The Old Stewart House

“They were recovered from a random barn in Afton, and the figure painting that’s stylistically on the stained portion is Kokomo Glass Company. A lot of it had to be replaced.”

–Kelly Clement

demarcated by a 600-pound concrete statue of an angel Clement found in Bloomington, are tucked away near the front of the house for guest use.

Their kitchen is a German-style kitchen with appliances and cupboards from showroom model kitchens from the brand Leicht. The style is all about clean simple lines with few handles on the cabinets and drawers.

“It’s German-style because of the sleekness. It’s the German modern aesthetic to hide everything,” said Bucher.

A favorite feature of the couple is the kitchen sink which gives the option for chilled filtered water, carbonated water or boiling water right out of the tap.

In the center of the kitchen, presently overlooking the toaster, is a stained glass depiction of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, which is one of the many stained glass windows the couple collected for their home.

Most of the stained glass is sourced from a church in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood that was recently taken down. The windows are Munich-style stained glass from the Ford brothers, a prolific stained glass company with colorful windows throughout the Midwest and East coast.

When collecting their stained glass, the couple found out they were about three windows short, but a “barn find” as Clement calls it, helped complete their collection.

“They were recovered from a random barn in Afton, and the figure painting that’s stylistically on the stained portion is Kokomo Glass Company. A lot of it had to be replaced,” said Clement. The stained glass gives the home a perpetual overcast, drizzly day lighting, which Bucher says he prefers, but for Clement, adding a small sunroom room to the home was a must.

Overlooking the yard is a brightly lit four seasons room, which is in great contrast to the colorful, soft lighting from the stained glass. Clement likes to use the space to read or watch the dogs in the yard since it’s the only location in the house where you can actually see outside.

The focal point of the home is by far the stage, but to the left of it is another lucky find.

“We thought every church needs a bar,” said Bucher.

The bar is approximately the same age as the building and is well stocked for the couple to occasionally play bartender when the neighbors visit. They currently don’t have any intention of selling alcohol to guests since they would have to apply for a liquor license.

bottles with Bucher’s last name on the label, which he found when he visited a brewery in Germany. Another feature of the bar is Bucher’s antique radio collection.

“I still remember listening to WCCO. There’s nothing that can replicate it,” said Bucher.

Finally, at the center of the home is the grand stage. Both Clement and Bucher are musicians and are accustomed to play a little something every night. At the time of our interview, sheet music from a Steely Dan tune was sitting on their nine-foot Grotrian-Steinweg concert piano.

The acoustics still need some troubleshooting but the couple hopes to start having folks come visit the home as soon as early spring. An open house held in January brought in 400 visitors in total, but the couple doesn’t think there will be more than 100 guests at any of their future events.

The couple envisions the space as a hub for arts and culture with the hope to attract A-list musicians looking for an intimate location for a concert.

“So how do I get invited? That’s what everyone wants to know,” laughs Clement. And it’s pretty easy. Folks can sign up for the waiting list on the home’s website, oldstewart.com, for a chance to get an invite.

“It’s fun to occasionally have people over, of course, but it can be disruptive to home life, so it’s not like we’re going to have something three times a week,” said Bucher.

With over 600 people already signed up on the couple’s invite-only list, there’s a lot of anticipation for what the house will represent for the White Bear community. The couple has landed on the conclusion that for the last 130 years, the building has represented a community gathering space, so they’d like to keep it that way. While the Old Stewart House might be the place Clement and Bucher call home, their home is welcome to all.

“We thought every church needs a bar.”

– Steve Bucher

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