Can you guys believe this amazing coastal-inspired home is in Minnesota?! I would have guessed Nantucket or the Hamptons had I not been inside the home last week! The Mpls.St.Paul Magazine ASID MN Showcase Home is a big deal around here, but hands down this year is my favorite of all time!! (Can you see why?!) Located in one of the prettiest neighborhoods in Minneapolis right by Lake Harriet, this showcase home was a collaboration of 27 talented ASID designers, homeowners with a creative vision, and a fantastic builder–Great Neighborhood Homes. If you're in the Minneapolis area, it's still open to tour...but hurry, this is the last weekend!
This designer showcase home was chock-full of inspiring design and brilliant ideas! Some show houses can feel disjointed and awkward, but this one was decidedly cohesive with each designer sticking to the coastal-chic theme the homeowners desired. I had the chance to meet the lucky couple who call this place home. Self-described “sun and water people," Susan and Mark Lacek and their two girls are a travel-loving family who really wanted their new home to feel like a dream destination. (Read all about them here!) Susan totally made my day when she said my blog was her favorite, and even saved photos from it to use as inspiration for this home!
There were so many beautiful spaces and great photos to go along with them that I'm only showing you part of the home today. We're starting at square one with the fabulous Dutch door painted Benjamin Moore's Wythe Blue (of course!). The family wanted as much fresh air as possible, so the home is filled with loads of windows and huge doors. Susan was excited about all of the cross ventilation! (And trick-or-treating with this cute door!)
On to to the foyer! The welcoming space was designed by Renae Keller, a Minneapolis designer that has been featured many times here on House of Turquoise! She envisioned a quintessential seaside-escape aesthetic for the space and I love every inch, especially all of the reclaimed wood and shell chandelier! Just wait until you see the other spaces she designed in the home!
The great room took my breath away when I first saw it. Designed by Sheree Vincent and Letitia Little to remind the homeowners of their former beach house in the Caribbean, they filled it with weathered furniture, breezy fabrics and bright colors. (Walls are Benjamin Moore Arctic Blue.) Love that color palette so much! And how amazing is that view of the pool? The doors! (And thanks to Phantom Screens, they'll be mosquito-free...a huge bonus here in Minnesota!) Did you catch the peek into the kitchen?? You're gonna love that too! ;)
Next up is the cozy little reading nook in the hallway designed by Diane Lumpkin and Jennifer Austin-McGrath. Like in the rest of the house, travel-inspired touches were aplenty! They even had map wallpaper lining the back of the bookcases...such a great idea!
From there we enter the sunroom designed by Kristen Sheikh. The focal point of that space was undoubtedly the fantastic wave photograph by Peter Lik, which you could see all the way from the living room. Beyond that I love how she channeled the coast with the cool coral-like light fixture and great natural textures. The sisal and wool floor covering in that room was my absolute favorite!
The sunroom opened to both the front porch (we'll see that later) as well as the beautiful back porch designed by Rob Edman and Laura Engen. I loved this area because it completely opened up to the pool area but could screened in as needed. (Again with those Phantom Screens!) The designers used a lot of indoor-outdoor materials here, which were both durable and beautiful. And you know I loved the blue ceiling!
Lastly we have the fun powder room right off the foyer designed by Jen Ziemer and Andréa Dixon of Fiddlehead Design Group. It's the formal bathroom for the home, but I love how playful it was! The Osborne & Little wallpaper perfectly complemented the unique ceiling treatment from Arte, a turquoise wallpaper handmade from natural plant fibers like water hyacinth and banana leaves. The piece by artist Samantha French was the perfect finishing touch!
Well that's it for now....thanks for reading all the way to the end! :) Like I mentioned, if you're in the Minneapolis area, a visit to this home is a must this weekend! Everyone else, definitely come back next week to finish the tour of this amazing home, there's still a lot left to see! And a special thanks to my friend (who just happens to be a talented photographer!) Michele Skinner who toured the home with me and snapped a lot of the detail shots above! Visit her blog for a great write-up of our visit!
Oh and if you have any source questions–just ask! I have the source list!
Go on to Part Two and Part Three of the tour!
Recent Turquoise Finds:
Love turquoise? Visit my shopping blog Everything Turquoise...updated several times throughout the day! Check out Decor by Color for even more color-themed shopping!
