curated. There seemed to be much less to wade through to find something truly intriguing.

Annoying: There’s a lovely grid on the main page with featured items, but none of them are clickable.

VandM

vandm.com

The Basics: Online since 2006, Vandm.com calls itself, “the

less obvious design choice.” Founder Chris Sansbury says the site has about 150 dealers and plans to stay that way. He’s particularly proud that the site is available in 34 languages and has attracted many non-American dealers.

9 Twin Cities Locations • www.kowalskis.com

kowalskis-artfullvng-fall2010.indd 1

Artful: There’s a nice range of items here, and the prices do seem less inflated.

Annoying:

8/30/10 12:33 PM

Not much context or content. The blog is skippable.

INSPIRATION AWAITS

INSPIRED DESIGN DETAILED CRAFTSMANSHIP LASTING IMPRESSIONS

651.578.0122

Images by Jon Huelskamp/LandMark ©2010 Ispíri LLC / MN License #20627402

|

Visit www.ispiri.com

Brownstones on France Blending Classic Elegance with Timeless Luxury.

Conveniently located in the heart of the Edina neighborhood, the Brownstones on France offers a blend of timeless architecture and classic elegance with all the luxuries and conveniences of 21st century living.

These spacious residences showcase craftsmanship, exclusivity, security, quality and an unsurpassed attention to detail. We invite you to begin creating the home of your dreams.

Open Sundays Noon-3:00 or By Appointment For a private introduction we can be reached at 952-915-1000 â—† www.brownstonesonfrance.com

Brownstones on France 5200 France Avenue, Edina

THE ROFFERS GROUP

AUTUMN 2010

PHOTOGRAPH BY KRISTI KIENHOLZ

collage 34 Profile 44 Designer Discoveries 38 Transportation 48 Reinvented 40 Beauty 52 Showrooms 42 Weekend Getaway Artful-LivingMag.com Artful Living

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collage || profile

Virtual Virtuoso At 23, Vadim Lavrusik leads the next generation of journalists on the Web. | BY NATALIE MURRAY

our readers and fans to connect with us and our content.”

A Minnesota native, Lavrusik graduated with an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota, where he was editor in chief at the Minnesota Daily and wrote for Twin Cities publications, including the Star Tribune and the Minneapolis–St. Paul Business Journal.

New York City was next, where Lavrusik worked as the social media intern at the New York Times, managing the paper’s Facebook and Twitter pages. He received a master of adim Lavrusik admits that in grade science from Columbia University’s journalism school he was a rebel, troublemaker school (where he currently teaches) and and bully. He’s apparently gotten created the Web site, NYC 3.0, a hub for tech over all that. Today, he’s Community entrepreneurs in New York City.

Manager at a Web site called Mashable.com, Location, mobility, personalization and where he’s responsible for building a strong gaming are the most popular social media social network. The site is a leading online trends today, says Lavrusik. For businesses, “My hope is to fulfill my responsibility: create he emphasizes the importance of “location, an engaged community by making it easy for location, location,” our readers and fans to connect with us and mostly referring to increasing customer our content.” —VADIM LAVRUSIK use of mobile devices and taking advantage of location-based source for the latest news in social and digital applications for each business. media, technology and Web culture. Lavrusik’s Lavrusik says the only way for newspapers job: to identify emerging social platforms, to stay afloat is to take advantage of new bring more readers to the site, and connect technology and social platforms, such as the Mashable’s staff with the latest media trends. new Scoop iPhone app, introduced by the New “It is a very big role,” Lavrusik says. “My York Times, in which the dining editor and hope is to fulfill my responsibility: create an restaurant critic for the paper share the best engaged community by making it easy for

V

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Artful-LivingMag.com

restaurants, bars and social events in NYC. Lavrusik, 23, says his generation reads news through social media sites while newspaper readers, a diminishing audience, tend to be older. He doesn’t have a sunny prediction for magazines, either: “We’ll likely see the print version of magazines disappear after my generation. I say my generation because a good amount of people in their mid-20s grew up around magazines. But even this is changing with devices like the iPad and other e-readers.”

His advice for those who would like to get involved with social media?

“Be social, read Mashable, and take part in the social media community,” suggests Lavrusik, who says Minnesotans have traditionally been “creative and progressive” when it comes to new technology. A viewpoint his young career as a media guru certainly illustrates.

Available Exclusively at

A Distinctive Lighting & Design Gallery

International Market Square Suite 528 • Minneapolis • 612.746.0444 Consideration to the Trade Photo by Mike Boland

collage || transportation

Room to Zoom

L

uxury or performance? Most drivers are forced to make a choice. But there’s no need to sacrifice with the latest generation of the BMW 7 Series. The bold sedan, with an all-wheel-drive option, has rolled into BMW of Minnetonka and is just begging for a test drive.

“Many of our customers are dynamic,” says Todd Olson, sales manager at BMW of Minnetonka. “They have a fast-paced lifestyle.

They need the flexibility of being able to have people in the car, whether clients or family, but at the same time they want to have fun while they are driving.”

While the body style is sleek and more muscular than previous models, vehicles in the 7 Series are also very practical. The German automaker added 5.5 inches to the wheelbase to provide more legroom and overall comfort for passengers. The design of the spacious rear compartment also allows for more headroom. Adding to the experience, there’s rear-seat heating and even a massage feature.

The 7 Series is bigger, but Olson insists it handles more like a smaller, sportier car. “It doesn’t feel like you’re driving a monstrosity. It feels very manageable — very much a controllable size,” he says. “The idea is ‘Even though I have this car that has all the comfort and luxury of the ride for my passenger, I still feel like I am driving a sports sedan.’”

Most of the models within the class are powered by a 400 horsepower, 4.4-liter TwinPower Turbo V-8 engine that is estimated to accelerate from zero to 60 in just five seconds.

The BMW 7 Series’ larger models still offer the pep and power of a sports car.

And with the touch of a button, drivers can choose from four distinct settings ranging from comfort to sport-plus mode. The Driving Dynamics Control system adjusts shift response, throttle response, shock-absorber firmness, power-steering assist and stability control.

BMW has opened up the market north of the Mason Dixon Line by allowing for optional four-wheel drive. Heavy rain, snow or mud are now no problem. “Our drivers don’t want to think about snow tires,” Olson says. “They don’t want to have to wonder if it will be drivable in all weather conditions. The computer is smart enough to know how to make sure it maximizes the traction to the appropriate wheel. Unless you try to get the vehicle stuck, you won’t have any driving issues.”

Car enthusiasts are especially revved up about the all-new BMW Alpina B7 sedan, which is a retooled and upgraded version of other 7 Series vehicles. According to the manufacturers, Alpinas are quicker and sportier and also offer a smoother ride than equivalent BMW production models.

The 2011 7 Series is available in a variety of sedans designed to address the wants and needs of individual customers. The price tag ranges between $82,000 and $137,000, depending on options. BMW of Minnetonka encourages interested drivers to come in and take the 7 Series out for a spin.

“Getting to the destination isn’t the goal,” says Olson. “Having fun while you’re getting to the destination is more of the focus.”

turbo charged The new BMW 7 Series features a 4.4-liter V-8 engine, a roomier interior and optional four-wheel drive for customers living in regions that see snow or heavy rain. “The computer is smart enough to know how to make sure it maximizes the traction to the appropriate wheel,” says Todd Olson of BMW Minnetonka.

40 Artful Living

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42 Artful Living

Elan Sassoon’s new Sojourn line offers real balance for your mane. |

Hair Apparent

BY ELIZABETH DEHN

collage || beauty

| Autumn 2010

Artful-LivingMag.com

T

he son of legendary hair stylist Vidal Sassoon — creator of the geometric bob and “If you don’t look good, we don’t look good” fame — Elan Sassoon is no stranger to the beauty business. He’s built an empire of his own with several notable East Coast salons, including the ultra-modern Mizu at Boston’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Now Sassoon is getting back to the basics with the launch of Sojourn, a professional hair-care collection based on the principles of pH balance.

“I’ve used every shampoo and styling product you can imagine, and a lot of them made my hair feel like straw,” says Sassoon. “With Sojourn, I wanted to create something healthy for hair that actually works.”

Sojourn products are formulated with a pH level of 4.5 to 5.5, which closes the hair cuticle and locks in color. While many shampoos claim to be “pH balanced,” “With Sojourn, I wanted to create if the number isn’t listed on something healthy for hair that the bottle, the actually works.” —ELAN SASSOON pH level is probably too high — leaving hair vulnerable to dryness, fading and breakage.

At Spalon Montage in Edina, senior stylist Tusi Tuaolo recommends Sojourn to all of her clients.

“Think of pH as food for your hair,” she explains.

“You use it like you would aloe to soothe a sunburn.”

Sojourn also contains Keratin cashmere and cystine — two naturally moisturizing and

strengthening ingredients that no other line can claim. All of the products offer UV protection; they are biodegradable and free of sulfates, formaldehyde, parabens and artificial color and dye. There’s a formula for every condition — Moisture, Colour Preserve, Smooth and Volume — and they’re “cocktailable,” so you can mix and match products to suit your hair’s needs.

Next up: a hairspray, set to launch in January, and a cosmetology school with an emphasis on the history and culture of hair. “Dad built one of the best-known, quality-education institutions in the world, teaching the foundation of haircutting,” says Sassoon. “That’s what I want to take away.” Like father like son.

For a list of salon locations where Sojourn is sold, visit sojournbeauty.com.

tresses tamer

Elan Sassoon created his new line of Sojourn products with your locks in mind: eco-and hair-friendly, the lower pH levels make strands healthier.

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collage || weekend getaway

Shopping In Style The Peninsula Chicago hotel’s new program gives access to five-star private shopping at one of the world’s most exclusive design destinations. | BY IVY GRACIE

A

nyone interested in interior design calls the Chicago Merchandise Mart the center of the universe. And anyone who’s read Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Gold List issue in the last six years has noticed the Peninsula Chicago’s perennial appearances on the top-10 lists in multiple categories. Both are Windy City landmarks — hallmarks of high style. And to honor the gracious symmetry between them, the Peninsula created Shop the Showrooms, a program providing personalized pilgrimages to Chicago’s exclusive mecca of design.

“People can’t walk into the Mart and have access to the showrooms,” says Susan Ellefson, director of public relations for the Peninsula Chicago. But Shop the

These programs are meant to be experiences that you can’t get anywhere else.

stay & play

Showrooms gives participants entrée into a world that is typically off-limits to the general public. There they can discover an unmatched selection of furniture, fixtures and accessories and take advantage of a designer discount on all their purchases.

“That’s why it’s such a unique experience,” Ellefson says, adding that the Shop the Showrooms outing is part of the Peninsula Academy program — a selection of culturally based activities that reflect the community surrounding the hotel. “These programs are meant to be experiences that you can’t get anywhere else,” she says. And, as home to the world’s largest collection of couture furnishings, a behind-the-scenes trip to the Merchandise Mart is truly one of a kind.

Merilee Elliott, IIDA and owner of Merilee Elliott Interiors, tailors each outing to the client’s needs.

Some enlist her expertise to design floor plans or color schemes. Others come prepared to power shop. Some request private VIP showings; others simply want to tour the two-block long, five-story building. Whatever the motive, Elliott configures the outings in two, four or six-hour durations.

Surprisingly, Shop the Showrooms is not limited to Peninsula guests. “You can be a Chicagoan,” Ellefson asserts. “You can even stay at another hotel.”

But why turn down an opportunity to stay at one of the most consistently top-ranked hotels in the world?

With luxuriously appointed rooms, four distinctly enticing restaurants, a world-class spa and a tony address on the Magnificent Mile, the five-star, fivediamond Peninsula Chicago leaves little to be desired.

However, any extraneous yens can be easily addressed, thanks to a better than one-to-one ratio of staff members to guest rooms.

Leaving no detail unnoticed, the Peninsula Chicago always ensures that each guest’s hotel experience is refined, luxurious and memorable. And in similar fashion, each Shop the Showrooms excursion is as elegant as the Peninsula, as exciting as the Mart, and as unique as the person who takes it.

Chicago visitors and guests of the Peninsula Chicago LEFT and can participate in an exclusive outing to the design mecca Chicago Merchandise Mart RIGHT, which is closed to the public — a trip organized by the posh hotel.

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xDrive Intelligent AWD: Proof that it’s possible to over-engineer overengineering.

Blur the line between practicality and pedal-to-the-floor fun at BMW of Minnetonka. Our indoor showroom is largest in the world, and home to BMW’s 2011 xDrive Intelligent AWD. Wants? Needs? Yes, please.

The only locally owned BMW dealership.

394 West of 494 15802 Wayzata Boulevard

Minnetonka phone: 952-303-7500

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collage || designer discoveries

Dispatches from the Design World Spotlight On: Carrie Kirby Rodman

Carrie Kirby Rodman, senior designer at Martha O’Hara Interiors, shows off one of her favorite colors: preppy-chic kelly green.

Beaded Chandelier ABOVE

WHY I LOVE IT: The perfect mix of punchy color and sophisticated design, and it’s so versatile. You can glam up a casual space or add a note of playfulness to a more formal one.

THE SPECS: Green glass “Goddess” chandelier by Currey & Company with “Cupertino” finished-wrought-iron frame.

Kelly Green Lamp

WHY I LOVE IT: The green on this piece has so much complexity. I love the idea of adding it into a neutral space, preferably with lots of black and gray.

THE SPECS: Arteriors “Finley” ceramic lamp with white linen shade and silk-cotton trim accent.

Patterned Rug

WHY I LOVE IT: A statement rug with lots of chic. The color is vibrant, and the pattern is intriguing but not too overwhelming.

THE SPECS: Hand-tufted Indian wool rug in “Asian Lattice” from the Chinoiserie Collection by Delos Rugs.

Picture Frame

WHY I LOVE IT: A nice little splash of color. Use this one with a black-and-white photo for best effect.

THE SPECS: Inlaid kelly green picture frame by Tozai Home.

All products available at Martha O’Hara Interiors, 952-908-3150, oharainterios.com.

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Spotlight On: Brandi Hagen

Brandi Hagen, owner of Eminent Interior Design, dishes on the hottest introductions from major design vendors.

Laser-Cut Lovelies

Laser-cut mosaics are still huge, because the circular stone pattern makes for such an interesting effect in the home. Personally, I’m totally smitten for the new “Serpentine” collection that combines sculpting stone and German silver. “Serpentine” collection by Ann Sacks, shown in “Curves.”

Wall Candy Gets Dimension

The new “Petalo” mirror is four-and-a-half inches deep, so it creates interesting shadows on the wall, which is fun. I love the idea of using three or four of these along a hallway or above a bed. Resin “Petalo” mirror by Baker Furniture with distressed white-gold leaf finish.

Heavy Metal Gets Flirty

Once you’ve seen so many chair designs, you think you’ve seen them all. But I was blown away by this one from Studio Workshops. It’s a sleek, metalframed chair, and its definitely edgy, but the integrated circles give it a sense of femininity.

Brilliant. Upholstered “Waldorf Lounge” by Studio Workshops with satin-nickel-plated base and arms.

SANDBACK

A Turn Toward Handmade

Peter Sandback is an artisan that I absolutely love, and he’s introduced this elegant cast-stone coffee table with an elegant burl-wood top. It’s simplicity done really, really well. Table #23

by Peter Sandback, handmade in Harrisville, New Hampshire.

All products available by order through Eminent Interior Design, 612-767-1242, eminentid.com.

SANDBACK

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Burl Coffee Table #23 42” x 42” x 17”h #BC23 olive ash burl top white painted maple base base available in white or any custom paint color

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P E RG OL AS | N AT UR A L S TON E P AT IO 48 Artful Living | Autumn 2010 Artful-LivingMag.com

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C U STOM D EC K S | S A NC T UA RY G A R DE N S | L IG H T I NG E L E M E N T S

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collage || reinvented

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Dustpan & Broom

Cleaning up doesn’t sound so bad when you have the Normann Copenhagen dustpan and broom made of flexy plastic and simple beechwood. $30, Design Public, designpublic.com

Headphones

Monotone Urbanears headphones offer great sound in a rainbow of hues. $60, Urban Outfitters, two Minnesota locations, urbanoutfitters.com

50 Artful Living

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Clothes Hanger

Why settle for wire when there are stainless steel ‘Muro’ clothes hangers from Blomus? $12.42, Lumens, lumens.com

Ironing Board

The stunning Amleto ironing board by Design Group Italia is made of anodized aluminum and folds into a completely flush rectangle, $630, Emmo Home, emmohome.com

Paper Clip Holder

Designed by Rodrigo Torres for Alessi, the Chip holder makes paper clips look like spritely feathers. $57, Unica Home, unicahome.com

Power Strip

The Pivot power strip by Quirky Design can bend into circular, semi-circular or zig-zag shapes to fit all of your devices without the usual wrangling. $25, Quirky, quirky.com

Toaster

The Combi 2+1 toaster by Dualit makes toast, toasted sandwiches, and a swoon-worthy design statement. $320, Williams-Sonoma, williams-sonoma.com

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collage || showrooms

Inside IMS The design destination marks 25 years of influence in the Midwest. |

BY LORI STORM

center for design International Market Square has helped connect designers and clientele for 25 years.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRISTI KIENHOLZ

Y

ou can’t miss it — the huge brick building along Interstate 94 in Minneapolis is one of the city’s most prominent landmarks.

Maybe you’ve been inside for a wedding or bar mitzvah. Perhaps you’ve even toured one of the showrooms. But unless you are part of the design trade, there’s a good chance the everyday goings-on at International Market Square are largely a mystery.

IMS is the biggest one-stop shopping destination for home furnishings, kitchen and bath products, and decorative accessories in the Upper Midwest. It has been supporting Minnesota, the Dakotas, Nebraska, Wisconsin and parts of Canada for the last 25 years.

Still, it’s no mall. IMS is set up as a resource center with a majority of the businesses devoted to helping people within the design trade.

“One of the things that is difficult for people to grasp is that visiting our building is not like going to an average shopping center. We have almost 75 showrooms within IMS that represent 1,800 manufacturers, and within those manufacturers, there are thousands upon thousands of products,” says Bud Cleator, who heads up IMS Tenant Relations. “For someone who has never experienced a design center, it can be extremely confusing and overwhelming.”

That doesn’t mean the public isn’t welcome. One of the biggest misconceptions is that IMS is only open to trade professionals. While that was the case in 1985 when the Design Center first opened, IMS has spent the last two decades trying to escape the public perception of being exclusive and restrictive.

“We encourage people to come in,” Cleator insists.

“We want them to visit our beautiful kitchen and bath showrooms. We also encourage people to explore the rest of the building, as long as they are respectful of those places that are simply not designed to help them.”

There are signs outside of every showroom that indicate whether or not it is open to the public. Most of these consumer-friendly businesses are concentrated on the first floor and include dynamic kitchen, bath and tile showrooms. IMS also has a referral program called the Design Connection, which pairs the public with professionals. Anyone who visits IMS can consult with a designer on anything from coordinating the colors of a backsplash to finding the perfect sofa. In addition,

up close & touchable

Customers shopping for high-end items often want to see and feel fabrics for themselves — an advantage to visiting the showrooms at IMS. Artful-LivingMag.com Artful Living

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collage || showrooms

consumers are encouraged to shop the Sale Room to uncover liquidated merchandise from its distinctive showrooms.

The Design Center specializes in sophisticated, unique and often custom-made products. Tile featuring Swarovski crystals, wall coverings made of exotic bird feathers, artisan rugs — there are countless examples. “The quality of the products within the building, I’m proud to say, are highend,” Cleator says. “And that’s not just to indicate price point. More often than not, the price is justified by the things you cannot see: the construction, the material that goes into it, the design itself.”

There’s also something to be said about the accessibility of these products, notes Karen Soojian, president of the local chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers.

“To be able to take your clients to see the product, it adds a lot of convenience to working on a project, she says. A lot of times people want to sit in upholstery — it’s hard to tell by a picture how it’s going to feel. When you’re selling high-end products, you want to be able to show a finish because that’s part of what you’re paying for in luxury home furnishings.”

Soojian calls IMS an important anchor in the design community. Besides the limitless materials and products, she appreciates the ability to network with other colleagues and share business practices. Many of the showrooms also provide valuable education, which leads to inspiration.

According to Cleator, the possibilities are endless. “I have been here 10 years and I will never stop learning what is available,” he says. “We are very fortunate to have a design center of this nature in the Midwest. It opens it up to so many more people — and I don’t just mean designers. I mean all of us.”

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“To be able to take your clients to see the product, it adds a lot of convenience to working on a project. A lot of times people want to sit in upholstery — it’s hard to tell by a picture how it’s going to feel.” —KAREN SOOJIAN, ASID

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58 Artful Living

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Artful-LivingMag.com

feature || travel

I’ll Take Manhattan A new wave of luxury hotels lures guests to New York City. | BY RUDY MAXA & NATALIE MURRAY

I

t’s all about hotels in New York City this season. Thanks to plans made long before the recession, a tsunami of new luxury hotels hit Manhattan in 2010 — more than 7,000 new rooms were added to the city, an eight percent increase in supply during what remains a slow-growth period in the hotel industry.

There’s no longer a stigma attached to the phrase “hotel restaurant” since signature chefs such as Laurent Tourondel (Ritz-Carlton Central Park, W New York Downtown), Joël Robuchon (Four Seasons), and Todd English (InterContinental Times Square) began joining forces with hotel companies.

And hotel rooftops that once were merely a place for massive airconditioning and heating units are now — led by the Hotel Gansevoort that opened in the Meatpacking District in 2006 — wildly popular venues for cocktails and evening pool parties.

We spent a week visiting Manhattan’s newest four-and five-star hotels, as well as several famous names that have reopened after major renovations, for your guide to the best luxury hotels in New York City now.

gansevoort park avenue

Gansevoort’s Plunge Rooftop Bar and Lounge offers progressive music, open-air terraces, alfresco fireplaces and seductive city lights.

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feature || travel

The Pierre EAST SIDE

After a $100 million renovation earlier this year, the Pierre, formerly managed by the Four Seasons group, reopened in March under the Taj family of hotels. Habitués of the Pierre can rest assured that the hotel’s friendly staff and reliable service remains — including the hotel’s corps of elevator operators that are still on the job.

The Rotunda still impresses with its tromp l’oeil murals painted by American artist Edward Melcarth in 1967. And there’s a welcome addition to dining options with the opening of a branch of the London brasserie, Le Caprice, gleaming in blackand-white with an art deco-décor. Fans of the home office in London will recognize some of their favorites on the menu at La Caprice New York, including baked Thai sea bass and Scandinavian iced berries with hot white-chocolate sauce.

With the exception of one suite, the Pierre didn’t try to tart up a grande dame.

Despite total re-dos of bathrooms and guest rooms, the hotel’s 189 rooms (including 40 suites) remain true to the building’s stolid, Georgian design. The rooms feature soft, warm colors, silk and brocade fabrics, plush carpeting, dark woods, high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass-walled showers with multiple shower heads.

Modern amenities — from electronic laptop safes with interior charging capability to Wi-Fi, HD DVD players and the obligatory flat-screen, HD televisions — are integrated into the room design so discreetly as to be almost invisible.

With its enviable location on Fifth Avenue and sweeping views of Central Park, the Pierre instantly regains its status as an iconic New York hotel where significant events take place and where guests seeking quiet luxury find a home-away-from-home in the Big Apple.

The Pierre, 2 E. 61st St. (at Fifth Avenue), 212-838-8000, tajhotels.com/pierre, about $900 a night

Hotel Prices

For this article, we priced a standard double room on a weeknight in November by visiting hotels’ Web sites in mid-September. But room rates can vary wildly. A $729 room at The Surrey in November, for example, was priced at $500 in January. The Pierre’s double room was $900 in November, but an “early bird” booking price for a night in January was also $500. Prices are generally lower on weekends, and Web sites often offer specials.

royal treatment The Pierre, ABOVE, showcases classic elegance in its remodeled rooms. Reopened in March under the Taj family of hotels, the Pierre still features favorite touches but added many modern amenities.

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InterContinental

NEW YORK TIMES SQUARE MID-TOWN

Another recently opened property is the new InterContinental New York Times Square — the chain’s second in Manhattan. It’s in the middle of the Theatre District in Midtown, at Eighth Avenue and 44th Street, and it’s a major building block in a neighborhood previously known for X-rated emporiums and seedy bars.

But step inside the hotel’s serene lobby, and you know you’re not in your father’s InterContinental. The company that was once the standard in international luxury is, in our observation, battling back with this property as its domestic showcase.

Behind the reception desk, an expanse of glass offers a view of a tranquil, Zen-like garden. Illuminated at night, the garden is even more dramatic. To the right is a separate, library-like seating area where you may plan your days or evenings with one of the hotel’s two concierges. Take a U-turn as you enter the lobby, and you’re in an open lounge area attached to Todd English’s take on a French bistro called Ça Va, where guests plan itineraries with their morning coffee and pastries.

The scent of orchids was in the air when we checked in — a subtle piece of aromatherapy technology the hotel installed; fragrances change with the seasons. (There are also eight “music zones” in the hotel, so you won’t hear the same beat in the health club as in the lobby.) A fleet of elevators ably serve the hotel’s 36 stories; even though the InterContinental is the largest hotel to open in New York City since the nearby Westin eight years ago, the efficiency of the elevators — as well as unusually wide hallways — makes it hard to believe there are 607 guest rooms.

And what pleasant rooms. The smallest is a comfortable 320

square feet, and all have double sinks. The average studio is 500 square feet. Colors are soothing earth tones. Big beds invite with plump duvets. Business travelers will appreciate the long expanse of horizontal desk space and the comfortable desk chair.

Bathrooms are nicely tiled and spacious with roomy showers; about 20 percent of rooms have bathtubs.

Downstairs at Ça Va, breakfast is an indulgence if you choose the Brioche French Toast, which comes adorned with caramelized bananas, a drizzle of Nutella and a graham-cracker crumble. Dinner selections include an appropriately robust cassoulet, short ribs and skate wing. When we visited, Friday night was bouillabaisse night, and we regretted having to depart that afternoon.

If you’re traveling with kids, prepare to wait in line around the corner at one of Manhattan’s five famous Shake Shacks. For more upscale, pre-theater dining, you’re two short blocks from Restaurant Row, at 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues.

Our pick: Becco, part of the family of great Italian restaurants brought to you by PBS-TV cooking show star Lidia Bastianich and her family. Go for the $25 wine list, stay for the three-pasta special that’s served (and served again, if you wish) right off the stove from a large pan.

The InterContinental New York Times Square is obviously well suited for conventions, but its location makes it an ideal headquarters for out-of-town theater lovers, as well. A stone’s throw from the heart of Times Square with subway stops conveniently located all around, the hotel joins the Westin and the nearby threeyear-old New York Times Building in propelling the Eighth Avenue Development Zone toward a bright new tomorrow.

InterContinental New York Times Square, 300 W. 44th. St. (at 8th Avenue), 877-331-5888, interconny.com, about $450 a night

sleek surroundings The chic, contemporary spaces of the InterContinental New York Times Square adds thoughtful touches to its sexy decor: aromatherapy wafting through the air changes with the seasons and eight “music zones” set the tone.

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feature || travel

The Chatwal MID-TOWN

Try to remind yourself you’re not the famous architect Stanford White and you’re not wrapped in a satin robe, Champagne in hand, waiting in your fabulous hotel room for a knock on the door by Evelyn Nesbit, your girlfriend who is 29 years your junior.

It’s hard not to feel you’re a member of New York’s high society at the turn of the century when you check into the Chatwal, a White-designed building that, until recently, was home to the Lambs Club, a professional theater social club.

Two townhouses were joined by designer, artist and architect Thierry Despont to make this 84-room (plus suites) hotel, a tribute to art deco modernism, that’s tucked in the Theatre District.

A small lobby resembles a ’30s airline lounge with a palette of black, salmon and silver with a terrazzo floor. Former Lambs Club members such as Douglas Fairbanks would feel comfortable in the adjacent restaurant, with its black walls, red-leather banquettes and white tablecloths.

Maybe it was the drop lights in the shape of the Empire State Building over the mezzanine bar that made us want to order a Manhattan at 10 a.m. Or maybe it was the knowledge that we could shake off any

cobwebs at the downstairs spa with its saltwater pool (yes!), as well as hot-and coldplunge pools.

But it’s the luxury of the Chatwal’s rooms that captivates — down duvets and pillows, handmade mattresses by Shifman (a favorite of JFK), suede-covered walls and marble bathrooms with waterfall showers and Asprey amenities. Rooms are luxury berths on a vintage cruise ship that also happen to boast Blu-ray DVD players and, embedded in bathroom mirrors, 19-inch TVs. Open the double closet doors covered in faux leather, and it’s as if opening the door of a Maybach, the sturdy, chrome hinges holding doors stocked with a treasure trove of French chocolates, GQ magazine, cocktail supplies and books like The Great Gatsby and American Eve, the account of the scandalous White-Nesbit romance that eventually ended in White’s murder by Nesbit’s husband.

The Chatwal, 130 W. 44th St., 212-764-6200, thechatwalny.com, about $650 a night

Crosby Street Hotel DOWNTOWN

Consider this your English townhome in the heart of SoHo. Your eclectic English townhome.

Each of the 86 rooms is individually designed with a mad but somehow comforting mash-up of black-and-white floral wallpaper accented by hot pink stripes, floral upholstered headboards, canary-yellow chairs, and lime-green couches. A modern lamp sits atop an antique wooden desk.

Luxurious bathrooms feature both granite and oak.

Blame it on self-taught British interior designer Kit Kemp, known for sprinkling her six London boutique hotels with art, fabrics and wallpaper — lots of different wallpaper — in a way few can manage successfully.

The Drawing Room lounge off the lobby of the Crosby Street features an honor bar and violet walls almost obscured by art; an antique mirror; a deep-red velvet couch accented with black-and-white pillows with geometric shapes that match the upholstery of a nearby easy chair; and a view through floor-to-ceiling windows of an English garden. Only Kemp seems capable of turning such chaos into cozy comfort.

The hotel also welcomes your four-legged Fidos, if you choose to bring them. Dogs rule here. Cross the gray, oak floorboards of the crisp, white lobby, past the 10-foot-high steel

sculpture of a human head by Jaume Piensa, and you’ll be greeted in the drawing room by your new master, an oil portrait of a bulldog above a modern fireplace. Other breeds that bark fill the hotel — several papier-mâché dogs (Sunday comic pages serving as fur) stand guard in the lobby. In the elevator, there’s a poster of the “Dogs of SoHo,” featuring photos of local dogs and their owners’ feet. However, even though dogs are welcome to check in, cats are not.

Rooms feature high ceilings with enormous windows. Several suites open to gardens. And when we stopped by, plans were afoot to house a couple of chickens on the roof to ensure fresh eggs for the restaurant, another riot of color and art.

BONUS POINTS: Screen your next movie for 99 of your best friends in the downstairs theater, the one with bright orange, plush seats and purple felt walls.

Crosby Street Hotel, 79 Crosby St., 212-226-6400, crosbystreethotel.com, about $495 a night

the chatwal + crosby street hotel

LEFT

The Chatwal’s décor captures the romance of the past while looking into the future. RIGHT In the heart of New York’s Vibrant SoHo neighborhood, the Crosby Street Hotel has 88 individually designed bedrooms and suites over 11 floors.

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W New York Downtown DOWNTOWN

outlines the headboard and, here, bounces off metallic wallpaper.

Even the closet is back-lit with a fire-red hue. Our tour guide pointed out the rooms’ “flirty shower” that has a lightly frosted window between the shower and the bedroom. There are bathroom amenities by Bliss. But wait, there’s more: Charlotte Voisey, the mixologist who holds court at the Living Room Bar & Terrace, will come to your room and teach you how to mix your own drinks.

Big spenders should consider the Extreme Wow Suite with its panoramic views of Manhattan. The hotel’s restaurant, BLT Bar & Grill, is on the ground floor, and a terrace wraps partly around the Living Room so, when weather permits, guests can watch the downtown bustle from an outdoor perch.

W New York City Downtown, 123 Washington St., 646-826-8600, starwoodhotels.com, about $400 a night

The Surrey UPPER EAST SIDE

London have graffiti-style icons or phrases spray-painted over them, and a Claes Oldenburg, Study for Sneaker Lace, also adorns the lobby. In the adjacent bar with its cozy, quilted- and leather-lined seating areas, slogans are woven into the black-and-white carpeting.

Guest rooms — there are 190 of them — are decorated with a mixture of floral patterns as well as engravings and textures. The colors are silver, black, chestnut and cream. The Surrey captures the cultural essence of the 1920s (a mixologist can be summoned to your room to prepare cocktails — dressing drinks, anyone?) with amenities from the 21st century that include Duxiana beds, Pratesi towels and robes, and Laura Tonatto toiletries.

BONUS POINTS: Off the lobby, you’ll find Daniel Boulud’s elegant restaurant Café Boulud. On the roof, a private garden is open only to guests.

The Surrey, 20 E. 76th St. (at Madison Avenue), 212-288-3700, thesurrey.com, about $729 a night

Is this a disco or a hotel? It’s both, jokes the nice woman at the front desk. Or rather the Living Room, which is what the W calls its combo reception area, sitting space and bar.

Just a block from Ground Zero, this new high-rise — the fourth W in Manhattan — is part condos, part hotel. We started dancing as soon as we entered the front door, where the first blast of music greeted us. To check in, take the dimly lit elevator to the fifth floor, enter the Living Room, and there’s more music, as well as what the hotel calls its “wow element,” a Lamella curtain of bright, LED lighting draped overhead, its white light reflecting off the black marble flooring.

The party never ends at the W New York Downtown. In each of the 217 rooms on the building’s first 23 floors, a rope of LED lighting

You’d expect discretion on the Upper East Side, and this 17-story residence hotel built in 1926 provided just that to residents, who included John F. Kennedy, Bette Davis and Claudette Colbert.

Now, after a $60 million renovation, The Surrey has been reborn and re-imagined by Houston-based interior designer Lauren Rottet and seasoned with bold art, including two pieces by conceptual artist Jenny Holzer, famous for projecting slogans on cityscapes. Here, she puts large text (“You Are My Own” and “But the Myth of Love”) over two prints of xenon projections of ornate Manhattan buildings.

The limestone walls are still there, as are classic marble archways and floors with elaborate gray-and-white mosaics. But the front desk is made of hand-tooled leather, and across the lobby, a Chuck Close portrait of Kate Moss looms. Furniture pieces by Jimmie Martin of

w ny downtown + the surrey

TOP W Hotel’s living room bar with floor–to–ceiling windows . BOTTOM LEFT The Surrey’s private rooftop garden overlooking the Upper East Side and Central Park. BOTTOM RIGHT he Surrey’s luxuriously appointed salons and suites.

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is heated, she’s waiting for you year around. If that doesn’t lure you, perhaps the view of a Manhattan skyline while enjoying a lobster roll on a chilly autumn night by one of several fireplaces might. Go ahead, reach out — you can almost touch the Empire State Building.

Or take the party inside where nudes by photographer Deborah Anderson illuminate the main glass back-lit bar. Anderson’s work is sprinkled in the hotel’s hallways and rooms, too. Or climb a few more steps and take your drink in the VIP Blue Room where pictures of models on tables, leather-covered walls and Brazilian hardwood floors set the stage for a DJ. Like the Gansevoort in the Meatpacking District that kicked New York City’s roof-party phenomenon into high gear, the Gansevoort Park Avenue opened in September ready to party.

The Park Avenue location boasts 20 stories — a glass high-rise with 249 rooms. The three-tiered lobby features black-and-white herringbone, granite floors; a fireplace; spotlights that change colors; a sparkling front desk that seems festooned with fish scales; an Italian restaurant (Asellina); and another bar specializing in infused liquor in case you don’t have the energy to head to the rooftop.

Oh, yes, and the rooms: There’s a stunning, fourbedroom bi-level Presidential Suite that awaits recording stars and business moguls. But even regular rooms are handsome, though your grandparents might blush at Anderson’s large photos above the headboards. The room we viewed featured a burlesque dancer against a hot pink background.

In most rooms, glass-tiled, five-fixture bathrooms with top-of-the-line sound systems and featherbeds with goose-down pillows and 400-thread count, Egyptian cotton linens are standard. Guest rooms are big, averaging 475 square feet, and the décor is pleasantly soothing.

After all, even guests under 30 must sleep now and then.

Gansevoort Park Avenue, Park Avenue South and 29th Street, 212-317-2900, gansevoortpark.com, about $495 a night

Gansevoort Park Avenue DOWNTOWN

“No one over 30 should be allowed to stay here,” says college-age Natalie after we complete a pre-opening tour of the Gansevoort Park Avenue.

Her reasoning?

With a three-story roof deck sporting multiple bars, “guests are in for the craziest party of their lives,” she predicts. And, presumably, only the young will survive.

The image of a blonde pin-up in a black bikini adorns the bottom of the indoor/outdoor rooftop pool. “I’m Waiting . . .” she says, and since the pool

gansevoort park avenue

Gansevoort’s three-story atrium lobby featuring herringbone granite floors, over-sized aubergine chandeliers and a fireplace. RIGHT Gansevoort Park Avenue offers 249 contemporary rooms and remarkable suites.

ABOVE

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Ink48 MID-TOWN

Trump Soho DOWNTOWN

The Donald in SoHo? It’s either the beginning of a new day for the Trump brand or the beginning of the end of SoHo as a trendy neighborhood.

An impeccably dressed doorman in front of the new, 46-story glass tower that is the Trump SoHo ushers guests into a lobby with comfy seating areas. Clean lines, bamboo paneling and golden lighting (gold is the unofficial Trump color) fill the high-ceilinged lobby. Peek in the restaurant, Quattro Gastronomia Italiana, and admire the gleaming columns of sea green, glass tiles and shimmering wall of bottles behind the cozy bar.

There are 391 generously sized rooms (a standard double is 425 square feet), and suites at Trump SoHo are furnished by Fendi Casa in a soothing, champagne template with giant, burgundy headboards looming behind the beds. Stand-alone showers have rainfall showerheads and deep soaking tubs. Marble bathrooms? Natch. Each room also features Nespresso machines and microwaves.

The hotel’s spa promises a “luxury hammam experience,” something you don’t get in an Istanbul hamam, or Turkish bath, but we’re certainly willing to consider it. To live like The Trumpster, rent a private cabana at the outdoor pool deck, Bar d’Eau, during mild weather.

Everything in this hotel is polished and urban. Would The Donald have it otherwise?

Trump SoHo, 246 Spring St., 212-842-5500, trumpsohohotel.com, about $600 a night

trump soho + ink48

Trump’s impressive 46-story hotel, soaring above Spring Street with unparalleled views of SoHo. RIGHT Ink 48’s boutique hotel rooms offer style engraved with contemporary elegance, inspired by the idea of an urban loft.

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Who’d guess a former printing plant in Hell’s Kitchen on 11th Avenue in Midtown would offer some of the best views from a hotel in the city?

But go to the rooftop of Ink48 (the cross street is 48th), and there it is: a horizontal swath of skyscrapers stretching almost as far as the eye can see on one side, the Hudson River on the other.

Ink48 is a Kimpton Hotel. The San Francisco–based chain was one of the first to introduce “boutique” to the hotel lexicon. And while this 16-story building isn’t necessarily Kimpton cozy with 220 rooms, each guest room sports bold splashes of color — a Kimpton standard — and house music pumps through the hotel’s two-story lobby.

An adjacent restaurant, PRINT, is funky and informal and promises farm-to-table cuisine. The hotel offers guests an evening wine reception nightly between five and six o’clock, and water bowls for dogs are placed thoughtfully on the sidewalk at the hotel’s entrance.

Ink48 is located in a no-man’s land with car dealers across the street.

Street venders roll out their carts from nearby warehouses. And horses that pull tourists though Central Park by day spend the night in nearby stables. This is still a working-class neighborhood, but the low buildings of Hell’s Kitchen leave guests that incredible view of Manhattan from Ink48’s roof with its two small pools and comfortable sofas. An enclosed rooftop bar delivers a view during cold weather that even the hotel’s Web site’s digitally enhanced photographs can’t exaggerate.

BONUS POINTS: There’s an Enterprise rental-car office right next door, should you need wheels.

Ink48, 653 11th Ave., 212-757-0088, ink48.com, about $42 a night

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feature || travel

Andaz Fifth Avenue & Andaz Wall Street MID-TOWN & DOWNTOWN

Hyatt’s frontal assault on Starwood’s W Hotels, the Andaz chain, staked its claim in both Midtown and Downtown this summer with the opening of a renovated 1916 building that was once a men’s retail store across Fifth Avenue from the New York Public Library. They also opened a 345-room hotel on Wall Street, with gorgeous public spaces in a 1982 building that used to be the Barclays Bank building.

The relatively new Andaz brand features check-in services without check-in desks. Staffers in informal clothes greet guests as they enter and register them with hand-held computers. In the morning, there are complimentary croissants in the lobbies that feature plenty of space for lounging. Later in the day, guests may pour themselves a glass of wine as well.

The Andaz Fifth Avenue features unusually high ceilings and windows that showcase buildings in the garment district. An informal restaurant called simply “the shop” (the lowercased “s” is deliberate, for a more casual feel) has communal tables, an open kitchen and a menu of local ingredients whose pedigree the staff is happy to provide. The feel is more of a kitchen in a very nice Vermont B&B than a restaurant on Fifth Avenue.

Wide-planked wood floors further the warehouse feel of the hotel, and rooms are spare and clean in design. Dramatic, rust-colored travertine marble walls in the bathrooms contrast with dark marble and stainless-steel sinks and walk-in showers. Designer Tony Chi made the most of the 12-foot-high ceilings, and art and sculptures adorn the hallways and public spaces to make for a spectacular hotel to simply visit.

The Andaz Wall Street is thoroughly modern with — in true Andaz fashion — a lobby that’s really a series of living rooms. Complimentary light snacks, wine and bottled water are on hand around the clock — just graze the open tables and settle onto a sofa.

Or, for a more substantial meal, climb the wide, curving staircase up a level and enter Wall & Water, a dramatic space with not just an open kitchen, but drink stations at your table. Like its sister hotel on Fifth Avenue, the Andaz Wall Street touts farm-fresh ingredients.

Rooms feature dark wood floors and modern furniture; bathrooms of travertine and sandstone tile floors and oversized baths were designed by the Rockwell Group, a company well-known for splashy, break-the-mold hotel décor. Oh, and in the mini-bar, the sodas, Clif Bars, Terra Chips and water are included in your room rate.

This hotel could make doing business in the Financial District fun again.

Andaz Fifth Avenue, 485 Fifth Ave. at 41st Street, 212-601-1234, newyork.5thavenue.andaz.hyatt.com, about $460 a night; Andaz Wall Street, 75 Wall St., 212-590-1224, newyork.wallstreet.andaz.hyatt.com, about $425 a night

andaz 5th avenue + andaz wall street

The ground and second floors are open spaces; a façade of floor-toceiling glass framed in limestone. RIGHT 5th Avenue entrance with bronze-colored doors on 41st Street .

LOWER RIGHT Andaz Wall Street’s loft-style room that integrates big city sophistication with the comforts of home.

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The Mark UPPER EAST SIDE

Distrikt Hotel MID-TOWN

Let’s get the not-so-great news out of the way quickly: This slim, 32-story building is on a charmless street (West 40th between 8th and 9th avenues) facing the long, blank wall of one side of the New York Port Authority Building.

Having said that, if you want a stylish, compact room in Midtown at a great price because you’re only going to be sleeping there, this hotel is for you. A modest lobby leads to a small bistro where breakfast is served. Behind the front desk, a giant, carved-in-walnut map of Manhattan sets the theme for the hotel: the city’s neighborhoods, or “distrikts,” as the Dutch put it.

Floors feature collages of landmarks from each district (Tribeca, Lower East Side, and so on). A leafy green swatch of live ivy on the lobby wall represents Central Park. And the lobby lights hanging at different lengths are meant to represent the city’s skyline.

The rooms are small — from 198 to 243 square feet — but well designed with bedding, linens and robes by Frette. The bathrooms are gorgeous and bright, and there’s a nightly turndown service. The Wi-Fi and daily New York Times are complimentary, and the young staff is energetic and happy to help.

Once you turn right out the hotel door and walk half a block toward 8th Avenue, you’re in the Theatre District near the New York Times Building (with a Dean & Deluca), where the hotel can arrange for the use of the health-club facilities.

And despite the hotel’s proximity to the city’s main bus station, thickly paned windows (normally used by hotels near airports) block street noise. All in all, Distrikt Hotel is a great choice for the savvy traveler who wants a well-priced, four-star hotel.

Distrikt Hotel, 342 W. 40th St., 888-444-5610, distrikthotel.com, about $319 a night

distrikt hotel + the mark

It was once Manhattan’s premier hotel for celebrities who sought the relative tranquility of the Upper East Side. Its cozy bar attracted the city’s chic, and under the steady hand of general manager Raymond Bickson (now head of the Taj Hotel chain that owns The Pierre), The Mark was in a league of its own when it came to room furnishings and service.

Pour yourself a glass of Taittinger, because The Mark is back, brighter and more polished than ever. It’s still black-and-white and well-bred all over. The pocket bar remains. The rooms are soothing, uncluttered retreats with stunning art and custom-made furniture that wouldn’t be out of place in the Park Avenue penthouse of a captain of industry. Well, a captain with exacting taste.

French designer Jacques Grange added soffits to the ceilings and finished bathrooms with nickel fittings and acres of black-andwhite marble. Video and audio systems are by Bang & Olufsen, and London shoemaker John Lobb trained the hotel’s staff in the art of shining shoes.

The hotel’s restaurant has a skylight, the better to see your softly scrambled eggs with crab, tomato and basil at breakfast in JeanGeorges Vongerichten’s restaurant.

REPORT CARD: Luxury with no mistakes.

The Mark, Madison Avenue at 77th Street, 212-744-4300, themarkhotel.com, about $600 a night

The Distrikt Hotel celebrates the individuality of New York’s neighborhoods through architecture, design, style and service. RIGHT The Mark combines old-world comfort, avant-garde design, up-to-the-minute technologies and an unprecedented level of personal service to create the finest five-star hotel of the 21st-century.

LEFT

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Yves Klein “La Venus d’Alexandrie” (Venus Bleue), 1962

Marc Chagall “Couple au bord de mer”, 1956

Joan Miro “Deux Personnage et meditation”, 1937

Douglas Flanders & Associates By appointment only

Robert Rauschenberg “Blue Door”, 1994

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For more information please contact Douglas Flanders 34350 Lanesboro Court North Branch, MN 55056 flanders@visi.com 651-213-2662 or Lonni Ranallo at 612-860-4855

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What I Love Now Designers and trendsetters share their favorite things. |

BY ALYSSA FORD

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feature || trends “I’m never more at peace than when I’m standing in a grove of oak trees. Simple. Serene. Poetic.” —SHANE COEN

WHO: Shane

Coen

WHAT: Award-winning

landscape architect WHERE: Coen + Partners in Minneapolis and New York, coenpartners.com Craigieburn Bypass A highway project in Melbourne, Australia, that shows us how cool our cities could look if more designers were involved in creating them.

Epicurean Kitchen Series Picked one of these up at Cooks of Crocus Hill and I use it all the time. Made in the USA, lightweight, dishwasher safe and made of eco-friendly wood fibers. $12 to $120, cooksofcrocushill.com

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle I listen to the CDs on my way to work. It puts me in the right frame of mind to start the day. $28.76 for audio set, barnesandnoble.com

Architecture of Michael Maltzan Maltzan is an L.A. architect who deftly walks the line between elegant minimalism and edgy form. So thrilled to be working on a project with him.

Web site: mmaltzan.com

Migrant Series by Don Coen My dad, contemporary artist Don Coen, has just finished a new series on migrant workers and it’s an amazing body of work. He’s in talks with various museums right now. Web site: doncoen.com

Zents “Sun” Concreta A fragrance balm made of beeswax, shea butter and coconut oil. It’s so mild and versatile you can even put a little in your hair. $34, zents.com

Boating on St. Croix There’s a stretch of the St. Croix River that gets almost no boat traffic and is surrounded by old-growth trees and ospreys. It’s like taking a vacation five minutes from our house.

Grove of Oak Trees I’m never more at peace than when I’m standing in a grove of oak trees. Simple. Serene. Poetic.

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“This fashion designer has dipped into fabrics and the results are gorgeous.

Particularly love the ‘ikat’ patterns that came out this summer.” —ANDREA KERRISON

WHO: Andrea

Kerrison WHAT: Sophisticated interior designer WHERE: LarsonKerrison Interior Design in Mound, Minnesota, larsonkerrison.com Fleurissimo by Creed I’ve worn this fragrance for years and it’s a forever classic — floral but also very fresh. $225 for 2.5 ounces, neimanmarcus.com

Pinot from Native Point Vineyard This boutique winery in Tasmania is owned by my nextdoor neighbors, who focus on low yields and superb quality. The ’07 pinot is particularly yummy. nativepoint.com

Welsh Terriers They look so supplicated and adorably regal. My Welsh terrier, Murphy [shown in center photo], is very loving and very precocious!

Valspar’s Ripe Pomegranate So vibrant and lively, this Hermes-esque color works great as an accent for blue and white, brown, pink, green, yellow — most anything. $34 per gallon, lowes.com

Cameron Collection by Holly Hunt Each piece of furniture is artisan-made in the U.S. with a thousand stitches for every seam. Stunning, high-quality furniture to last a lifetime. hollyhunt.com

Oscar de la Renta for Lee Jofa This fashion designer has dipped into fabrics and the results are gorgeous. Particularly love the “ikat” patterns that came out this summer. leejofa.com

Biographies Life truly is better than fiction. I’ve read gobs of biographies and haven’t found one I didn’t enjoy. Right now I’m fascinated by William Shawcross’s official biography of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. $29, barnesandnoble.com

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“A favorite Web site of mine. It’s nothing more than shots of creative people in their sometimes-bizarre environments.” —JOE DUFFY

feature || trends

WHO: Joe

Duffy

WHAT: Branding

and identity expert, all-around creative WHERE: Duffy & Partners, Minneapolis, duffy.com Chef Shack Doughnuts The cardamom-scented doughnuts at the Chef Shack are an absolute must at the Mill City Farmers Market on Saturday morning. My wife and I always get crepes at the Spoonriver stand, too. Indian-spiced mini-doughnuts, $5; see chefshack. com for locations.

Theselby.com A favorite Web site of mine. It’s nothing more than shots of creative people in their sometimes-bizarre environments.

It’s nice for the entertainment, the inspiration and the voyeurism. Web site: theselby.com. Or buy the book: The Selby Is In Your Place, $35 (Abrams Books).

Christian Dean at CityDeskStudio So impressed with this Minneapolis architecture firm. One of the best projects I’ve ever seen is the house of the firm principal, Christian Dean. He transformed this mundane bungalow into something really unique and interesting. Web site: citydeskstudio.com

Herradura Cocktail For me, the trend is drinking better and drinking less. I like a little Herradura tequila, a splash of Cointreau, lime juice and a fresh lime. It’s the best super-premium cocktail you ever had. Herradura Anejo, $38, surdyks.com

Art on the iPad One of my favorite things is pulling my 5-year-old granddaughter on my lap and playing with all the art applications on the iPad. You can choose pastels, pencils, brushes. It’s really a lot of fun, and so interactive. Sketchbook Pro for iPad, $7.99 in the app store

Earth-Tones Packaging There are so many so-called “green” products out there, but I like it when the packaging goes for other earthy colors, the ambers, the brownish-golds, the russet oranges. It sends the eco message without getting sucked into all the “greenwashing” that’s going on. Seed Bombs packaging by VisuaLingual, $6 each, anthropologie.com

Black Pumas As a designer, I can get away with wearing most anything, but I always fall back on my trusty black Pumas. Comfort is first and foremost. El Rey Slip-Ons in black, $50, puma.com

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Richard Merchรกn Griffin GallerY Edina, Minnesota griffingalleryfineart.com (952) 844-9884 Birch five, 48 X 48 inches acrylic on canvas

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“This gallery has been in process for ages, and I just can’t wait for it to be finished. Like me, the owner has a come-to-America-and-become-a-star kind of story.” —IPPOLITA

WHO: Ippolita WHAT: Celebrated

jewelry designer design house in New York, ippolita.com

WHERE: Eponymous

de Vera Objects in New York I love this store. This owner isn’t so much a shopkeeper as a curator. He takes these objects from antiquity and makes them into modern pieces of jewelry that are so wonderfully inventive. I just bought a piece the other day — like I need more jewelry! — but I couldn’t resist. Web site: deveraobjects.com

J Brand “Houlihan” Cargo Pants I’m not usually a hyper-trendy person, but these are so comfortable! I wear them with heels during the week and then wear them with sneakers on the weekend. $231 in vintage olive, jbrandjeans.com

From-Scratch Cooking I grew up in Italy where your whole life revolves around fabulous food and sitting at a table for three or four hours a day. Back before I was so busy, I was in the kitchen all the time and subscribed to 10 cooking magazines. Now I only get to enjoy it vicariously.

Burt’s Bee Honey Lip Balm I’m addicted to Chapstick — period — and this is the best one I’ve found.

It doesn’t wipe away instantly, it’s not too goopy and it has a lovely mintyeucalyptus-like smell. $3 per tube, burtsbees.com

Broken Bells The older I get, the more crowded my mind, the more I seem to be almost bothered by any music. But Broken Bells has this kind of interesting ambient sound that is fresh and familiar. I can keep it on when I’m working, and I’ll play it at dinner parties, too. $1.29 per song, itunes.apple.com

Sperone Westwater Gallery in New York This gallery has been in process for ages, and I just can’t wait for it to be finished. Like me, the owner has a come-to-America-and-become-a-star kind of story. When I drive through the Bowery and look at the unfinished building, I think to myself, someday I’m going to build a big, gorgeous gallery like that.

Web site: speronewestwater.com

Wood, Bronze, Gold These are my signature materials and my signature palette. My house is decorated in dark brown, brownish golds, and golds. These are the colors of the earth to me. The nice thing about having such a monochromatic palette is that you can add just one colorful touch, like a beautiful orchid, and you’re done.

Renovating My Brownstone This is my obsession. I bought an entire brownstone, all four floors, and I’m making them into one house with a wide-open studio on the top floor. The first time I renovated it took like nine months and I told myself I would never do it again. But here I am, doing it again! Doing a big project makes you giddy with excitement one minute and makes you want to throw yourself out the window the next.

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feature || trends

“Eliasson is a Danish-Icelandic artist that creates these magical installations in public places.” —BILL LYONS

WHO: Bill

Lyons director, “realistic idealist” WHERE: Gensler Architecture in Minneapolis, gensler.com WHAT: Design

Tesla Roadster Electric cars were struggling under a sluggish, almost crunchy, reputation. That is, until the Tesla company emerged a few years ago with its all-electric sports car that can hit 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. Wow. Tesla Roadster, $109,000 and up, teslamotors.com

Gregory Crewdson He’s a photographer, but he photographs like a filmmaker. Everything is very elaborately done and staged. I find his work unnerving, voyeuristic and wonderfully cinematic. Web site: aperture.org/crewdson

Richard Neutra He’s the architect I most admire. He was a postwar architect and a modernist, but he had a very soft touch. There’s a quiet elegance that’s hard to describe, and his designs immediately put me at ease. Web: neutra.org

Palm Springs, Calif.

It’s such a fascinating place. Once it was this celebrity hot spot, where Frank Sinatra partied. Then it was abandoned for a few decades, and now it’s back on the upswing. It’s great for architecture buffs, and it’s got a very laid-back cool vibe. Web site: visitpalmsprings.com

Damien Hirst Architecture and art are my two big passions, so I can’t forget Damien Hirst. I tend to gravitate toward art that is showman-esque and just scandalous enough, even for 2010. In that vein, Hirst is the unrivaled master. Web site: othercriteria.com

Apple Stores I tend to find shopping really boring, and I want to be done with it as soon as possible. But I will happily go into an Apple store without any shopping agenda at all. The product is cool and the retail experience is so exciting, so fresh. This is how shopping should always be. Web site: apple.com/retail/storelist

Mad Men I love it all: the clothes, the dialogue, the never-ending smoking. For a design fanatic, it’s the perfect show. Mad Men on AMC, Sundays, 9 CST, amctv.com/ originals/madmen

Virgin Galactic I’m intrigued by people and artists and thinkers that push boundaries. Sir Richard Branson is one of those big thinkers. I think it’s going to be so interesting when people are taking suborbital joy rides, possibly as soon as 2011. Virgin Galactic, single tickets are $200,000; reserve at virgingalactic.com/booking

Olafur Eliasson Eliasson is a Danish-Icelandic artist that creates these magical installations in public places. I think what I find most intriguing is that they’re always temporary.

Something beautiful here today, but gone the next. Web site: olafureliasson.net

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feature || design

Nate the Great Interior designer and Oprah protégé Nate Berkus gets ready for his own stage. | BY ALYSSA FORD

N

Artful Living: So let’s talk about The Nate Berkus Show.

What’s the formula going to be?

Nate Berkus: The show is going to be a hybrid. Celebrities will be a part of the show, but it will be more pops of celebrities, rather than celebrities coming on to promote their movie or their clothing line or whatever they have going on. It’s going to show sides of them that we haven’t seen before. For instance, Julianne Moore is booked on the show, and she’s super passionate about design. She’s going to share some of the principles that guide her when she’s decorating her homes for her family, for her children. It’s a side of Julianne Moore she’s never talked about publicly. Same with Jamie Lee Curtis, who is obsessed with home organization and has a million tips. Who would have thought?

Another segment we’re doing is called “Newsmakers,” and it’s going to be very fresh and topical. We have one very compelling

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF 2010 SONY PICTURES TELEVISION

ate Berkus lives one of those fabulous jet-set lives: a pied-a-terre in Milan with ex-model and designer boyfriend Brian Atwood, a stunning condo in Chicago where he runs an exclusive interior design firm and a Manhattan pad that is now home base more than ever.

But the thing about Nate Berkus is that he doesn’t come off as a jet-setter. There’s something about his boyish exuberance, his goofy grin that seems almost, well, Midwestern. Like those years of hanging out on Lake Minnetonka and hoofing it to class at Hopkins High haven’t completely faded. Maybe that’s what Oprah viewers have picked up on for the past nine years: a fancy interior designer who never got too big for his britches.

It’s that amiable connection that Berkus is really counting on now as he prepares to premiere The Nate Berkus Show on NBC this fall. He even went on a listening tour across the Midwest this spring to eat banana bread and drink coffee with the kind of women he hopes will be as firmly attached to his show as they have been to Oprah’s. “I feel a lot of anticipation, but I’m not nervous,” he told Artful Living. His schedule, though, is insane: meetings and shoots scheduled to the quarter-hour. Still, Berkus took time out to talk to Artful Living about his decorator mom, where to find the best antiques shopping in Minnesota and which celebrities are nuts about interior design.

go discount shopping, which is one of her specialties. People are going to be seeing a lot of my mom on the show.

AL: So you grew up mostly in Minnetonka. What were you like as a kid?

NB: I was exactly like I am now. I spent a lot of time in Uptown; I spent a lot of time on Lake Minnetonka with my friends. I was at Lord Fletcher’s in the summer and busing tables at Sunsets in Wayzata. I loved growing up in Minnesota. I absolutely loved it.

AL: How often do you come back?

NB: My parents still have the house I grew up in, so my brother and sister and I come back for holidays. We have tons of cousins there, lots of extended family. I don’t come back as much as I should, though. It’s kind of sad. story about a woman who lost her husband on the BP oil rig explosion. She gave birth to their second child a week after he died, and she came to us and said, “Nate, I really want you to help me figure out how to preserve his memory. My youngest is 2 weeks old, and he never knew his father. My oldest is just 2. I

use the stuff the best and show the results on television. And break that down for people so that they can figure out ways to incorporate things in their own home.

We have another signature segment that is incredible because we’ve developed a brand-new technology that no one else has.

It’s a computer program that’s like a video game “I always thought the Twin Cities was a and I can take a picture very cultural, interesting place, and now I of someone’s room and completely redesign think that’s just more apparent.” —NATE BERKUS the space in real time.

I can change the walls, want to know how to keep his memory alive the floors, the moldings. I can move all the in our home.” So there is an interior design furniture around and change it down to the component, but it’s also connected to what’s upholstery detail. happening in the world.

AL: So you’re going to be like CNN’s AL: Will there be the kind of design John King on election night, with that makeovers you’re known for from your giant touch screen? days as Oprah’s go-to designer?

NB: (Laughs) Exactly, that’s like the best NB: There will be makeovers on the show, comparison! If the CNN election-night but I’m going to be primarily in studio. I’ll screen could change the trim on a pillow, be bringing in various experts and sending that’s what it would be. them across the country to do makeovers and a lot of other things. One of the signature AL: So is your mom, Minnesota segments we’re doing is called “Nate’s decorator Nancy Golden, moving to Crate,” which is a crate that can end up New York to be closer to you? anywhere, at any time, with anything in it.

NB: No, unless you know something that We’re having a lot of fun with that. So, for I don’t! My mom is going to stay where instance, I might send three viewers, in three she is, but she is going to be a contributor different locations, a crate with the same on the show. We’re going to send her out stuff and have a competition about who can in the field to talk with other moms and

AL: How has the Twin Cities changed through your eyes?

NB: I always thought the Twin Cities was a very cultural, interesting place, and now I think that’s just more apparent. I remember going to eat lunch with my mom at the cafeteria at the Walker Art Center and thinking it was the most sophisticated thing.

Or when the Polo store opened on Nicollet Mall — I thought that was huge.

AL: Is there anything you must do when you’re back in town?

NB: I always have to have the wild rice soup from Lunds, which has like the highest fat content of anything on the planet, but I can’t resist it. And I always want to go hit the antique places in downtown Hopkins and around Uptown. I’ve found some great things in Minnesota that have ended up in homes in New York and L.A. AL: The stereotypical Minnesota aesthetic is kind of bad — cabin chic or over-done traditional. Have you seen any sign that we’re progressing, design-wise?

NB: I’ve never done a house [in Minnesota], but I can say that my parents’ friends all have done beautiful jobs with their homes. Is it the same thing that’s going on in SoHo? No. But a lot of the big lines are at IMS [International Market Square], and the Twin Cities has

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AL: What’s your mom’s style like compared with yours?

NB: We both love vintage, found objects and finding great deals. My mom likes a lot of bright colors, pattern on pattern, some florals and animal prints.

Her style is very comfortable to me — it feels like home. But it’s not what I gravitate toward.

AL: Do you have any future predictions for the field of interior design?

NB: People have been interested in midcentury for a while now, but I predict a move back to traditional English antiques very soon. Right now, if you go to the flea market in Paris, you see all this French and Belgian industrial steel furniture, the kind of thing that’s being copied by Restoration Hardware. But the prices are out of control. I’ve seen dealers selling a perforated-metal chandelier for more than a bronze chandelier with crystal drops. That’s a huge disparity in quality. The prices of traditional English pieces are very, very fair right now.

AL: With Web sites such as 1stdibs.com, people have more access to great product than they’ve ever had before. What does that do to interior design?

NB: Interior design started out as this mysterious

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thing — no one really understood exactly what they were paying for. But with sites such as 1stdibs.com, people can find incredible things no matter where they live — great one-of-a-kind lamps and mirrors and so on. So we, as interior designers, are challenged to prove we’re worth it by coming up with the whole package.

But that’s always been true. It was never about finding great stuff — the value has always been in the bringing it all together. That’s always been the real magic in interior design.

AL: When you were a kid busing tables back at Sunsets in Wayzata, did you ever imagine that this would be your life?

NB: No, I had no idea. When I went to college in Chicago, I studied sociology and French. It wasn’t until I got my first job at the auction house that I realized how much I loved the history of furniture and decorative arts.

AL: What did your mom say about your decision to follow her into design?

NB: She said, “I think you’ll be great, and that you have a real knack for it.” At the same time, in 1996, I was in a magazine for the first time. It was one page in Chicago Social, and there was this picture of me and a little bitty column of text. And my mom took that page to the framers and spent a fortune getting it elaborately framed. A few years ago, I asked my mom why she got that framed, and she said, “Well, I thought that was going to be the only time you would be in a magazine.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY BY JASON DECROW

some first-rate antiques shopping. I like Antiques Riverwalk [in the Warehouse District].

© Cambria 2010

Who says car talk can’t include kisses?

HARMONIZING BEAUTIFULLY WITH LIFE Artful-LivingMag.com Artful Living | Autumn 2010

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home || makeover

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One Year to Design Andrew Flesher has turned a previously under-loved Upper East Side apartment into a showstopper — and did it on a dime. | BY ALECIA STEVENS

I PHOTOGRAPHY BY TRIA GIOVAN

f you had only 12 months to live in a place, you might make do with the status quo. So what if the wood floor is yellowed by time? Or the chandelier is ’70s — in a bad way? It’s a year.

Not a lifetime. Not so for Andrew Flesher. As he admits, “I’m a glutton for punishment.”

When he and his partner, Rob, decided earlier this year to move from Tribeca to the genteel Upper East Side in New York City, they found an apartment in a cooperative that they couldn’t pass up — even if the 1,100-square-foot apartment would only be available for a year.

The location, between Madison and Park avenues, and only two blocks from Central Park, couldn’t be beat, and the owners were willing to rent lower due to apartment’s “It was a lesson in resourcefulness.” dated condition.

He reused the furniture from his (The same apartment two apartment in Minneapolis, adding floors up rented only two storage pieces and a for twice the price). Rather few accessories... than grumbling about living with its aesthetic challenge, Flesher was imagining the excitement of a new project. But he’d have to get cracking, because in one year, on March 31, 2011, the lease would expire.

“It was a lesson in resourcefulness,” Flesher admits. He reused the furniture from his apartment in Minneapolis, adding only two

if these walls could talk

Flesher’s new living room is a disarming amalgam of periods and styles. His theory? Buy classic furnishings in neutral fabrics. This is the third home for most of these pieces. RIGHT Every room should have something playful—the entry hosts the two deer heads while the living room includes the vintage “hand chair” carved of wood.

LEFT

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storage pieces and a few accessories, and he practiced self-control in the renovation of the kitchen and bath. Working with a modest budget, the couple sourced tile at Home Depot, cabinets and countertop from IKEA and shelving from a restaurant supply store on the Lower East Side. They even had curtain panels made locally for less than catalog prices.

“I really didn’t even want to spend money on a rug, which can often be quite expensive, so I decided to paint the floors white and add a pattern,” Flesher “I really didn’t even want to spend money on a rug, explains. Undaunted by the task, he and Rob painted 1,050 square feet (everything but the bathroom) of shabby old which can often be quite expensive, so I decided floorboards, backing their way out of the apartment and then to paint the floors white and add a pattern.” finding ways to occupy the four hours of drying time, only to come back to discover the paint scuffed horribly. A different day, a different white paint, they patiently did it all over again. Next, they carefully measured out the floor design and used paint to carve out a graphic brown pattern reminiscent of David Hicks.

Although the walls were painted “perfectly nice neutral colors,” according to Flesher, and they tried to live with it, they couldn’t. “Really, color on walls? Who needs it?” he laughs. “So we painted the walls white, too.” (Benjamin Moore Super White is his color.)

Then the real test of endurance came. The shell was complete by late spring, but the furniture was

italian inspiration

The back wall was inspired on a trip to Italy this past spring—Flesher paints a rectangle of deep teal and hangs a photograph by Mickey Smith to create the illusion of a headboard.

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Residential Designâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Buildâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Renovation

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in the Midwest. “We lived without furniture for four months while I waited for my apartment in Minneapolis to sell — one-third of the time we had in the [NYC] apartment!” They had three folding chairs, a mattress, a blow-up mattress, a bench and a table. “You kind of learn how little you really need,” Flesher admits. Then, he quickly adds, “but it’s nice to have things, too.”

Flesher had laid out the furniture in his head at least a hundred times, but he finally put it to paper before the pieces arrived. However, when it landed in the apartment, in late July, the floor plan went out the window. With a few tweaks to the layout, the couple came up with a new floor plan that was both more attractive and more intimate. The whole place came together magically, with virtually everything from Minneapolis.

No re-upholstery, no refinishing. “It’s a testament to buying good pieces in neutral fabrics — to not doing your upholstery in something crazy,” Flesher says. “Use a snap of color and pattern in pillows and art, but restraint is better for long-term pieces.”

After all the work and a little money, they now have six months to enjoy their space. “We don’t think about that so much. We love it here,” says Flesher. “The Upper East Side feels like a neighborhood, more in line with my Midwestern roots, and this apartment feels like home now that we have our things here.”

It is a testament both to Rob’s good nature and Flesher’s talent.

A kind of alchemy occurred for the design of those four walls, ceiling and, yes, floor. Add a collection of good pieces, quirky and personal art and an appreciation for all that one has. “I have grown to love these pieces so much, I wouldn’t think of starting over,” Flesher says.

A Tale of Two Cities

Flesher knows the benefits of maintaining Midwestern roots, but expanding his resources.

Andrew Flesher fell in love with New York years ago.

In 2005, he bought and renovated an 1,100-squarefoot apartment in the iconic 510 Groveland — a nod to the New York lifestyle with a city view. As his work and friendships grew in New York, he found himself captivated by the resources, antiques, diversity and art, and made it home in 2007. Today, he travels back and forth between New York and Minneapolis monthly to serve clients in both cities (and some beyond). “I have grown so much here as a designer,” Flesher says. “It has been a benefit to me and to my clients to have the resources that are here in New York.”

artfully arranged

Subway tile from Home Depot, grouted in standard gray, combined with restaurant supply stainless shelving displays both kitchen necessities as well as art, including these prints by Joseph Albers.

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The Walkable Life Shopping, eateries, and diversions are just steps from the Brownstones on France. | BY ALYSSA FORD

the art of living well

Homeowners at the Brownstones on France gather in the center courtyard to converse and enjoy wine before the dinner hour. OPPOSITE Nearby Arden Park in Edina offers lush grounds for play, or to rest with a good book during fine weather.

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C

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KRISTI KIENHOLZ

ity planners call it New Urbanism.

They speak of “high-density town-villages” and “mixeduse developments” that blend commercial and residential outlets with carefully imagined green spaces. The French, as always, have a more While tree-lined sidewalks and short distances elegant sobriquet: they encourage communion with the world outside, the call it l’art de vivre, or the design of the Brownstones development gently nudges art of living. That means walking to the baker, the the owners to spend more time with each other. butcher and the grocer, and then picking up a hand-tied bouquet of flowers on the way back, just because. It means living close to the action, and not hopping in a car every time you need a splash of milk for your cereal.

Europe, which is older and denser, has long encouraged the town-village concept with its easy transit and pedestrian-only bridges, called passerelles. But even here in the U.S., l’art de vivre is not unheard of. In St. Paul, there is Grand Avenue, where nearby apartment dwellers can choose a chocolate croissant and get their shoes repaired in one walking jaunt.

And, of course, there’s 50th and France in Edina, with its vibrant mix of clothiers, eateries and grocery shopping.

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Part of 50th and France’s integrated fabric is a new development called Brownstones on France. The builder, Ed Noonan, principal of Noonan “We walk everywhere. We’ll Construction, was not attempting walk to dinner and then some daring feat walk to the movies.” of New Urbanism when he bought the plot of land back in 2005. He was simply trying to create a place for his aging mum, Cora, who resisted moving from her beloved but increasingly untenable home in Robbinsdale. She bargained with her builder-son that she would only move if she “could have her own front door.”

As Noonan researched, he became fascinated with the idea of traditional brownstone buildings that seek spaciousness up, rather than out. He was also inspired by the European town-village model — of living a life that is more compact, but not more claustrophobic.

Perhaps not surprisingly, some of the Brownstone’s earliest buyers are couples that have traveled extensively in Europe, or even own homes there. Stig and Marie Jacobsen now split their time between Hornbæk, Denmark, and their ultra-contemporary home at the Brownstones. Joe and Phyllis Kohler, too, keep a home in Italy and one (Italian villa-inspired) place at the Brownstones.

The owners cite the development’s location, location, location as a prime reason they decided to buy. “It’s marvelous to get up on Sunday morning, walk down to Lunds for the newspaper and then stop by Breadsmith or Starbucks,” says Marie Jacobsen. Joe and Phyllis Kohler also take advantage, of their proximity to Raku Japanese restaurant. “We walk everywhere,” says Phyllis. “We’ll walk to dinner and then walk to the movies.”

While treelined sidewalks and short distances encourage communion with the world outside, the design of the Brownstones development gently nudges the owners to spend more time with each other. The development has a gleaming epoxied parking level with automatic garage doors and a communal carwash.

Grandchildren have been known to ride their bikes here, and in winter it serves as a subterranean skyway for the owners to visit each other’s homes.

“When it’s cold out, that’s how we get around,” says Cora Noonan. Indeed, last Christmas the homeowners all gathered on the garage level and then went caroling at Noonan’s house. There are Christmas parties at the Brownstones and progressive dinners, too.

As of summer 2010, the center courtyard has become the new attraction with its serpentine hedges, sitting benches, center pergola and more than 2,500 planted bulbs. Brownstones owners have been known to while away the magic hour with a bottle of good wine, waving to neighbors as they come back from shopping errands at 50th and France.

“About 6:30 or so, that has become our cocktail hour, when we drift out of our houses to say hello,” says Marie Jacobsen. “It reminds us of Denmark.”

modern conveniences

Within easy walking of the Brownstones on France are restaurants and the Edina movie theater Residents can also use the communal car wash in the below-ground, epoxied-floor parking area, which also serves as a warm walkway between townhouses during the winter months.

ABOVE AND TOP.

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The Private Banking and Investment Group at Merrill Lynch proudly salutes Michael P. Swenson Merrill Lynch Private Banking congratulates all our Private Wealth Advisors recognized by Barron’s “America’s Top Advisors: State-by-State” list. Their commitment serves as a powerful example of how Merrill Lynch Private Wealth Advisors deliver the advantages of our depth, breadth and scale to today’s most discerning clients. Our innovative strategies have helped Bank of America become the largest U. S. wealth management firm for clients with assets over $10 million.

Michael P. Swenson, CIMA® Private Wealth Advisor Merrill Lynch 315 Lake Street East, Suite 200, Wayzata, MN 55391 (952) 404-5906

Source: Barron’s “America’s Top Advisors” State-by-State,” February 22, 2010.

Barron’s is a trademark of Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved. The rankings reflect each advisor’s assets under management, the advisors’ share of revenue and profits generated and quality of service.

Global Wealth and Investment Management (GWIM) is the wealth and investment management division of Bank of America Corporation. Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (MLPF&S) and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation. The Private Banking and Investment Group is a division of MLPF&S that offers a broad array of personalized wealth management products and services. Both brokerage and investment advisory services (including financial planning) are offered by the Group’s Private Wealth Advisors through MLPF&S, a registered broker-dealer and registered investment advisor. The nature and degree of advice and assistance provided, the fees charged, client rights and Merrill Lynch’s obligations will differ among these services. Investments involve risk, including the possible loss of principal investment. The banking, credit and trust services sold by the Group’s Private Wealth Advisors are offered by licensed banks and trust companies, including Bank of America, N.A., Member FDIC, and other affiliated banks.

Investment products: Are Not FDIC Insured ~ Are Not Bank Guaranteed ~ May Lose Value MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, Member SIPC and wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation. © 2010 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.

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For the store nearest you call 1- 877-SCHMITT or visit www.schmittmusic.com Artful-LivingMag.com Artful Living | Autumn 2010 101

home || green

Flash Forward A sneak preview of Cambria’s 2011 colors with three design-driven looks. | BY JENNIFER BLAISE KRAMER

Charston

I

nside Cambria headquarters, bright ideas are brewing in a very innovative environment. Hoping to fill the void in the countertop market, these quartz countertop trendsetters are focused on moving things forward. This fall the company debuts 21 bold new colors ranging from sparkling shades to earthy neutrals.

“Our company has a commitment to innovation. We’ve long been the industry leader in color development,” says Cambria CEO Marty Davis. “Our newest developments solidify this — quartz stone products are becoming the most sought after look in stone surfacing and Cambria is proud to lead that effort.”

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Based on feedback from the 2009 color launch, Cambria saw a demand for more modern and monochromatic — as well as more dramatic — quarried looks. The challenge, according to Summer Kath, director of brand who also oversees color development, was creating entirely new looks that have never been seen in the industry, without compromising performance standards of being twice as hard as granite, non-absorbent and maintenance-free.

“Our technicians came up with looks that we thought couldn’t be done,” Kath says. “Even though all of our competitors have the same equipment, no one else does what we do with quartz. That’s our secret.”

Artful-LivingMag.com

Rather than simply re-creating the appearance of popular granite shades, Cambria’s newest creations attempt to introduce products and colors that consumers can’t get anywhere else. During a sneak preview, interior designer Billy Beson honed in on a sleek, shiny slab of grey.

“You can’t find granite like that,” Beson says.

“It’s not pretending to be anything else.”

Picking favorites from this new crop of Cambria, Beson offers three fresh looks for the home. Taking cues from the material and today’s design trends, his ideas are bound to inspire both modern and traditional dwellers.

THE LOOK:

Bachelor Pad Cambria Color:

Charston (LEFT)

Billy’s Take: “Think masculine. While

this shade immediately channels ‘“bachelor pad,”’ it could also be feminine. Combined with some of the complementing materials the overall look is just very dark and sexy.”

Where: Library, den, study, writing table, powder room, kitchen, backsplash.

Pair With: Wool flannel on the

walls (paper back it and hang it like wallcovering), pinstripe or tweed-suiting fabric; black-and-white hounds-tooth or, blue velvet; stainless steel; smoked mirrors with a charcoal tint; dark chocolate and mahogany wood.

Designer Tips: “This could look great on

the walls in slabs or tiles cut in an unusual size with stainless-steel reveal set back a little bit or flush,” says Beson.

For a full look at all the new Cambria colors, visit CambriaUSA.com.

Darlington

THE LOOK:

Sleek & Sophisticated Cambria Color:

THE LOOK:

Natural

Greystone

Billy’s Take: “Grey has replaced beige.

I’ve been saying it for years and you’re finally seeing it in the marketplace in fabrics and wall coverings. It’s the new neutral. This one has reflective qualities like lacquer.”

Where: Countertops, coffee tables, kitchens.

Pair With: Mirrors, stainless steel,

anodized aluminums, crystal, white lacquer, Cambria Whitehall, white porcelain. But everything should be shiny and reflective. Soften the look with tactile materials like mohair, velvet, faux snake, ostrich, quilted leather and vinyl.

Designer Tips: “This look is more

sculptural, less about applied design; it’s about mixing planes. To give it some texture, you might do a really thick shag rug or a big loopy carpet so you get the contrast,” says Beson. “The sleekness is exaggerated by the texture of the shag. It’s a play against finishes.

Essentially when you’re doing any room you need to balance it, otherwise it’ll feel like you’re going to slide right out of the place.”

Cambria Color:

Darlington

Billy’s Take: “This is lighter — you’d see it in the Hamptons or Martha’s Vineyard.

It’s the ‘“New Traditional,’” which is really the classic traditional without all the detail and decoration to it. This color is reminiscent of sand and shells and has a very organic feeling.”

Where: A larger environment like a great room setting or kitchen.

Pair With: Linen, distressed leather,

suede, bleached woods, natural woods, iron, nickel; tailored furniture but with relaxed, feathered down cushions that you sink into; Hadley stripe.

Designer Tips: “This color is about the environment. You might do a scrub finish on the wall, paint it one color and glaze over it. Throw in an accent color of bluish -green, like the color of the sea,” says Beson. “The effect with all these natural materials will be very soothing, nurturing, and comforting.”

Just Snap It

Greystone

Hear more from Billy Beson and get a closer look at his three distinctive design looks highlighting Cambria’s new color line.

Neoreader turns your camera phone into a code scanner and provides one-click access to mobile content. Just key get. neoreader.com into your handset’s web browser and follow the on-screen instructions.

Artful-LivingMag.com Artful Living

| Autumn 2010

103

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home || build

106 Artful Living

| Autumn 2010

Artful-LivingMag.com

I Perfect Partners

An Orono home showcases the forward-thinking design of an architectural merger. | BY CAROLYN CROOKE

n the luxury design and building world, there are firms that create, and there are firms that react to what others create.

This Orono residence — a definite “wow” from the moment you walk in the door — puts Charles Cudd Denovo, Architects & Builders, squarely on the side of firms that create, delivering on high-end must-haves while pushing design to new levels.

Spaces here are thoughtfully composed, and far more than they seem — fresh yet familiar, and lush in detail. You’re invited into every room through an arrangement that’s comfortingly classic.

There is enough openness, however, that every step brings new views and fresh intrigue, with something exciting around the corners and columns or beyond elegant wooden grilles.

“We use history as a stepping stone, while interpreting what the future will be,” explains architect and partner Jim McNeal. “Making something timeless is not about huge gestures, it’s about subtle differences — small steps into the future. I feel it’s our responsibility as designers and artists to use our knowledge of what people want, but also look forward, to be innovators.”

Prairie-school inspiration is evident in the window design and the interplay of vertical and horizontal planes. McNeal notes Frank Lloyd Wright’s principles of compression and release in the arch motif that runs throughout the home.

There is also a wonderful old-world heft at work here, with walls and openings that feel substantial, yet full of cross lighting and visual interest.

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home || build

The elegant spaciousness of the great room is reminiscent of grand entertaining halls, where soaring heights are brought down to a human scale by lowered light fixtures that break up spaces without being confining. White enameled pillars, planes and other architectural details also help to define the room, which is so full of visual texture and interest that you never feel like you’re in an overly large space. The wall of bookshelves, with its majestic fireplace, adds warmth. An exterior “floating” curtain wall, delicately stained, creates an effect of unending space and a connection to the forested landscape beyond.

The keen level of design thinking can be explained in large part by an event a year and a half ago, when the Charles Cudd team, already known for their design-focused work, merged with highend architectural firm Denovo, creating a unique collaboration.

“Charles Cudd is a visionary; he has a knack for knowing what will be powerful in a space,” says McNeal. “As an architect, I thrive on that, turning the conceptual into the concrete, and coming out with something beyond what any of us imagined.”

Principal partner Rick Denman observes that this high level of communication between the architect and the builder gives clients more “bang for their buck,” especially when you consider that most designs never get built, or they get modified by a builder when true costs become clear. “And we do enough luxury homes that we’re able to buy the things that go into such homes at a reasonable price, and pass the benefit along to customers.”

The synergy between Cudd, McNeal and Denman has all the hallmarks of a true artistic collaboration, right down to the creative differences. Standing outside the home, Denman and McNeal laugh as they recount the passionate “discourses” the three partners had around the issue of three small windows set in stone. Who won? The home did — they all agreed that the end result was better than anything they could have come up with on their own.

“As an architect, I thrive on that, turning the conceptual into the concrete, and coming out with something beyond what any of us imagined.” —JIM McNEAL

warm welcome TOP Every room and nook and cranny is well thought out, including the kitchen, which looks onto to

the great room and sunroom. Practical features abound here, such as the resource room just off the kitchen, ideal for homework and a family office. RIGHT Spaces throughout this Orono residence contain a level of articulation not often seen anymore. Case in point: the study, above, which is comfortable, functional, and full of lavishly detailed cherry and alder woodwork.

Artful-LivingMag.com Artful Living

| Autumn 2010

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home || real-estate report

More For Your Money How far will your dollars go in today’s real-estate market? |

BY LORI STORM

D

ifficult. Declining. Turbulent. These words have all been used to describe the current housing market. But how often do you hear words like opportunity, bargain and deal? It seems improbable in this stormy climate, but Realtors insist that buyers can take advantage of some incredible opportunities in the Twin Cities. With a glut of inventory on the market, many of these gems are priced to move. So what’s out there — and what can your money buy?

IT’S A REASONABLE QUESTION: What will $500,000 buy in the Twin Cities in today’s realestate market?

For starters, there’s an enchanting home in a prime spot of Wayzata, just two blocks away from picturesque Lake Minnetonka.

“If you want to be in Wayzata, you get a lot for your money,” says Belle Davenport of Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty. “If you want a nice home that’s all finished, this one is it.”

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home || real-estate report

224 Broadway Ave. N., Wayzata

AG: T E C PRI 000 $499,

Agent: Belle Davenport Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty Price: $499,000 Original List Price: $699,000 Square Footage: 2,300 4 Bedrooms/3 Baths

The zip code isn’t the only lure. The four “It has a big front patio. People in Wayzata ago. The house next door, which she says bedroom 1920s home has been renovated tend to sit on their front porches or front is comparable in many respects, recently with rich black-walnut wood flooring, white steps and talk to their neighbors. And sold for $600,000. Five years ago, that same enameled cabinetry, subway tile, honed it’s a wonderful walking neighborhood,” neighboring home was considered a good granite countertops and a stacked-stone Davenport says. value at $700,000. fireplace. The updating

Davenport calls While it’s difficult to determine a home’s value in this also includes fresh paint the property a great and new carpeting. The opportunity, especially uncertain market, Davenport maintains that the Wayzata residence, which was once for buyers looking property would have likely sold for $650,000 just five years ago. toward the future. the rectory for nearby St. Bartholomew’s Catholic “Long-term, it’s a great Church, features two big bay windows in While it’s difficult to determine a home’s value,” she says. “The market is so funny right the front. Part of the property’s charm is the value in this uncertain market, Davenport now. Things are depressed and banks are very home’s attractive landscaping and sizable maintains that the Wayzata property would nervous, but over the long term, Wayzata has front patio. have likely sold for $650,000 just five years always been a very good investment.”

MORE PROPERTIES IN THIS PRICE RANGE:

350 S Waycliffe Drive, Wayzata

16210 Adeline Ln., Minnetonka

5 Bd/4 Ba | Offered at $569,000 3 Bd/3 Ba | Offered at $575,900 114 Artful LivingBurnet | Autumn 2010 Artful-LivingMag.com Coldwell Banker Burnet Coldwell Banker

2695 Pheasant Rd., Orono 2 Bd/3 Ba | Offered at $569,000 Coldwell Banker Burnet

G: PRICE TA $724,900

5007 Fremont Ave. S., Minneapolis

Agent: Denise Hertz and Pam Gerberding Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty Price: $724,900 Original List Price: $819,900 Square Footage: 3,603 4 Bedrooms/5 Baths

SO WHAT CAN YOU GET FOR AROUND $750,000?

A charming two-story home on Fremont Avenue in the Lynnhurst Neighborhood of south Minneapolis is definitely a standout.

The 1920s Center Hall Colonial has been totally refurbished and renovated. Agents and business partners Denise Hertz and Pam Gerberding of Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty call it “the whole package.”

“The interior looks like it’s right out of Metropolitan Home,” says Hertz. “It’s crisp and clean. Every inch of this house has been touched.”

Adds Gerberding: “There’s a lot of attention to detail in the finishes. We just don’t see homes done this nicely and completely from top to bottom, inside and out. It’s just really rare.”

The agents are referring to the gorgeous granite, beautiful hardwood floors, inviting white cabinetry and more — the list goes on. The exquisitely renovated home also has four bedrooms and a whopping five bathrooms. Yes, five bathrooms! Families have plenty of room to relax in the open sunroom, three-season porch and patio featuring an outdoor fireplace.

When it comes to pricing, the agents determined that the Fremont house is

priced about 10 percent below market.

They arrived at that number by comparing the price point per square footage of other neighborhood homes that sold in the same price range since the beginning of the year.

And you don’t have to look hard to find additional value. Hertz stresses that buyers will not have to sink a penny into the home for upgrades and improvements.

Gerberding also brings up extraordinarily low interest rates.

“We’ve gone from seven to 4 ¾ percent.

That’s a lot of buying power for today. I’ve been in the business for 20 years and I can’t ever remember a time when it’s been this low,” says Gerberding.

MORE PROPERTIES IN THIS PRICE RANGE:

3806 Sheridan Ave. S., Minneapolis 3 Bd/3.5 Ba | Offered at $799,900 Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty

4340 Drew Ave. S., Minneapolis 5 Bd/4 Ba | Offered at $749,900 Edina Realty

5229 Beard Ave. S., Minneapolis 4 Bd 3 Ba | Offered at $749,000 Coldwell Banker Artful Burnet Artful-LivingMag.com Living | Autumn 2010

115

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G TA E IC PR 5,000 $99

13020 Panorama Ave. N., Stillwater

Agent: The Roffers Group/Jacob Smith Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty Price: $995,000 Original List Price: $1.75 million Square Footage: 5,492 6 Bedrooms/6 Baths

HOW MUCH HOUSE CAN YOU GET FOR $1 MILLION? Try a 5,500-square-foot suburban getaway on Big Carnelian Lake that’s just minutes away from downtown Stillwater.

This extraordinary luxury home was built in 2007 and has more than 200 feet of prime lakeshore. With six bedrooms and six baths, it’s ideal for an executive looking for an escape from the city. The spacious property could also double as a wonderful multi-family weekend compound.

“This is the ultimate in lakeshore living,” says Jacob Smith of Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty. “It has all the bells

and whistles. Everything was done that could be done. There are cathedral ceilings, yards of granite and high-end finishes, and it’s loaded with amenities.”

Did we mention the six-car garage and floor-to-ceiling views of the lake? Still, Smith believes the home’s best benefit is its location. “It’s away from the Twin Cities, but still close to things,” he says. “You’re less than 30 minutes away from St. Paul and less than 40 minutes away from downtown Minneapolis. It’s an ideal location with lots of opportunities for work or travel.”

Smith believes one of the best ways to determine the value of the property is to look at replacement costs. In other words,

how much would it cost to buy the land again and build a similar structure? Smith estimates the land to be worth around $300,000. With the current listing price of $995,000, that values the home at $695,000.

“How can you go out, plan, design and duplicate almost 5,500 feet, even in today’s market, for that dollar? You just can’t,” Smith attests.

MORE PROPERTIES IN THIS PRICE RANGE:

4599 N. McDonald Dr., Stillwater 4 Bd/4 Ba | Offered at $1,200,000 Edina Realty

4504 Parsons Court, Afton 3 Bd/3 Ba | Offered at $1,198,000 Edina Realty

640 Oakgreen Ave. N., W. Lakeland Twp 6 Bd/5 Ba | Offered at $899,000 Artful-LivingMag.com Artful Living | Autumn 2010 Hanson & Company

117

&

hornig

a s s o c i at e s

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hornigandassociates.com T: 952.230.3165 | 4388 France Avenue S Edina, MN 55410 | Lakessir.com Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.

118 Artful Living

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Artful-LivingMag.com

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Where Traditional Meets Contemporary | Exclusively at Duxbury LTD | (612) 338-3411

DUXBURY LIMITED

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275 Market Street,Artful-LivingMag.com Showroom 265ArtfulMinneapolis, MN Living | Autumn 2010 119

The Property Gallery presented by LAKES Sotheby’s International Realty includes a

selection of properties within the Twin Cities area, Greater Minnesota. The Sotheby’s International Realty® global network includes nearly 500 offices in 39 countries. Enjoy.

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1. David Abele

10. Bryan Flanagan

19. Jeff Hornig

28. Craig Mische

37. Jacob Smith

2. Dewey Bakken

11. Pam Gerberding

20. Jim Hornig

29. Jenny Nelson

38. Darren Spencer

3. Sandra Burt

12. Jim Grandbois

21. Olivia Hornig

30. Seth Nelson

39. Christa Thompson

4. Mike Buenting

13. Garry Haas

22. Ben Kolkman

31. Julie Regan

40. David Tonneson

5. Matt Carlson

14. Anna Hantan

23. Jill Lepine

32. Robin Roberts

41. Joe Wahl

6. Belle Davenport

15. Jack Halverson

24. Kent Marsh

33. Frank Roffers

7. Rebecca Davenport

16. Denise Hertz

25. Brandon Mayfield

34. Jill Roffers

8. Shelly Erving

17. Joanne Hitch

26. Molly McCrea

35. Anne Shaeffer

9. Kimberly Falker

18. Mark Hoiseth

27. Debbie McNally

36. Todd Shipman

Main Office: 952. 230. 3100 www.lakessothebysrealty.com Edina: 4388 France Ave South Wayzata: 155 East Lake Street, Suite 200

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twin cities gallery

|| edina Brownstones on France 5200-12 France Avenue South Edina, MN

Offered at $975,000 Shell Roffers Group/Jacob Smith TEL: 612.867.5667 Customize Finishes And Layout Only 7 Units Left Visit Artful-LivingMag.com for a video tour. Open Sundays 12:00-3:00

5200-38 France Avenue South Edina, MN

Offered at $2,300,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 4

Roffers Group/Jacob Smith TEL: 612.867.5667

122 Artful Living

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SOLD

twin cities gallery

4910 Bruce Avenue Edina, MN Offered at $1,095,000

|| edina

Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 5 Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165

4915 Bywood West Edina, MN

5228 Kellogg Avenue Edina, MN

Offered at $849,900 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 5 Roffers Group/Jacob Smith TEL: 612.867.5667

Offered at $1,695,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165

5239 Highwood Drive West Edina, MN Offered at $1,995,000 Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 6 Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165

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twin cities gallery

4877 Rolling Green Parkway Edina, MN Offered at $2,295,000

|| edina + minneapolis

Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 7 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

5228 Kellogg Avenue Edina, MN Offered at $849,900 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 5 Roffers Group/Jacob Smith TEL: 612.867.5667

Pending

18 Park Lane Minneapolis, MN Offered at $2,295,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 6 Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165

124 Artful Living

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twin cities gallery

2700 Kenilworth Place Minneapolis, MN Offered at $2,275,000

|| minneapolis

Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 4 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

2100 W Lake of the Isles Pkwy Minneapolis, MN Offered at $3,195,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 5 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

2505 E Lake of the Isles Pkwy Minneapolis, MN Offered at $5,300,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 7 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

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twin cities gallery

1712 Dupont Avenue South Minneapolis, MN Offered at $1,195,000

|| minneapolis

Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

1721 Morgan Avenue South Minneapolis, MN Offered at $1,275,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 4 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

1004 Mount Curve Avenue Minneapolis, MN Offered at $1,650,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 7 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

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twin cities gallery

|| minneapolis + minnetonka beach

2232 W Lake of the Isles Pkwy Minneapolis, MN

Offered at $2,385,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4

Hertz & Gerberding TEL: 952.230.3173

2217 Huntington Point Road E Minnetonka Beach, MN

Offered at $3,295,000 Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 7

Belle & Rebecca Davenport TEL: 952.230.3114

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twin cities gallery

855 Medina Road Medina, MN Offered at $1,045,000

|| medina + orono

Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 5 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

2760 Deer Run Trail East Orono, MN Offered at $1,145,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 5 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

1270 French Creek Drive Orono, MN Offered at $2,895,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 8 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

128 Artful Living

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twin cities gallery

442 Peavey Road Wazyata, MN Offered at $1,499,000

|| wayzata + woodland

Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 5 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

2800 Woolsey Lane Woodland, MN Offered at $2,595,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 6 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

2765 Maplewood Circle East Woodland, MN Offered at $2,950,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 6 Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165

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twin cities gallery

5410 Northwood Ridge Bloomington, MN

21585 Cates Longhorn Road Corcoran, MN

20205 Cottagewood Avenue Deephaven, MN

11880 Germaine Terrace Eden Prairie, MN

8551 Big Woods Lane Eden Prairie, MN

6217 Morningside Circle Eden Prairie, MN

4605 Lakeview Drive Edina, MN

4521 Rutledge Avenue Edina, MN

24 Woodland Road Edina, MN

4805 Sunnyslope Road East Edina, MN

|| bloomington + corcoran + deephaven + eden prairie + edina

Offered at $569,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3 Joe Wahl TEL: 952.230.3123

Offered at $899,000 Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 3 Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165

Offered at $634,900 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 5 Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165

Offered at $799,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Anne Shaeffer TEL: 952.230.3121

Offered at $899,000 Anne Shaeffer TEL: 952.230.3121

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Offered at $1,100,000 Bedrooms: 6 Bathrooms: 7 Jack Halverson TEL: 952.230.3128

Offered at $599,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3 Robin Roberts TEL: 952.270.5370

Offered at $699,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165

Offered at $824,900 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Ben Kolkman TEL: 612.599.4161 SOLD

Offered at $1,750,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 3 Anne Shaeffer TEL: 952.230.3121

4805 Upton Avenue South Minneapolis, MN

Offered at $649,900 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Anne Shaeffer TEL: 952.230.3121

2101 Fremont Avenue South Minneapolis, MN

Offered at $625,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165

5007 Fremont Avenue South Minneapolis, MN

Offered at $724,900 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 5 Hertz & Gerberding TEL: 952.230.3173 Pending

132 Groveland Terrace Minneapolis, MN

1823 Fremont Avenue South Minneapolis, MN

2416 W 24th Street Minneapolis, MN

138 Groveland Terrace Minneapolis, MN

1625 West 25th Street Minneapolis, MN

1632 West 26th Street Minneapolis, MN

Offered at $979,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

Offered at $1,085,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Hertz & Gerberding TEL: 952.230.3173

Offered at $1,150,000 Duplex Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165

|| edina + minneapolis

Offered at $2,950,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 5 Anne Shaeffer TEL: 952.230.3121

twin cities gallery

4618 Moorland Avenue Edina, MN

Offered at $985,000 Bedrooms: 7 Bathrooms: 4 Hertz & Gerberding TEL: 952.230.3173

Offered at $1,100,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 4 Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165

Offered at $1,195,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 5 Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165

Artful-LivingMag.com Artful Living

| Autumn 2010

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twin cities gallery

3135 Highland Blvd Mound, MN

2943 Farview Lane Orono, MN

3660 Yuma Lane North Plymouth, MN

4060 Eau Claire Circle NE Prior Lake, MN

19435 Muirfield Circle Shorewood, MN

4131 Webster Avenue South St. Louis Park, MN

4000 Forest Road St. Louis Park, MN

550 Far Hill Road Wayzata, MN

152 Birch Lane West Wayzata, MN

3832 Kentwood Lane Woodbury, MN

|| mound + orono + plymouth + prior lake + shorewood + st. louis park + wayzata + woodbury

Offered at $499,900 Bedrooms:4 Bathrooms: 4 Hornig & Associates TEL: 952.230.3165

Offered at $935,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

Offered at $725,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 The Haas Team TEL: 612.968.4227

Offered at $699,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Seth Nelson TEL: 952.230.3110

Offered at $899,900 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Kent Marsh TEL: 952.230.3158

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Offered at $869,900 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Debbie McNally Group TEL: 612.388.1790

Offered at $545,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Robin Roberts TEL: 952.270.5370

Offered at $549,900 Anne Shaeffer TEL: 952.230.3121

Offered at $575,000 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 3 Joanne Hitch TEL: 952.240.4635

Offered at $599,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 4 Kent Marsh TEL: 952.230.3158

beyond the twin cities

6587 Stardust Lane NE Lake Carlos Alexandria, MN Offered at $1,995,000 Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 6

|| alexandria + grand marais

Craig Mische TEL: 320.760.0198

4804 Chicago Bay Road Grand Marais, MN Offered at $995,000 Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2 Roffers Group: TEL: 952.237.1100

Exquisite custom home on 300 plus feet of Lake Superior shoreline with incredible views of Chicago Bay. Massive stone fireplace flanked by lake views. Gourmet kitchen, cozy loft, out buildings include sauna, outdoor bread oven, amazing garage with bunkhouse.

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Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty Is On The Move…

C O M I NG S PRIN G 2011 WE ARE PROud TO ANNOuNCE THE GALLERIA WILL BE THE NEW HOME FOR LAKES SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY OF EdINA

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3205L Galleria Edina, MN 55435 T: 952.230.3100 | www.LakesSIR.com

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Residences of Distinction

Rick Denman 612-889-6980 www.charlescudd.com Artful-LivingMag.com Artful Living

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Recent Sales.

Moorland Avenue EdInA List Price $1,149,000

Howards Point LAkE MInnETOnkA List Price $2,895,000

Brownstones on France #38 EdInA List Price $2,300,000

kellogg Avenue EdInA List Price $849,900

Panorama Avenue North STILLwATER List Price $995,000

Buyers Representation ST. LOuIS PARk List Price $859,000

E xtraordinary Service. Extraordinary Success.

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4388 France Avenue South Edina, MN 55410 Each Office Is Independently Owned And Operated.

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e marketplace

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Lakeside Odyssey Resort Townhome For Sale and Rent: Trapper’s Landing Lodge on Leech Lake

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REMODELING SEMINAR Saturday, January 20 from 11:30am – 12:30pm AT THE M|A|Peterson Design Center | 6161 Wooddale Ave. | Edina, MN Learn more — or RSVP to reserve your spot, seats are LIMITED!

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Great Food, Great Atmosphere and Great Service.

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spotlight || staging

Setting the Stage Laurie Fleming’s eye for design preps a house to sell.

AFTER

BEFORE

W

henever Laurie Fleming walks into a room, she is instantly flooded with ideas. Accessories, artwork, appliances — they all come to mind. The owner of Fix Staging & Redesign says she just can’t help it. Fleming is a professional stager, but you might as well call her a magician. (Just check out the “before” and “after” pictures.) Real-estate agents say her valuable advice on everything from paint colors to pillows is critical in a difficult housing market where every showing counts.

“With the massive amount of homes for sale in any community, it’s important to differentiate your home with the basics,” insists real-estate agent Jeff Hornig of Lakes Sotheby’s International Realty. “You need to make sure you do everything up front so the one or two transactions out there will be your home.”

Fleming also points out, “If your house is competing with 50 properties in your area and you repeatedly rank number two, you might look better than most, but you still lose. You have to be number one to get the offer.”

Staging means different things to different people. Sure, it typically involves de-personalizing a home and clearing out clutter, but staging goes way beyond just decorating and cleaning. Fleming plays the role of a potential buyer and offers very detailed feedback to the homeowner.

Fleming and her team are well-versed in the housing market, know what’s happening in different communities and understand the psychology of the buyer. “We know what the buyer wants. We know what people are buying and we can also explain why we are making certain recommendations,” Fleming says.

Fix Staging & Redesign’s approach to staging is to manage the entire pre-list phase — essentially getting the house ready to go on the market. Fleming’s consultation includes a room-by-room report of the entire house and grounds. “If a potential buyer is only going

makeovers to move

to see two or three things in one room and remember maybe one of them, we want to pick what they see,” says Fleming. “If your home is presented in its best light, it’s going to sell faster and it’s going to sell for its greatest potential.”

Oftentimes homes are in need of upgrades and cosmetic changes, such as replacing countertops and introducing modern appliances and hardware. Agents say it’s an important step in curbing buyer objections.

“We hear it all the time: we hate the carpet, we hate the paint colors on the wall,” Hornig says. “It’s a value-driven marketplace. Buyers want value and they look for any and all reasons to push the value of a home down.”

Fleming can handle the entire design-selection process for homeowners. Besides suggesting color choices, flooring options and furniture, she’s been known to hunt down products that reflect the latest interior design trends. Fix Staging & Redesign will also recommend a myriad of subcontractors to help execute the overall plan. While Fleming is a firm believer in the “a little goes a long way” motto and is extremely budget-conscious, she admits there are times when sellers need to spend money. “I tell homeowners we aren’t going to put any money into your home that we can’t get back.”

Fleming says it’s not uncommon for homeowners to contact her company several years before they even plan to sell their home. They are ready to renovate, but want to be sure they’re making the right design choices to appeal to buyers down the line.

Jeff and Diane Anderes of Edina Realty are just two of the many agents who hire Fleming to consult on all of their listings.

“With Laurie’s guidance, we look like heroes when we get the home sold in record time,” Diane says. “The sellers that don’t choose to participate or take a different approach don’t see the same results.”

FixYourDecor.com , 612-309-9887

BEFORE

AFTER

Southwest Minneapolis home after staging-company owner Laurie Fleming staged the room with furniture and accessories from Fix Staging & Redesign’s inventory. LOWER PHOTOS: The difference fresh paint and new fixtures can make in a kitchen.

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spotlight || green living

Dry Cleaning Bliss 090814_GEN_MUL_016.jpg

090814_GEN_MUL_031.jpg

Mulberrys keeps clothing care clean.

Mulberry's August 2009

090814_GEN_MUL_016.jpg

hen most people think of dry cleaning, a string of unpleasant images come to mind. Dungeon090814_GEN_MUL_058.jpg esque storefronts. Unfriendly staff. Lost or damaged items. Tangled wire hangers and that unforgettable chemical smell. For most of his professional life, Dan Miller’s experience as a dry-cleaning customer wasn’t much different. “Within the span of two years, I tried about 10 different cleaners,” he says.

After receiving a shirt back with a gaping hole down the front, Miller, who was working as a management consultant at the time, decided that he wanted to do something about the poor service and quality that seemed endemic in the industry. “I just said to myself, ‘There’s got to be a better way.’”

090814_GEN_MUL_068.jpg Determined to build a different kind of dry090814_GEN_MUL_107.jpg cleaner, Miller traveled around the world researching the practices all images ©Paul Crosby Architectural Photography 651-633-9004 of a variety of successful dry cleaners and other retailers. “I wanted to build a business that wasn’t just good by dry-cleaning standards, but was world-class by any standard,” he says. The result of his passion project:

090814_GEN_MUL_058.jpg

Mulberrys Garment Care, a toxin-free dry cleaner unlike any other cleaner in Minnesota.

090814_GEN_MUL_016.jpg Mulberrys uses a revolutionary liquid CO2 cleaning process that replaces090814_GEN_MUL_068.jpg the toxic chemical perchloroethylene (perc) that is090814_GEN_MUL_107.jpg typically used in dry cleaning. The liquid CO2 cleaning method eliminates chemical smell and improves the feel and color vibrance of clothing.

In addition to aiding the environment, Mulberrys offersArchitectural a wide Photography 651-633 all images ©Paul Crosby array of unique services and benefits. To start, they are open seven days a week. If you miss them, no problem; use their 24-hour drop box, or better yet sign up for the free home-delivery service. Don’t like wire hangers? Mulberrys uses complimentary recycled-wooden hangers. On-site tailors can make adjustments to your wardrobe and the drive-thru is great for moms and dads with kids in hand. And with shoe-repair service and leather and rug cleaning, the only thing better would be complimentary coffee — which Mulberrys pcrosby.com offers in their lobby from Caribou Coffee. Yes, free Caribou Coffee.

A recent Mulberrys customer summed it up best when he said: “I never thought I could get this excited about dry cleaning.” Indeed.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL CROSBY

W

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all im

by.com

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Mulberry's August 2009

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090814_GEN_MUL_058.jpg

EARTHSCAPE T: 612.290.4766

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mages ©Paul Crosby Architectural Photography 651-633-9004

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STonE mASonRY LAnDSCAPE DESIGn InDooR FIREPLACES WooDGRAPHInG InTERIoR DESIGn DoWn LIT AmETHYST GEoDES oUTDooR FIREPLACES CAnTILEVER STonE ARCHES DoG kEnnEL CAVE FAIRY HoUSES RETAInInG WALLS CAGED RoCk ARCHITECTURAL STonE RECLAImED CLAY PAVERS STonE CoLUmnS DRIVEWAYS HISToRIC STonE GRoTToS EnTRYWAYS InTERIoR LAnDSCAPInG Artful-LivingMag.com Artful Living

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spotlight || artist

Ingrained Artistry Shane Schaaf transforms reclaimed wood into fine designs. |

BY LORI STORM

A

new design element is coming out of the brewery vats. Each one tells its own story. Lumber woodwork. It’s the art of stacking reclaimed includes everything from elm and ash to redwood and wood. Shane Schaaf, owner of Soaringrock cedar. Schaaf sources most of his materials from Antique Design and Earthscape Stoneworks, has Woodworks, a company based in nearby Norwood, Minn. dubbed it woodgraphing. It looks rustic, but this isn’t just He is especially drawn to pieces with nostalgic value to something for your cabin outside Duluth or “up north” customers, such as wood from an old family barn or shed. room. Woodgraph is finding its place in fine design “You cannot re-create reclaimed wood. That’s the beauty through sculptural panels, backsplashes and accent walls of it,” Schaaf says. “And that’s so important in a world that’s for even the most contemporary of homes. really starving for authenticity and authentic craftsmanship.”

The inspiration for woodgraph initially came from The possibilities are truly endless. Schaaf’s woodgraph Schaaf ’s grandpa, Joe, designs are custom-made “I love that it’s a fresh approach to who glued scraps of wood to fit any space (inside together to make striking outdoors). His work using reclaimed wood in fine design.” or pieces of art. While Schaaf encompasses everything is a stone mason by trade, from the very abstract to he’s been experimenting with wood for years. One of his the very traditional, he says, citing his attractive argyle and first creations was a mix of both stone and wood for an herring-bone patterns. Schaaf also plays with texture and interior fireplace. He was soon captivated by the natural stains, including sandblasting. beauty of stacking reclaimed wood. “It has the aesthetic “I love that it’s a fresh approach to using reclaimed wood in of stonework, but the warmth of woodwork,” Schaaf says. fine design. It gives you authentic wood installed in a custom “Stone doesn’t always feel warm and fuzzy, but wood can. design,” says Schaaf. “I really want to inspire people.

Done this way, for some reason, it just feels good.”

For samples and photos, go to antiquewoodworks.com and His distinctive designs are made of hand-hewn click on woodgraph. For additional information, log onto beams, antique lumber, barn boards and re-milled earthscapestoneworks.com. woods gathered from old barns, wood fences and even

photo caption LEFT Schaaf’s wood designs. ABOVE Sculptural panel built for a client using reclaimed wood from a family farm.

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spotlight || transformation

About Face The doctors of Edina Plastic Surgery remain a cut above in the changing world of plastic surgery. | BY ELIZABETH DEHN

I

n a world where Botox injections have become as commonplace as a haircut (the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery estimates that more than 2.5 million were administered in 2009), talk of facelifts is more hush-hush than ever. But at Edina Plastic Surgery, they’re still the tried-and-true fountain of youth. If someone you know appears noticeably more “well-rested” than “If a facelift is done right, you usual, and you can’t shouldn’t be able to spot one from quite put your finger on why they look like 10 feet away.” —DR. ROBERT WILKE themselves, only better, chances are they’ve been in the magic hands of Drs. Nathan Leigh, Michael Philbin or Robert Wilkie.

Edina Plastic Surgery has been the gold standard for self-preservation since Dr. William Carter founded the practice in 1977 (he recently retired).

Not much as changed since then. Although the relatively new location in the Fairview Southdale Hospital building is modern with Zen-like décor, a

serene setting

private recovery area and state-of-the-art product offerings, Orla McClure, the serene office manager, still runs the ship after more than 33 years. Many of the best practices that worked in the beginning are still used today for achieving the most naturallooking results.

“If a facelift is done right, you shouldn’t be able to spot one from 10 feet away,” says Wilkie. “The tension needs to be put on deep tissues and skin needs to be draped naturally so it’s not distorted.

That’s more work and more challenging.” For this seasoned group of surgeons, plastic surgery is an art form — not a passing fancy. “We’re not a practice that’s going to jump on every trend. We don’t offer any procedures that we don’t believe in,” stresses Wilkie.

What you can expect is the use of cutting-edge technology like fractional resurfacing lasers, which erases sun damage and regenerates collagen with minimal downtime and risk of scarring; and Body Contouring, a surgical procedure that eliminates excess skin following a significant weight loss. For

The offices of Edina Plastic Surgery offer a quiet, tranquil environment pre or post-surgery, or for clients seeking medi-spa treatments, such as Botox or Restylane injections, microdermabrasion or laser-hair removal.

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those who want to turn back the clock six to seven years, the surgeons often suggest “mini facelifts.” Shorter incisions and less skin lifting mean minimal downtime.

Most patients have recovered and can return to normal activity after 10 days, versus the several weeks or months required following a full lift.

One of the most popular treatments at Edina Plastic Surgery is the Mommy Makeover. More and more Twin Cities women in their late 30s and early 40s are seeking treatment to restore their post-baby body to its youthful glory. “Here they can do everything from liposuction, tummy tucks and breast augmentation or reduction — all in one shot,” says Philbin.

For those who aren’t interested in or ready for plastic surgery, the clinic offers a full suite of non-invasive procedures in its Skin Care Salon. Botox and fillers such as Restylane and Juvederm remain best-sellers, and have become increasingly requested by younger patients. Facial peels, microdermabrasion, spider-vein treatment and permanent hair removal round out the medi-spa menu.

The doctors are also keeping a close an eye on the latest cosmetic craze, laser-assisted liposuction, but haven’t yet ruled on its efficacy. Slow and steady always wins the race.

Edina Plastic Surgery, 6525 France Ave. S., Suite 300, Edina, 952-925-1765, edinaplasticsurgery.com

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spotlight || technology

A Look Ahead Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens predicts the next trends in technology and style.

I

n May, megahit mistress Katy Perry showed up at a fashion gala looking like a very puffy jellyfish in a dress embedded with strands of LED lights. The gown was designed by London-based CuteCircuit, a brand that promotes wearable technology, including a cell-phone dress with an antenna sewn into the hem and a SIM card hidden in the label.

Personally, I’m not that interested in wires in my clothes, nanobot fabrics or ringing dresses. But here’s what I do predict for the world of fashion: gorgeous tech accessories, intuitive fashion apps and accessible bespoke clothing.

do want: six really good choices. I predict that more and more Web sites will allow shoppers to share information about themselves: their favorite iPod playlist, the 10 movies they watched last year that they absolutely loved.

Sophisticated apps and stores will be able to use these preferences to offer six really great options for clothes, accessories, what-haveyous. Think about it. The guy who loves Arlo Guthrie and the Dave Matthews Band dresses up differently on Saturday night than the guy who loves Rushmore more than any movie ever made. The Arlo Guthrie guy shouldn’t have to wade through the Rushmore guy’s clothes to find what he needs.

Gorgeous Tech Accessories

Essential Custom

In my experience, the tech that stays is the tech that almost entirely disappears. A rise in tech usage also seeks a human touch.

So I predict that companies will begin to manufacture gorgeously patterned pocket squares for men’s suits made of microfiber materials. The dapper Don Draper of 2015 doesn’t offer to light the lady’s cigarette — he offers to clean off her iPhone or iPad with his microfiber pocket square. Men will also begin to carry sumptuous satchels for their iPads that are smaller than briefcases and slimmer than attachés. These cases of the future have no shoulder straps — that would be a man purse — but manly briefcase handles. Will they be called “mandles”? Probably.

You know that scene in American Psycho when Christian Bale whips out his new bone-colored business card with Silian Rail typeface, only to have the other executives whip out their own business cards, with raised lettering, Romalian type and watermarks? Great movie, and a great future prediction, too.

Technology allows us infinite custom selections. Etsy.com allows one to find handmade vintage anything. So I predict that those people who do not seek something unique or custom will increasingly be seen as unpolished, sloppy even. The massmarket clothiers, the J.Crews and the Brooks Brothers, will adapt by offering more and more custom and bespoke options. People will pay closer attention to the fine details: Converse designed by a certain edgy artist, Web sites designed with new Flash applications. People will upload jpegs from their iPhones to new Singer sewing machines that automatically sew elaborate monograms onto purchased microfiber pocket squares.

This will go on until there’s a backlash, which will invariably happen. The only thing that is wholly predictable — in fashion or otherwise — is the human ego.

Super-Smart Fashion Apps Some people have a kind of counterintuitive, sartorial wonderment about their wardrobes.

My wife has this gift. She can mix pattern and color and form in a way that is both inspired and daring. I, on the other hand, am staring desperately at my closet, waiting for the intuitive fashion app. This wondrous application of the future would allow people to program their smartphones with information about each piece in their wardrobes, including photos of the fabrics. The app would come up with new combinations that invite a bit of unexpected

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chaos. And it would suggest areas where one’s wardrobe is lacking, and give ideas of the kind of pieces folks should be looking for at vintage shops or at mainstream outlets. Oh, and the app wouldn’t let people break any hard and fast fashion rules — it’s not whimsy to wear white athletic socks with dinner jackets. It’s just wrong.

Intuitive Shopping Choices Here’s the plain truth: the average human doesn’t like more than six choices. You know those posterboard-sized menus with 7,000 options? Yeah, bad idea. Here’s what humans

Artful-LivingMag.com

Robert Stephens, a.k.a. “The Futurist,” is the founder of Geek Squad, now owned by Best Buy.

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Private & Corporate Charter IT'S ALL ABOUT THE VALUE OF TIME...

ASI Jet Charter Card The ASI Jet Charter Card offers an all inclusive, simple option for 25 and 50 hour blocks of time in any of our aircraft. You now have a great, cost effective way for everything related to your next business destination, hunting and fishing trips up north, even in to Canada or that getaway with the family you've been promising. With over 40 years of experience and an impeccable safety record you will fly with comfort and ease.

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spotlight || craftsmanship

Big Time From the depths of obscurity to high-flying fashion, Panerai’s outsized watches have come a long way. | BY DAVID MAHONEY

O

n the eve of World War II, Panerai watches were developed for men involved in daring underwater exploits. So it seems perfectly fitting that, almost 60 years later, it was a movie star playing a character involved in daring underwater exploits who brought them to the attention of watch enthusiasts around the world.

But first, back to those daring young men of yesteryear. They were Italian navy frogmen, members of the first elite military diving corps in the world, who depended on precise timing to execute their underwater demolition operations. Panerai, founded in Florence in 1860, was a logical choice to develop their submersible watches—the company had already been supplying the navy with high-precision mechanical instruments for more than two decades. Some of these

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used Panerai’s patented radium-based illuminating substance, called Radiomir, which became the name of the company’s original watch model, introduced in 1938.

Radiomir watches featured a screw-down crown that made them watertight. In subsequent years, Panerai came up with a distinctive lever-locking mechanism fitted into a bridge over the crown that served a similar purpose on its Luminor watches (named for a new trititumbased illuminating substance that replaced Radiomir). But one thing that characterized all Panerai watches was their size: They were huge.

The dials of their first watches were a whopping 47 mm in diameter, to maximize visibility in the dark of night and underwater.

It was the watch’s prodigious size that no doubt first caught the eye of Sylvester Stallone when, while filming the movie Daylight in Rome

in 1995, he came across a Panerai Luminor produced as part of the company’s first small civilian collection. He bought the watch to wear in the disaster film about a collapsed underwater tunnel, and was so enthralled by it that he had Panerai produce a limited-edition model for him—called Slytech—so he could give the watches to friends as gifts.

One of those Slytech watches found its way to Johann Peter Rupert, chairman of the luxury goods company Vendôme (now a division of Richemont Group). He, too, saw something special in the watch—so much so that he set out to acquire Panerai. In 1997, under its new ownership, Panerai was launched as an international brand. The weighty watches quickly gained a cult-like following as they started to appear on the wrists of celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Pierce Brosnan, Although Panerai wearers may and Hugh Grant. no longer operate in secret, as “From 1936 to 1993, Panerai only the watches’ original owners manufactured did, they’re still an elite group. a total of 300 watches,” says David Brenke, who manages the watch department at Bloomington’s Wixon Jewelers, Panerai’s exclusive Minnesota dealer. Brenke points out, any given model, referred to by it’s PAM#, may come in an edition of only two or three hundred, of which maybe only one watch might find its way to Minnesota.

“The rarity of those pieces is both a blessing and a curse,” says Brenke. “Exclusivity makes them more desirable to knowledgeable watch consumers, but they may have to wait a very long time until they can see the watch on their wrist.”

Although the original Panerai watches incorporated movements made by Rolex and other companies, Panerai now makes many of its own movements at the manufacturing facility in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, where all phases of the watches’ assembly have taken

place since 2002. And while relatively spartan models inspired by the hardworking originals are still cornerstones of the brand, a plethora of luxury options are also offered, including cases made of various precious metals and “complications” such as split-second chronographs and tourbillons.

Some things haven’t changed, though. For Panerai, size still matters. “Their smallest models are 40 mm, which actually approaches the upper size limits of many other brands,” says Brenke, who believes that the watches’ large scale definitely contributes to their appeal for his clients willing to plunk down $5,000 to $20,000 and with some of Panerai’s recently released products, although rare, are well over the $100,000 mark.

“It’s a unique look,” says Brenke. “Few people outside of watch enthusiasts know the brand, so it flies under the radar a bit. But the people who know the watch will recognize it. They’ll see someone on the plane wearing one, and they’ll say, Oh, what PAM # are you wearing?”

Which is to say that although Panerai wearers may no longer operate in secret, as the watches’ original owners did, they’re still an elite group.

mission difficult

Developed for Italian navy frogmen in the 1930s, Panerai’s unique, oversized watches can be challenging to acquire. “It can be a very long time until you acquire that piece,” says David Brenke, manager at Wixon Jewelers, Panerai’s exclusive Minnesota dealer. ABOVE Panerai’s PAM 312 model.

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spotlight || spas

The ImageMaker

A Twin Cities beauty institution, revamp!

Salonspa celebrates its 20th year. | BY ELIZABETH DEHN

PHOTOGRAPH BY THAYER GOWDY

GarlockFrench_ArtfulLiving_10.10:layout

9/16/10

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN WAGNER

One essential phone number no homeowner should be without?

Ours.

E

ffortless beauty is an oxymoron,” declares Christopher Hopkins. It’s a principle on which he’s built an empire. The founder of reVamp! Salonspa in Minneapolis, and one of the country’s most sought-after image consultants, Hopkins — a.k.a “The Makeover Guy”— is a master at reinvention. He’s been performing small miracles for as long as he can remember. “In high school, I’d go to my girlfriends’ houses and do their hair and makeup before we went out. I helped pick out my prom dates’ dresses.”

Hopkins sharpened his scissors at Horst (now Aveda), Regis, and on the set of KSTP’s Good Company, where his makeovers debuted, before opening reVamp! in 1990. From its humble beginnings of three styling chairs, one makeup stool, a manicure table and a shampoo bowl, the salon would grow into a Twin Cities beauty institution. Over the years, reVamp! added wardrobe and spa treatments to its menu, and got a sleek facelift when it relocated to Uptown in 2000. Meanwhile, Hopkins’s national following grew through appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show, and with his 2008 total-image-makeover manual, Staging Your Comeback: A Complete Beauty Revival for Women Over 45.

This month, reVamp! turns 20. Some of the Cities’ most fashionable have the salon on speed-dial, but that doesn’t stop women from flying across the country every week for a makeover with Hopkins. One brought him a homemade cake. In addition to makeover packages, reVamp! offers haircuts and color, facials, body treatments, nail services and complimentary wig consultations for those who have experienced hair loss.

Trends have come and gone (though Hopkins is ecstatic about the return of ’80s-era hair, makeup and shoulder pads), but the vision remains the same: “Offer the finest therapeutic and salonspa services to help people realize their ultimate image,” he says.

That, and a new menu of “mankover” services — as in, man + makeover, a term that now appears on UrbanDictionary.com. Although reVamp! has always attracted an admirable number of male clientele, it had never offered separate services. Now guys can get a mancial, manscaping, macho wash and mankup lessons.

“It’s just the start!” proclaims Hopkins. “Soon men across Minnesota are going to be waxing their nose, ear and back hair — and considering an alternative to pleated khakis.” Maybe in another 20 years. reVamp! Salonspa, 2910 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 612-341-0404, revampsalonspa.com

snip to style Hopkins offers

expert advice to clients seeking flattering hair cuts, makeovers and more.

12:11 PM

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Beautiful by Design A thoughtful creation speaks to our values and gives us joy. |

M

y husband, Lee, was talking about the “great chain of being” the other day, free-associating about his dissertation on the ego as we walked around Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. I went glassy-eyed somewhere near the band shell. When I got home, I poured a glass of wine and dug in to learn more about this notion — alone — to privately absorb the scintillating ideas at my own pace, thank you. This is what I learned.

Originating in the Middle Ages, the premise is that everything in the universe falls into a vertical hierarchy from the minerals all the way up to God, defined by the relative amount of “spirit” and “matter” contained. Minerals, rocks and the earth are at the bottom as pure matter. Plants are on the next rung heading up, possessing both matter and life, the essence of which is the cell. Next: animals have matter, life and consciousness. Above animals are humans because we have all of these qualities plus the additional feature of self-awareness, the ability to say, “I am.” We have an ego and an awareness of our relationships to people, things and time. Out of that ego, we create. My cat, Isis, can’t go on stage and pretend she is Hamlet. She can’t paint the Mona Lisa or design Il Duomo in Florence. She can’t even conceive of Il Duomo as the ingenious work Brunelleschi did in the 15th century.

I noodled on this, careful to limit the vino to safeguard my higher capacities while sorting this out, then realized this: only humans design. (Clearly, I am not the first to think of this and am embarrassingly late to this awareness — especially for a designer!) Humans care about our surroundings, our shelter, what we live with and what it says about who we are. We design cities, buildings, furniture and lighting. Humans even design toilets. Animals do not.

Design is the reason we feel at peace, at home with certain forms — repeated elements familiar to the human being. (No one speaks more eloquently about this than architect and theorist Christopher Alexander from Berkley

BY ALECIA STEVENS

in A Pattern Language and The Timeless Way of Building.)

My own heart soars when I see the Arno River in Florence, Italy, the Renaissance palazzi lining its banks, the chalky stucco faded with time. I’ve heard others talk about the lights of Paris at night, so beautiful the scene steals your breath. Our spirits are lifted by the sight of Chartes, the Gothic spires pointing to the heavens, the nimble mastery of the pure form and material of Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Pavilion from 1929, and the mystical lace-like splendor of the Taj Mahal. A head count of the tourists visiting these sights each year proves this point.

Design also teaches us something about our values. As a part-time New Yorker, I am in awe of what the design of Central Park, almost room-like and spanning 843 acres, says about our values. There are places for games, bridges and gardens for romance, the zoo and playgrounds for children, benches for the elderly and “Have nothing in your homes that you the reader, and byways for the do not know to be useful and believe runners and to be beautiful.” —WILLIAM MORRIS the bikers. It celebrates both intentional and accidental gathering, nature, exercise, diversity and play. Arguably some of the most valuable property in our country, it could have been dismantled over the years, taken over for financial gain, but it remains a designated antidote to the ferocity that surrounds it. Laid out by Frederick Law Olmstead between 1858 and 1873, it was designed in partnership with nature.

One might argue that Nature (or God) is the most distinguished designer of all and humans are simply the great interpreters and imitators. Michelangelo did not make up the human form when he created the David. He interpreted it as perfection. Vincent van Gogh did not create the twinkling night sky but painted Starry Night. Frank Lloyd

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Wright did not create the nautilus — nature did. But it inspired the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. We respond to both the original form (a beautiful man, woman or child) and to the aesthetic expression of it — (the David). Since most of us don’t have the talent of Wright, Michelangelo or Van Gogh, we need the artist and designer to see for us. We need his or her eyes.

This is why design is important. It is what the designer or architect does for us — he or she sees, then interprets. An architect will see that the room is too large for intimacy, the windows not placed for the Design, like art, is meaningless if it does best view, the lighting too dim for reading to the not somehow move us, improve the child before bed. The designer will see when the scale of the lamp is wrong, when a pair of vases quality of our lives and relationships, stir is better than one, when the white has too much the imagination and lift the spirit. yellow and needs more gray. We pay attention to where we need a table to put the drink or the book and how close we want to sit to another in conversation.

Designers pay their respects to the natural world, to the ability of man to craft things with his hands and, always, to the human heart. Design, like art, is meaningless if it does not somehow move us, improve the quality of our lives and relationships, stir the imagination and lift the spirit. Unlike my dear cat, we are creative by nature. We will always need beauty and form. People who design should never be unemployed. Time for a refill and cheers to that.

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n the ultimate home, inspiration is drawn from reflection.

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