Q & A with Holly

As promised, here is a Q & A with Holly where she tells us her favorites on everything from her favorite designer to her favorite spot for a cheap date night! Enjoy!

Some of Holly's faves...

 

 

1. Artist: Paul Klee and Alice Neel

2. Art Event: Art Perchance at the Minneapolis Institute of Art

3. Bar: The Local, downtown

4. Book: The Sartorialist

5. Chair: The Egg Chair

6. Color: No. 2 pencil yellow and Midnight Blue by Crayola

7. Concert Venue: Red Rocks and The MN Zoo

8. Design Icon: Sienna Miller

9. Flower: Ranunculus

10. Food: Huevos Rancheros

11. Gift Shop: I Like You in North East Minneapolis

12. Guilty Pleasure: Bacon!

13. Hobby: painting with the kids!

14. Jewelry: round silver studs and fun cocktail rings

15. Museum: Minneapolis Institute of Art  - I’m an Art History major!

16. Musical Artist: just one? Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps

17. Place for Lunch: Thanh Do on Minnetonka Blvd – Vietnamese Egg Roll Salad

18. Restaurant: Travail and The Sample Room

19. Spot for cheap date night: Bryant Lake Bowl

20. Summer Activity: lakeside with the kids, friends, and a margarita!

21. Spot for retro furniture: Spinario in North East Minneapolis

22. Spot for new trendy home accessories: Garage sales and Roam.

23. Vacation Destination: my bed. I love my bed.

24. Winter Activity: Snowshoeing in the woods.

25. Design Magazine: Domino – I miss you!

Q & A with Amber

Q & A with Amber! 

The CityPages came out with their ‘best of’ list a couple weeks ago, so why can’t we do the same thing?  When Amber was asked, “what’s your favorite…” Here’s what she had to say…

A few of Amber's faves...

1. Artist  Mondrian. I love his use of bold color and black lines to distinguish space.

2. Bar for unique cocktails Bradstreet Crafthouse in the Graves Hotel.

3. Color Red. The color red makes me happy; it adds a snappy pop of color to any outfit!

4. Chair My favorite is an orange mid century modern chair I got from my grandma. I love the shape and the color. My grandma has great taste!

5. Design period Mid Century Modern. I love the clean lines and innovative use of materials.

6. Flower Gerbera daisies and Spider Mums… they remind me of springtime.

7. Gift shop Patina; they have something for everyone. 

8. Guilty pleasure watching Glee… shhh don’t tell anyone!   

9. Hobby Being crafty; I am in a “Stitch N’ Bitch” club – we get together once a month and create everything from candles to sock monkeys! 

10. Jewelry anything vintage – usually found at Hunt and Gather in Edina or other thrifty places.

11. Museum Milwaukee Art Museum; designed by Eero Saarinen, David Kahler, and Santiago Calatrava. It even has ‘wings’ that open and close during the day!

12. Musical Artist Dessa – she is a lyrical acrobat!

13. Restaurant of the Moment I’ve been really digging Urban Eatery. They took over the old ‘View’ restaurant in Calhoun Beach Club, and it’s run by the Crave guys. They have yummy food, a sexy atmosphere, and a great happy hour!

14. Summer Activity Spending time at the lakes. Depending on your mood, you can bike, play volleyball, have a picnic, or just relax and people watch. I love it.

15. Spot for retro furniture and accessories Spinario Design in Northeast. They have it all!

16. Spot for new and trendy home accessories Roam on Glenwood in Minneapolis. 

17. Winter Activity Seeing the British Advertising Awards presented at the Walker Art Center; they are always so interesting. I’m not much for the cold outdoors!

What are some of your favorites? Stay tuned for Holly’s answers…

what came first… the chair or the egg?

 Since we are heading into the Easter Weekend, there are sure to be lots of egg dying and egg hunts taking place. Let’s take a look at the ‘egg’ in terms of interior design…

 

The Egg Chair is often considered on of the most recognizable icon chairs of the 20th century. You can find it on anything from totes to jewelry to post cards. It was designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1956 for the lobby and public areas of the Radisson SAS Hotel in Copenhagen. Jacobsen wanted to create a chair with a unique shape that, when sitting in it in a public space, it still gave you a little bit of privacy. The Egg Chair did just that. 

 

Photo #2 shows a pillow design paying homage to the iconic chair.

 

As you can see in photo #3, Jacobsen was meticulous about where the seams of the fabric would fall when designing this chair. He made sure that the dimensions of the chair were exact so that it could be upholstered with two cowhides without showing the seams.

 

Jacobsen took inspiration from another mid-century modern designed chair; The Womb Chair (photo #4). It was designed by Eero Saarinen exclusively for Knoll. Both chairs are designed to have matching ottomans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

get ready for spring!

Spring is in the air! It’s warming up, the snow is melting, and it’s staying lighter longer… you gotta love spring! I know we have been looking forward to it, here at hauthaus.

We thought we would highlight some fun products to help get you in the mood for the new season…

Having a spring brunch? What about pouring fresh squeezed orange juice from this lovely floral ceramic pitcher from Anthropologie?

Do you need something to make spring cleaning a little more enjoyable? Pick up one of these ‘mum scrubbers’ at Patina Stores.

The white bud vase, also from Patina, is a great little display vase for individual flowers.

And, who doesn’t love the smell of fresh-cut grass? Try this fresh-cut grass candle to really make your home smell like spring is in the air!

(products from right to left: pitcher: Anthropologie, Mum scrubbers: Patina Stores, Yellow flower ring: Stella & Dot, white bud vase: Patina Stores, Flower pendant light: Pottery Barn, Green floral purse: Patina Stores, Orange sheet set: Crate & Barrel, grass candle: available at many locations, floral upholstered side chair: Anthropologie.)

meet ozzy!

Meet Ozzy.

He’s our new little office mascot.

He thinks he is a very helpful assistant, but most days he is better at looking cute than assisting at anything!

Here he is ‘helping’ me with our Secret Wallpaper Project…

I think he is trying to decide which one is his favorite.

Now if only we could train him to bring us our daily designer essentials like; drafting dots, number 2 pencils, and dark chocolate!

before & after: main level re-do

See how we took this main level living space from “cookie cutter” to a space filled with the homeowner’s own personality and style…

This builder-home needed a splash of personality!

After we got to know the delightful homeowners, their two little boys, and their dog, Jackson, we distilled down their ideas, favorite things, and design style into a specific design concept. (We do this with all of our clients, as it helps to keep everyone involved on the same track.)  All of our design selections tie back to the design concept, which makes a for a very unique and cohesive design.

First, we changed the paint colors. The clients prefer a cool palette… even just the new coat of paint made a world of difference in the feel of the home. Next, we brought in Minnesota-made sofas and chairs with clean, modern lines.  The window treatments soften the space while providing protection from the hot/ bright sun.

A photo wall in the living room features stainless steel frames from Room and Board. It’s a great place to display fun family photos – and it’s easy to change them up as the kids grow and new additions to the family are made.

We made sure to use kid and pet friendly fabrics and finishes. You might wonder how it works to have a family with little kids and a dog  with two large white sofas… we used a fabric with nanotex technology. This means that spills bead up on the fabric and can easily be wiped away. How great!

window treatment styles

There are many different ways to dress your windows. Oh let me count the ways: panels, shades, shutters… well why don’t we just show you!

Here are some of the ways we have treated some of our clients’ windows…

Stationary Panels: This softens the large window while adding some drama. Since the client didn't need these treatments for privacy, we were able to cut down on yardage (and cost).

 

Inverted pleats: This style allowed for us to show off the beautiful patterned fabric, and because they are lined panels, they block the hot summer sun and keep this dining room cool in more ways than one!

 

Roman Shade: we used this treatment in a 'top-down/ bottom-up' application for maximum privacy and light control.

Asymmetrical Valance: we added some fun and whimsy into this little girl's room by using fun dressmaker trim and a kick pleat in the corners of this valance.

Soft, shaped cornice: this top treatment uses embroidered silk and rich, black swagged cotton to soften the sound in this music room.

Pinch Pleats: this heading treatment on these lined, silk panels adds formality and elegance to the living room.

what flowers are ‘in season’

This ‘warm’ weather has everyone  loving a break from the cold, drab winter and thinking forward to spring…

Put a little color on your table this week by picking up some flowers from your local floral shop or market.  Flowers that are in season right now are:

Alstromeria: it comes in red, pink, orange, white, yellow, purple, and varigated varieties and blooms it for days! It's a great flower that lasts.

 

Crysanthemums: they come in many colors and sizes. My favorites are the 'button mums' and the 'spider mums'. This is a flower that also lasts a long time and they smell pretty too!

 

Gerbera Daisy: this flower comes in red, orange, yellow, pink, purple and white. The head of this flower is about 3-4" and it can get a little top heavy. A simple solution is to support it with some floral wire or a large straw that slides over the stem.

 

Lily: these come in many colors and variations. The one shown here is a 'Stargazer Lily'. This flower has a strong, but delightful scent. One tip for this flower: it's best to remove the pollen right away so it doesn't stain your table cloth or it's petals. It also makes the bloom last longer.

 

Queen Ann's Lace: Instead of using baby's breath for filler, use this! It's very pretty and delicate. It adds another layer of texture to your arrangement.

color trend 2011: joyful

“Joyful”… blends festivity, sophistication, and energy.

Joyful Style: a playful sense of couture expressed through vibrant colors and interesting textures.

Joyful materials:

• faux leather
• bold pattern
• snakeskin
• cultural prints
• updated florals
• shiny fabrics
• velvets
• element of surprise

 

Paint colors (from Benjamin Moore – to use for inspiration, not necessarily for walls!):

• Yellow Green 2033-10
• Wales Green 2028-50
• Patriot Blue 2064-20
• Teal Ocean 2049-30
• Hot Spice 2011-30
• Midnight Navy 2067-10
• White Water 2120-60
• Semolina 2155-40
• Harvest Moon 2167-30

Catch this color trend in action!

friday quip

Here’s a lovely, short quip for a Friday…

We LOVE Ian Grant over at Bjorling & Grant in Minneapolis. Check out one of his latest creations!

See more of Ian’s work at:

www.bjorlinggrant.com