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SPACES LIVING WELL IN THE TWIN CITIES
Kitchen & Bath Issue stunning kitchens * 3Drawing “cowboy bath” * What blueinspires can do for you *
Day trip to Red Wing OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
IN EVERY ISSUE: GREAT PLACES TO EAT.SHOP.PLAY
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 2010
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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010
TABLE OF CONTENTS
36
Features 36 | Starting From Scratch They loved the land, but the cabin was a critter-infested wreck. They replaced it with an amenity-filled home that welcomes their extended family.
eat 74 | Quick, pick Chipotle’s new kids’ menu slows down the assembly line.
shop
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46 | Something Old, Something Blue When Butch Zelinsky gets an idea, like the soaking tub in his Minneapolis townhouse or a major remodel of a perfectly located 1950s rambler, he carries through on it — always with a touch of cobalt.
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62 | The New Living Room Everyone in this Plymouth household congregates in the kitchen, so it made sense to combine it with the dining room and create one large, livable space.
76 | A hidden treasure Tucked behind commercial buildings at the corner of Snelling and Selby avenues, the new women’s clothing boutique Allee is betting its customers are willing to hunt it down.
play Departments 17
14 | Editor’s Letter 17 | Noon to Three 24 | High-Tech Home Products with byte
30 | Accents Fun finds 12 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 SPACES
86 | Off on a Quest In Minneapolis, a new game with rhyming clues combines urban hiking and milling history.
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to our readers
Vol. 6, No. 7 October/November 2010 Publisher Martha Severson Editor Heidi Raschke Art Director Ellen Thomson Contributing Christopher Bahn, Writers Maja Beckstrom, Holly Berecz, Jessica Fleming, Emily Gurnon, Allison Kaplan
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hy didn’t I think of hanging original art — or a flat screen TV — over my tub? Those are just two of the new ideas I learned about while working on the Kitchen & Bath issue of Spaces. In this issue, we feature the latest, greatest ideas for the hardest-working rooms in your home. We have a kitchen that was opened up to accommodate a family of five cooks and the soccer teams that stop in for post-game food and fun. We have a bathroom built with grandkids in mind — inspired by a cowboy drawing and yet spa sophisticated. And we have a homeowner who used his signature cobalt blue — and the same sink — to give both his home and his townhouse a similar fresh, clean look. Speaking of fresh looks, we also tweaked the design of the magazine. Check out our revamped departments for a review of Chipotle’s new kids menu, a new St. Paul boutique tucked into a French-style alley and a fun way to explore the Minneapolis riverfront. With the leaves changing, it’s also a great time to take a shopping day trip down to Red Wing, known for boots, pottery and views of the Mississippi River. Here’s to a season of enjoying the fresh fall air, fresh looks and all the colors around us — both inside and out.
Copy Editors Cheryl Burch-Schoff, Dana Davis, Kathy Derong, Tim Mahoney Photographers Kyle Chiodo, Mark Ehlen, Richard Marshall, Tim Nehotte, Jean Pieri, Scott Takushi, Troy Thies Creative Barb Pederson Consultant Stylist Barbara Schmidt Advertising Martha Severson Information 651-225-1217 Senior Account Stephanie Hart Executive 651-271-3667 Ad Design Annie Maus Publisher’s Kelly Rogers Assistant 651-225-1175
Twin Cities Spaces is a Northwest Publication. Editorial, Sales and Back Issues Offices
Heidi Raschke
Cover photo by Troy Thies. Story, Page 36. 14 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 SPACES
Spaces 345 Cedar St. St. Paul, MN 55101 spacestwincities.com Questions 651-225-1175 Information in this publication is carefully compiled to ensure accuracy. No recommendation regarding the quality of goods and services is expressed or implied. Contents of this magazine are copyrighted by Northwest Publications in their entirety. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise without the prior consent of the publisher, SPACES, 345 Cedar St., St. Paul, MN 55101.
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Red winging it The scenic river town offers pottery, boots and more to shoppers who make the day trip.
Located just an hour south of the Twin Cities on the Mississippi River, Red Wing boasts history, scenic views and plenty of shopping. Below: No trip to Red Wing is complete without a visit to Red Wing Pottery, where pottery is still made on site. A group of teachers from Monticello browses the expansive assortment.
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hopping is one of the best ways to experience Red Wing, the scenic river town about an hour south of the Twin Cities. Pottery and boots are integral to Red Wing’s history and its present day-trip appeal. Start your visit on Old West Main Street, home to Red Wing Pottery, a third-generation family business founded more than 140 years ago,
where you can watch pottery being made seven days a week. “Store” doesn’t do justice to this expansive showroom with row upon row of pottery, dinnerware and kitchen gadgets. The pottery store is also connected to a chain of shops that cover everything from candy and home décor to garden accessories and lots and lots of knickknacks. The homey Smokey
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Row Cafe, featuring the Jenny Lind Bakery, is right next-door. A block down on Old West Main is Pottery Place Center, where you’ll find more antiques than pottery. Various vendors have set up shop peddling collectibles, shoes, kitchen goods, candles, bath products and more. Upstairs, take a peek inside the free Red Wing Pottery Museum with display cases showing the history of clay in the area and how pottery has evolved. Flea markets take place in the parking lot many weekends. Get back in your car and head a few miles down U.S. 61 to downtown Red Wing, where the St. James Hotel is a key landmark. It dates back to 1875, when Red Wing was one of the largest wheat ports in the world. The hotel’s historic charm has been preserved, down to the 1898 organ in the lobby. A trio of shops brings the building up to date, offering gifts, home accessories and women’s clothing. The Veranda at the St. James is the perfect lunch spot with views of the Mississippi River from the deck and the panoramic windows. The menu includes salads and sandwiches as well as more
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Moments on Main is a whimsical store filled with gifts and accents for the home and garden.
If it’s Scandinavian and made from crystal, you'll likely find it at Uffda.
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Red Wing Confectionery is a great place to indulge in homemade chocolates and nut mixes or pick up gift bags to take home.
substantial entrees. Across the street from the hotel, at the corner of Main and Bush, is Uffda, which tells you what to expect: Scandinavian gifts, books, jewelry, crystal, dinnerware and down-to-earth service. Moments on Main is your best bet for contemporary gifts and colorful home accents. Stationery, pillows, state-themed drinking glasses and crafting supplies are among the finds. Red Wing Confectionery satisfies the sweet tooth with fudge and other chocolate and caramel treats made locally. That brings you to downtown’s showpiece, the Red Wing Shoe Store, a three-level tribute to the company that sold its first pair of boots in 1905 for $1.75. The building houses the largest boot in the world: 16 feet tall, 20 feet long and 2,300 pounds. You’ve got to have your picture taken in front of this Guinness Book of World Records holder.
Red Wing Shoes is home to the World’s Largest Boot, a size 638-1/2 that weighs 2,300 pounds and stands 16 feet tall.
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noon to three . S H O P
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Diners, from left, Nancy Bartlewski, Susan Crocker and Samantha Rother eat lunch at the Veranda at the St. James Hotel, overlooking the Mississippi River.
At the tip of the giant boot’s laces on the second floor is a minimuseum, charting the history of the brand and the development of its shoes. The main sales floor offers everything that makes Red Wing boots popular still today. Downstairs is a factory outlet where you might get lucky and find a pair of shoes or boots for more than half off. Their boots are made for walking, so continue around the square block and explore some of the little shops like Cut Above Home for furnishings and décor, Lori’s New York Fashions for trendy handbags and accessories and Life’s Little Oasis for collectibles, toys and small trinkets to take home. ■ Allison Kaplan writes about shopping and style for the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Find more of her shopping tips at AliShops.com.
RED WING: WHERE TO FIND IT
Shopping Red Wing Pottery, 1920 W. Main St., 651-388-3562 Pottery Place Center, 2000 W. Main St., 612-822-0367 St. James Hotel shops, 406 Main St., 800-252-1875 Uffda, 202 Bush St., 651-388-8436 Moments on Main, 329 Main St., 651-388-2343 Red Wing Confectionery, 323 Main St., 651-388-0174
Red Wing Shoes, 315 Main St., 651-388-6233 Cut Above Home, 320 W. Third St., 651-388-2307 Lori’s New York Fashions, 320 Bush St., 651-388-2020 Life’s Little Oasis, 211-213 Bush St., 651-388-5171
Dining Smokey Row Cafe, 1926 W. Main St., 651-388-6025 The Veranda (at St. James Hotel), 406 Main St., 800-252-1875
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high-tech home . P R O D U C T S
Charge ahead From a photo printer that fits in your pocket to a pen that remembers, the latest must-have high-tech gadgets are sure to grab attention. B Y H O L LY B E R E C Z
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Take Note It’s a computer in a pen that helps you never miss a word. The Pulse smart pen from Livescribe records everything you hear, say and write. With 2GB of memory, it can hold more than 200 hours of audio, and an infrared camera captures everything you write and draw. Transfer notes and audio to your computer and recharge the pen using a standard cable connection. Starting at $129.95, it works with Livescribe dot paper (sold separately). livescribe.com
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Shine On If your lifestyle takes you to far-off horizons, just plug into the sun. The Rocsta Hybrid Charger from Solio uses the sun’s rays to charge your phone, MP3 player, GPS, camera and more. It powers-up over 3,200 devices using the sun, a USB port or a wall outlet. Priced at $69.95, it’s equipped with a battery booster to power your gadgets even while attached to a backpack, belt loop or bicycle. solio.com
Green Light Did you know that using a dimmer switch greatly reduces your energy costs? Replacing a standard switch with the Maestro Dimmer with Occupancy Sensor by Lutron ensures lights are on only when someone’s in the room. Priced at $60, it’s available in 27 room-coordinating colors including sea glass and plum. lutronstore.com
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He’s Electric Hook up with this man. He’s got connections. Helpful around the home or office, the Electric Man multioutlet surge protector from Kikkerland is more than just another boring power outlet. His legs and arms have three-prong sockets with enough room for even the biggest adapter. For $21, this powerful man is sure to bring a smile to your face. kikkerland.com
BYTE
Instant Gratification Polaroid offers a new generation of instant photos — and this time there’s no shaking involved. The PoGo Instant Mobile Printer lets you print snapshots from a digital camera or cell phone, even when you’re on the go. The pocketsized printer uses ZINK Zero Ink photo technology to produce 2-by-3-inch borderless sticky-backed photos in 60 seconds. Available for $60. polaroid.com
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Mix Master Rock your party with the world’s first iPod DJ mixing console. IDJ lets you input two iPods and two additional turntables or MP3/CD players to create your own house mix. It features headphone pre-cueing, volume faders for each channel, large illuminated buttons, jog wheels for easy menu navigation and a professional-style crossfader. Take your mixing hobby to the next level for around $150. ionaudio.com
Unplugged Sony offers a simple solution for your digital music collection. The ALTUS wireless system streams music from your PC to any room in your home. The ALT-SA32PC multi-room package features an S-AIR transmitter that connects to your computer and two high-output speakers. Selling for around $500, the system taps into existing playlists in programs like iTunes and Windows Media Player. sonystyle.com
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accents . F U N
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bath time [PHOTOGRAPHER TIM NEHOTTE] [ART DIRECTOR & STYLIST B A R B A R A S C H M I D T, BSTYLE, INC.]
> Porcher Lutezia freestanding soaking tub with decorative base, porcherus.com; $4,825 and $1,235, respectively > Jado Savina freestanding floor mount tub filler in polished chrome, jadousa.com; $1,969 > Jonathan Adler Ceramic Sconce, collection5.com; $215 > 8-by-16-foot Alpaca travertine floor tile, jeffreycourt.com; pricing upon request > Porcher Sapho II wall-mounted lavatory with 8-foot centers, porcher-us.com; $550 > Glance widespread lavatory set in polished chrome, jadousa.com; $844 > Osbourne & Little Speroni wallcovering W6036, scherpingwestphal.com; $180 per roll > Vintage rustic metal mirror, Blake Antiques, 901 Mainstreet, Hopkins, 952-930-0477; $45 > Abalone half shell, zacharyltd.com; $19.
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> Wallcovering Kimura Tumeric W205/05, pricing available through your designer, romo.com > beaded light fixture, $1,495 available through your designer, collection5.com > Jado Classic widespread faucet with crystal handles in platinum nickel, jadousa.com; $773 > Porcher Lutezia white soaking tub shown as a drop in, porcher-us.com; $2,110 > Madison Chair by Thomas O’Brien, hickorychair.com; $2,205
> Black wooden stool, mallofstpaul.com; $35 > Gray washcloth and hand towels, macys.com; $10 and $12, respectively > Black glass planter, mallofstpaul.com; $8 > 18-by-18-foot Allegro white marble tile, jeffreycourt.com; pricing upon request
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> Countertop Formica Solid Surface #103, formica.com; pricing through your local dealer > Heavy glass footed bowl, mallofstpaul.com; $19 > Porcher Solutions Semi Encastre sink as a drop in with single hole, porcher-us.com; $600 > Jado New Haven Single Lever Lavatory faucet in platinum nickel, jadousa.com; $490 > Antiqued silver mirror, homegoods.com; $30 > Designer’s Guild Nabucco wall covering P539, scherpingwestphal.com; $150 per roll > Paper mache lidded canister, mallofstpaul.com; $15 > Gray washcloth and hand towel, macys.com; $10 and $12, respectively
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The kitchen was designed to help guest traffic flow like a river, architect Jerry Allen says. The second island serves as a spot for friends and family to gather without invading the cook’s workspace.
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{starting from scratch} BY JESSICA FLEMING/ PHOTOGRAPHY BY TROY THIES
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The Howes loved the land, but the cabin was a critter-infested wreck. They replaced it with an amenity-filled home that welcomes their extended family.
Features in the home’s master bath are meant to mimic a luxurious spa, Karen Howe says. Featuring a drenching rain shower head and a Toto toilet seat that cleanses the user, it offers the little touches that help the couple relax.
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or Tom and Karen Howe, it was always about the land. Busy business owners, the couple wanted a getaway on the St. Croix River, and in 2003 they found 10 acres with a cabin on the bluffs. But the tiny, two-bedroom home in Washington County’s Denmark Township was aging, poorly constructed and too close to the shoreline. They lived with crickets and bats.The Howes, both 60, longed for an oasis for their growing extended family. So they tore the cabin down. The 3,800-square-foot home they built to replace it was designed to blend in with its surroundings and offer spectacular views of
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the riverfront landscape. “It’s hard to have a bad day when the sun is shining in and nature is right there,” Karen Howe says. “You can see fox and turkeys and deer. Sometimes you look out and there is a deer with its nose right there. It’s like we are in God’s country. We see something like that every weekend.” In addition, the new house offers the couple ample opportunity to share that experience with others. The kitchen and bathrooms, especially, are intended to entertain guests, something that was important to Karen, a home economics major in college who loves to cook for a crowd.
The kitchen features pine, knotty alder and slate flooring. A breakfast nook with windows on three sides offers an eastern view of the river. It’s especially nice, says builder Peter Vujovich, for watching the sun rise through the trees. “The eastern light in the morning just fills that nook,” Vujovich said. “It’s the perfect place to retreat with your laptop or read a cookbook.” The kitchen’s workspaces are constructed with an eye toward entertaining, too. “The kitchen has always been the hub of the house,” Karen says. “Everyone always wants to be there.” Two islands serve two separate functions,
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The “cow bath” was inspired by a drawing of a cowboy created by family members for one of the Howes’ granddaughters . The vinyl cowhide wallpaper is “playful without being too whimsical,” designer Gary Mandel says.
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The bathroom outside the and each has its own look and feel, bunkhouse might be the most playsays interior designer Gary Mandel ful thing inside the home (there’s a of Baker Court Interiors.The space is 30-foot-tall hand-painted tipi on the the perfect illustration of how he and grounds). fellow designer Shelly Carr worked Nicknamed the cow bathroom, it to bring Karen Howe, who is more was inspired by a family memory. traditional, and Tom Howe, who preWhile on a trip to Phoenix, the ferred a casual approach, together. Howes struggled to entertain her The first island, which features then-1-year-old granddaughter in a light, enameled cabinetry and a restaurant with just paper and moonstone countertop, is part of the crayons. work triangle — sink, refrigerator Karen drew a cowboy.Tom added and stove — and the second is one a hat. Her son contributed a holster solid work surface with stools. and a gun. Someone else made a Guests can join in on projects at horse. the second island — made of stained “(My granddaughter) thought wood topped with a darker granite — that was just great,” Karen says. or just sip a glass of wine, without Later, her son, who lives in New getting in the way of the cook. And York, found a card that reminded the solid surface is perfect for makhim of the drawing and sent it to ing cookies or bread with her two Karen for her birthday. She liked it granddaughters, Karen says. so much, she framed it. Now they “The cooking area is protected by have a bathroom inspired by it. that island and allows people to cir“The wall covering is vinyl culate around the kitchen and be a cowhide,” Mandel says. “It’s playful part of it,” says architect Jerry Allen. without being too whimsical.” “But it allows the cook the freedom to Karen had the idea of putting a interact without having the traffic to larger apron-front sink in the bathgo through.” room, even though it would typicalThere’s also what Karen refers to ly be used in a kitchen. as the “breakfast bar” with an espres- A Japanese soaking tub allows water to come up to the user’s “At the time we built it, there was so machine and toast station. It has chest. Karen Howe says the deep tub is more tranquil than a noisy a baby, and I thought, ‘How perfect, its own sink with filtered water, and hot tub with jets. they can bathe the baby in there,’ ” cabinets hold dishes for guests to she says. it does everything,” she says. help themselves. Underneath the sink, a pull-out, built-in (Well, not quite everything.) “Guests don’t really have to be in the cenThe mirrors in the dual sink are Robern stepstool makes brushing teeth easy for the ter of my kitchen while I’m getting breakfast ready — they can be off to the side,” Karen his-and-hers models. Hers has a makeup little ones. That’s just one more detail geared toward mirror on the inside, his a shaving mirror. says. The home, though, isn’t just a place to There are electrical outlets inside, too. And making all of the Howes’ family and friends entertain. It’s where the couple goes to relax the best part, she says, is that each has a comfortable. “The house is an extension of the hospidefogger. and unplug. The shower has a showerhead that mim- tality Karen Howe has for her family and A Japanese soaking tub in the master ics “warm rain, and it’s very drenching,” guests,” Vujovich says. bathroom embodies relaxation, Karen says. Still, Karen hasn’t forgotten what brought “The water comes up to your chest,” she Karen says. “Karen kept us conscious of the need to her family to the site in the first place. says. “To me, those big whirlpools — they’re “The nature is what brought us out there. not really relaxing. The jets are really quite create a bathroom where you could almost noisy. It’s nice to get in there and soak and feel like you’re checking in at a great hotel or We’re just as happy as we were in our little cabin with the crickets and the bats. It’s more spa,” Vujovich says. put in some bath salts.” The house also has what the couple just that we can share it with others. Watching a news show one day, a host “We hope it’s in the family for generations described a Toto toilet seat, and Karen says refers to as “the bunkhouse,” a large room with six beds for grandchildren or others to to come.” ■ she knew she had to have one. “It washes you, it dries you, it deodorizes, get cozy. Jessica Fleming is a St. Paul Pioneer Press reporter. 40 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 SPACES
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This view of the kitchen in the Washburn Avenue house shows the open shelves on the right – which the owner chose over cabinets for their ease of use and clean, airy look.
something 46 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 SPACES
old
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something
blue
by emily gurnon photographs by kyle chiodo
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Homeowner Butch Zelinsky used decorative glass pieces and other items in his beloved cobalt blue as a consistent design element throughout the Minneapolis home’s kitchen.
When Butch Zelinsky gets an idea, like the soaking
tub in his
Minneapolis townhouse or a major remodel of a perfectly located 1950s rambler, he carries through on it — always with a touch of cobalt. 48 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 SPACES
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W
omen aren’t the only ones who like a nice, relaxing bath. ● Just ask Butch Zelinsky, who decided his Minneapolis townhouse needed a major renovation — complete with a new master bathroom and a soaking tub to replace the traditional tubshower combination. ● His designer, Lisa Ball of Design By Lisa, made it happen. ● “It was a priority to get the bathtub in there,” she says. ● Of course, being a guy, Zelinsky had to have a wall-mounted TV above the tub, too. ● Ball says she laughs when the men go for that. “It always falls along gender lines.” ● Zelinsky, who works in real estate, says he has bought and renovated at least seven houses in the Twin Cities over the past 25 years. ● He and Ball collaborated on the townhouse remodel in 2007, and then used some of the same themes in a house renovation the following year. ☛
The refurbished bathroom in the house features a new transom window and a trough-style vanity from Menard’s. Wood floors replaced old tile.
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The clear shower walls in this redesigned townhouse bathroom make the space look roomier; artwork provides a splash of color.
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New flat-panel cabinets preserve some of the 1950s-era style of the Washburn Avenue house.
The bath in the townhouse went from a nothingspecial space to a gleaming, airy retreat. With the help of some borrowed space from a bedroom, Zelinsky and Ball put in an all-glass, walk-in shower next to the tub. No partition divides them. “I didn’t want any encumbrances,” Zelinsky says. It helps make the room seem larger. The shower features stainless-steel tiles for the floor. Zelinsky liked them so much he used them for the kitchen counter backsplash in the house remodel, too. For the vanity, Zelinsky had no need to go custom: He found a stylish trough model at Menard’s — and bought a second one for the renovated house. “It was a really good value,” Ball says. “And it had the same nice, open feel. So we used it twice.” Zelinsky also decided to install wood floors in both the townhouse and home bathrooms. Some homeowners are leery about subjecting a natural material to constant steam and wet feet, Ball says.
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But not Zelinsky. “With the new water-based finishes, they’re like iron,” he says. “I swear by it. If you use tile, it’s very hard on your feet, and you have to heat it.” In time, Zelinsky moved from the townhouse. He found a house in what he says was a “ridiculous” Minneapolis location. He couldn’t believe his luck. The 1953 rambler on Washburn Avenue South between Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles had had one owner since it was built. And no one had laid a finger on it. There was nothing to undo. “So it was very vintage, had not been touched, really great bones — I immediately had a vision,” Zelinsky says. “By opening up a few walls, it transformed from a 1953 obsolete floor plan to a very current, open, airy space,” he says. “And because of the location, I wanted as much glass as possible.” Toward that goal, he and Ball decided to move the bathroom window from its original spot next to the toilet to the long wall in the tub area.
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The old wall between the kitchen and the dining room cut the two off from each other. Knocking it down dramatically opened up the space.
“We put a transom window up higher, so that, standing in the shower, you can look out to the treetops,” Zelinsky says. They also opted for bigger windows throughout the house. The original bathroom sported pink, green and white flower wallpaper — hello, 1950s! — pink wall tile and a traditional multicolored tile floor. A new wood floor replaced the tile. More neutral colors, as well as white floor-to-ceiling tiles around
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the tub, give the bath a fresh look. Zelinsky is big on entertaining, so the kitchen and dining areas were a major focus of the remodel. Like many homes of that era, the two rooms were distinct, with a standard-sized doorway between them. “When you were in the kitchen, you were separated from the rest of the house totally,” Ball says. But when that wall came down, the light came in.
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The honed-granite countertops in the Washburn Avenue house give it a more loft-like, “industrial” feel than shinier counters would.
“We made it as open as possible,” Ball says. Zelinsky had the idea of installing open shelves instead of cabinets on the window side of the kitchen. They display his glassware and fine dishes. It’s another way to let the sun shine in.And that’s not all. “I wanted ease of operation,” he says. “It’s just really nice not to have to open and close” cupboard doors repeatedly. But what about, you know, hiding stuff? “There’s a pantry for the canned goods,” Zelinsky says. In addition to razing walls and opening cabinet areas, designer Ball used some other “tricks” to make the small house look bigger.Wood floors in all of the rooms, including the kitchen and bath, create a continual flow.The same paint colors carry the eye from one room to another, too. Cobalt blue, a favorite of Zelinsky’s, is one of those colors. He placed several blue vases on top of
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the open kitchen shelves as a design component. “Blue is soothing, I think,” he says. “I always use an element of cobalt in everything I do.” Of course, keeping the ornamentation and clutter to a minimum is key to maintaining that “open” feel. That means Ball and Zelinsky went big on straight, clean lines for things like window casings. And recessed lighting eliminates the need for space-sucking lamps. Zelinsky included some modern loft-style elements in the house, Ball says, like the honed granite kitchen countertops in the kitchen that have less of a sheen than the polished variety. Still, Ball says that it was important for Zelinsky to honor some of the house’s original character. Installing all-wood floors and selectively placing a few folk antiques helped. “We wanted it to still have some of the charm of a small house in Minneapolis,” she says. ■ Emily Gurnon is a Pioneer Press reporter.
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the new living room The 15-foot island becomes a convenient buffet area for large-group entertaining. Below, more than a dozen drawers make up for the loss of cabinetry around the stove.
BY CHRISTOPHER BAHN
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*
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK EHLEN
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Everyone in this Plymouth household congregates in the kitchen, so it made sense to combine it with the dining room and create one large, livable space. 64 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 SPACES
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A long tile backsplash behind the stove adds openness and color to the kitchen’s cooking area, designed for daily use by serious chefs.
T
he problem with the living room in Mark and Jeanette Jedele’s Plymouth home was that it wasn’t where they really lived. It was just “wasted space,” says Jeanette, a human resources director at General Mills. Instead, the Jedeles’ daily lives revolve around their kitchen. “It’s where everyone congregates, so we’d have eight people and it was tight,” says Mark. That’s not an unusual complaint, says interior designer Christine Nelson, who helped the Jedeles rethink their living space. She points to a growing trend in the way American families are using their homes: “People are spending more and more time in their kitchens.” The old layout of the Jedeles’ first floor was simply too compartmentalized, with a wall between the kitchen and dining room. “And we do a lot of large-group entertaining,” Jeanette says, “so the dining
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Left of the island, a round table made of the same black granite forms a much-used secondary dinner table for the family and looks out onto their backyard patio.
room wasn’t big enough.” Contractor Eric Gustafson cites that as a common problem in many suburban houses built in the 1980s and 1990s.“Dividing off the dining room,” he says, only ends up “creating this claustrophobic dining room and this undersized kitchen.” A solution is to open things up and create one long room. That was particularly true for the Jedeles. With three teenage daughters, the family frequently hosts entire soccer teams after games. And since all five Jedeles cook, the kitchen doesn’t just serve a social function. It gets put to real work. “Jeanette loves to cook. She wanted this 66 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 SPACES
kitchen where she could cook and entertain,” Nelson says. “She got this huge range and cooktop — everything was super-sized for the professional kitchen. It was her dream kitchen, for being the chef she’d like to be.” The new space is all about openness and creating a flow between the dining room, family room and patio that centers around the kitchen. The kitchen was expanded into a full-size galley, freeing it to take up its role as the most important room of the house. It’s now the nexus of an open area that can comfortably fit several dozen guests.The old diningroom area was absorbed into the kitchen
space, and the former living room now contains the formal dining table. “There was kind of a swap between the rooms to create this long kitchen,” Gustafson says. The space around the range and cooktop is uncluttered by cabinetry, surrounded instead with an eye-catching tile backsplash covering the whole wall. Just off the main food prep area is the new dining room, which is furnished with easy chairs for Jeanette’s parents, who are frequent visitors, and with a piano. Tying the whole room together is a daringly large, 15-foot center island, topped with granite. On one end of the island, a
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A raised glass bar seating four not only gives the long kitchen island a much-needed visual break but also has become a favorite homework area for the family’s three teenage daughters.
wider area gives extra food-prep space. But when a soccer team stops by, the whole 15foot length serves as a buffet area. Guests can conveniently load their plates, then mingle in the adjoining family room or outdoor patio. “That’s the longest bar that we’ve ever put in, or seen designed in a kitchen,” says Gustafson, who admits that it “was a concern at the start that the bar would be too huge. But with the space that’s there, it worked perfectly. It’s just the right size.” The island also has a raised glass bar that seats four guests, who can relax and chat with the chefs without getting in their way. It also serves a crucial design need, Nelson says. “Since we had this huge 15-foot island, to do a raised bar, it would end up feeling like 68 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 SPACES
the Great Wall of China,” she says.“We needed something to break it up, but I wanted it to feel light and open and airy.” Although the kitchen incorporates plenty of cabinets (made by Minnesota company Dura Supreme) near the refrigerator, they’re absent near the cooktop. Nelson took inspiration for this from European design concepts. “Americans tend to want to fill up every single wall with cabinets,” she says. ”But if the cabinets are efficient, you don’t need as many. I really wanted to leave space for the massive stove and hood with no wall cabinets and give it that punch of color with tile.” Mark admits to early skepticism about losing the cabinet space: “It’s kind of different. It’s not what I thought about originally, but (Nelson) said, ‘No, no, you can do that.’ ”
In fact, Nelson’s design, rather than losing the cabinets, relocated them. “If I took away storage, I tried to give it back to her in a bigger and better and more efficient way,” Nelson says. An appliance garage in one corner, 36 inches deep, easily accommodates items like mixers and food processors, reducing clutter on the counters to zero. And the island itself picks up the rest of the slack with more than a dozen drawers. “That is really cool,” Mark says. “We love the drawers. All our everyday stuff is down there, the glasses, plates. It’s really easy to get it in and out. It works fantastic.” One big reason for the success of the redesign was that the Jedeles weren’t just passive participants. “You have to have your own ideas,” Jeanette says. “You have to think,
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Formerly hulking between kitchen and dining room, the refrigerator was moved to the opposite wall, which allowed the entire first floor to be opened up. To the left, a deep appliance garage eliminates countertop clutter.
how are you going to use the space?” The Jedeles sketched their initial ideas on paper, mocked up 3D models in cardboard, and researched what kind of brackets they’d need to hold up the glass bar on the island. “It was fun,” Nelson says. “When a customer has an interest or an artistic skill, I like to pull that in and use a team approach.” Mark and Jeanette also found the island’s unusual black stone top. “I think I looked at every slab of granite in the greater Twin Cities area,” Jeanette says, laughing. “I was looking for something very specific, and as soon as I saw this, I knew it’s what I wanted. We knew we wanted a really dark, rich feel, but we didn’t want something boring.” They settled on a Brazilian stone called 70 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 SPACES
Cosmic Black, found through local company Cold Spring Granite and crafted by local fabricators Minnesota Tile and Stone. The Jedeles credit Nelson with encouraging them “not to be afraid of color,” says Jeanette. “That’s not our forte,” Mark says. “It was nice to have her walk us along.” Nelson loves to use bold colors where she can, but in this case, something more sedate felt right. “You have to blend it with the other rooms, too,” Nelson says. “So we went more with earth tones, with greens and oranges for the accessories. It was a pretty neutral palette, and then a couple of pops of color. It’s a safe way to go, because they can change the accessories, and paint is easy to change, too.”
Gustafson calls the project “a total success.” It has worked so well, in fact, that the kitchen is even more central to the Jedele family’s daily routine than they had expected. The island’s glass bar, conveniently situated for laptop computers, isn’t just a guest space: “The kids do their homework there all the time,” says Mark, who owns an industrial crating business and a financial consulting practice. “I would not have guessed that. That’s their regular perch.” Jeanette agrees. “We expected it to open up the space and be the gathering area, but it worked even better than we thought it would. Because if the girls are home and we’re home, we’re all right here.” ■ Christopher Bahn is a Twin Cities freelance writer.
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eat . K I D S ’
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CUISINE
Quick, pick Chipotle’s new kids’ menu slows down the assembly line.
O
ur recent visit to Chipotle Mexican Grill was the practice run; the servers got the drill down, and we learned what to order next time. The Mexican-inspired chain just rolled out a children’s menu, featuring quesadillas and small tacos. As a mom whose family prefers organic food, I was pleased to hear about the chain’s new child-size options. Chipotle serves naturally raised meats and tries to buy organic and local produce, so it’s a fast-food compromise — healthy and tasty enough for parents but hip, fast and casual enough for kids. The first time I ordered at Chipotle, I felt caught between the pressure of a long line behind me and the confusion of so many choices ahead. Chicken, pork carnitas or beef? Black beans or pinto? Red or green salsa? Mild, medium or hot? Cheese? Lettuce? Rice? Guacamole? Sour cream? I settled on my favorite dish — the carnitas burrito bowl with black beans, medium salsa and all the extras. Then, I had to order for my three kids. When I asked for the children’s taco kit, the server looked at me blankly. “From the new children’s menu,” I repeated, helpfully, since the menu wasn’t posted yet. He slapped a tortilla on a foil circle and slid it down the line. Another server reminded him the tortilla was supposed to go in a partitioned cardboard tray. Meanwhile, he must have misunderstood the order because we ended up with the single taco ($3.50) for my 8-year-old son, rather than the taco kit ($3.95), which includes two tortillas and fill-
ings to assemble at the table. I didn’t notice because I was still ordering for my other children. In the midst of multitasking, I also forgot to order my own drink. What’s that advice
about putting on your own oxygen mask first? Next time, I’ll nail my order before I consider the kids. Did I mention my husband was with us? He ordered his own burrito, extra chips and salsa and then waited for us down at the cash register. But all’s well that ends well. My 4½-yearold daughter loved her quesadilla ($3.50) with cheese and carnitas, which the server said was the least spicy meat. She chowed down on her chips and sides of rice and beans, telling us, “They’re spicy, but I’m old enough to like spicy food now.” Next time, I’ll order a regular-size meal
for the 8-year-old. He liked his taco, rice, chips and chocolate milk (thumbs up to the Organic Valley brand). But it wasn’t enough food to satisfy his big appetite. We sent him back in line to order a second identical meal, and he polished that off, too, pouring salty crumbs from the chip bag into his open mouth. Our 10-year-old son ordered a regular burrito bowl, and it didn’t fill him up, either. That was because he was picky and ordered only chicken, rice, cheese and lettuce. He ate it all and begged for some of my burrito bowl with the extras he had turned down. “That was really good!” he said. “Do you realize you just ate black beans and sour cream and salsa?” I asked. “If you want more food in your bowl, just say yes to everything.” For once, he looked interested in my advice. “I’m going to try that strategy next time,” he said. And there will be a next time. Chipotle has about 50 locations in Minnesota, including the one in Highland Park just across the street from where the kids go for music lessons. I will assign my husband the job of ordering off the kids’ menu for the preschooler. I will tell the boys to order their own regular burrito or taco or burrito bowl and to choose all ingredients by themselves. I plan to devote my attention to picking out a drink. ■ Maja Beckstrom writes about children and families for the Pioneer Press.
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shop. B O U T I Q U E S
A hidden treasure Tucked behind commercial buildings at the corner of Snelling and Selby avenues, the new women’s clothing boutique Allee is betting its customers are willing to hunt it down.
June Berkowitz and her daughter co-own Allee Metro Chic women’s boutique, which opened recently in an old caretaker’s house along the cobblestone alley at Snelling and Selby avenues.
O
The alleyway opens onto a small, shady patio with more seating.
perating a boutique on a busy corner is difficult enough, but down an alley, without any street visibility? That’s retail suicide. Or European. Allee Metro Chic opened recently in an old caretaker’s house behind the buildings on the northwestern corner of Selby and Snelling avenues in St. Paul. You can’t see it from the street, but the boutique began attracting attention weeks ago, just from its sign above a charming cobblestone alley. Once a dingy stretch between boarded-up buildings riddled with graffiti, the walkway was completely remade to resemble a candlelit alley in Paris. Even the shop signs are French. “People have been coming down the alley nonstop — they’re so curious,” said Jessica Gerard, whose lingerie boutique, Flirt, overlooks the alley. “It really feels like France.” June Berkowitz, the owner of Nina’s Cafe at Selby and Western avenues, had the vision. She first discovered the turn-of-thecentury caretaker’s house down the alley when she was looking for a place to live. She couldn’t get it out of her mind. So when she and daughter Kelissa Stempski decided to open a women’s clothing store, they gravitated to the alley. The area was made even more appealing by the recent arrival of more than a half-dozen inde-
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The alley between two buildings leads to a former caretaker’s house, now Allee boutique. Co-owner June Berkowitz discovered the house while looking for a place to live and envisioned it transformed to a shop.
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In Paris, women don’t wait for an occasion to put on a dress. June Berkowitz and her 22-year-old daughter, Kelissa Stempski, hope to bring that sophistication to St. Paul with their new boutique, Allee Metro Chic.
The quaint shop at the end of a cobblestone alley at 179 N. Snelling Ave. features lesser-known lines like Eve Gravel and Annie 50 of Montreal, as well as some Twin Cites standouts, including Joynoelle by Joy Teiken and Dadadress by Jessika Madison-Kennedy. The modern dresses, ruffled skirts, luxe sweaters and stylish shoes will play to both mothers and daughters looking to move beyond jeans and T-shirts. The key is knowing how to wear each piece to best suit your style and age, Berkowitz says. “We found this great leather jacket,” Berkowitz says. “She’d wear it over a tank top with jeans and flip-flops; I’d wear it with a long skirt, tunic and scarf.” Stempski describes her personal style as very simple, while her mom is “more funky.” Still, the duo agreed on just about every piece they stocked for the store. They even share clothes at home. Sort of. At least Stempski, who is finishing school to become a dental assistant, helps herself to her mom’s clothes. “That way, I don’t have to buy.”
— Allison Kaplan
pendent stores, anchored by popular gift retailer Patina. Selby and Snelling is one of St. Paul’s busiest intersections — 53,000 cars pass by daily. The corner has long been home to a handful of vintage shops, a gym and a Starbucks as well as O’Gara’s Bar and Grill. Despite its high visibility and tree-lined sidewalks, the neighborhood has always appeared less polished than Grand Avenue, home to the vast majority of St. Paul’s boutiques. Now, with the renovation of a couple of key buildings and the addition of several stores, Selby and Snelling looks sharper and is finally becoming a shopping district. Credit goes to commercial and residential developer Ed Conley of CCI Properties, who hadn’t even heard of Patina a couple of years ago. Conley has been fixing up dilapidated homes and apartment buildings in the Twin Cities for 13 years. He remade the original St. Paul Academy at Dale Street and Portland Avenue into an office building occupied primarily by law firms. Three years ago, he purchased 1595 Selby Ave., the building next door to Patina. At one time, it had been a movie theater, he said, but more recently, it was used for offices and had become extremely run down and institutional with steel doors and cinderblock walls. Conley restored it with
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an art deco theme and created 17 apartments. He did it on his own, without funding assistance. Next, Conley bought the corner building and added retail and office space. First came The area around the intersection of Selby Two Smart Cookies and Snelling avenues has been climbing bakery on Snelling steadily upscale, first with Two Smart Cookies, then Flirt and Patina complementing the Sweat Avenue. Then Flirt. Shop gym and a Starbucks coffee shop. “Patina was a fluke of a deal,” Conley said. “It really fell into my lap.” Patina gravitates toward urban neighborhoods. Husband and wife Rick Haase and Christine Ward operate five Twin Cities locations (one in South Minneapolis is under construction after a fire) and have a strong online business. The intersection of Selby and Snelling was the perfect fit: close to a highway and in a busy neighborhood, but one that’s underdeveloped for shopping. Once Patina leased the two-level storefront at 1581 Selby Ave., Conley realized he was on to something. Other arrivals followed, including A. Michele clothing store, Tennis on Selby, Everyday People resale shop, Heddy Freddy bag showroom and Initially Yours, which, like Flirt, relocated from Grand Avenue. “It’s nice to have other people excited about the neighborhood. There’s definitely more energy now,” said Haley Bush, the corner veteran. She opened vintage store Lula at 1587 Selby Ave. 18 years ago and spent many of those surrounded by empty storefronts and a couple of service businesses. “It used to be me and the guy who sharpened skates,” Bush said. “My building was in really rough shape. If Ed (Conley) hadn’t fixed it, I might not even be here now.” With the opening of Allee and a floral shop coming soon, Conley’s storefronts are filled. But the developer is far from finished here. “I’m a huge believer in benefiting customers and the community in whatever I’m doing,” Conley said. That includes everything from picking up cigarette butts on the sidewalk to helping his retail tenants organize for neighborhood shopping events. A recent Bastille Day-themed event drew the biggest crowds Gerard has seen since moving Flirt to the corner. “I do a lot of events, but this was the first time all my food was gone,” she said. Conley is working on adding parking, which can be tough to come by on the busy corner. He’d like to see a median installed along Snelling Avenue to slow the traffic and make the wide avenue more pedestrian-friendly. Also on his wish list: a cafe that would appeal to the increasingly upscale shoppers. “I really want the whole neighborhood to be successful,” Conley said. “On every project, I try to remember what I learned as a little boy: Leave the campsite better than when you found it.” ■ Allison Kaplan writes about shopping and style for the Pioneer Press.
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play. F A M I L Y
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OUTINGS
Off on a Quest In Minneapolis, a new game with rhyming clues combines urban hiking and milling history.
M
y three children and I peered up at words chiseled into the limestone blocks of the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis. We were looking for a clue in a community treasure hunt called a quest. I had stumbled on the Fabled Falls & Forgotten Walls Quest online while I was looking for things to do with children in Minneapolis along the Mississippi River. We’ve ridden bicycles across the Stone Arch Bridge, which is great fun, but I wanted something a bit more structured for this outing. The quest seemed perfect — part treasure hunt and part history lesson, wrapped up in Dr. Seuss rhymes. The Fabled Falls & Forgotten Walls Quest is the first in our region. It leads people onto the Stone Arch Bridge and through Mill Ruins Park, where they can view the ruined tunnels and tailraces that were part of the water system that powered the Minneapolis flour mills. Minneapolis Parks plans to roll out another quest this fall focusing on environmental aspects of the riverfront.
More riverfront fun If you want to continue exploring the Minneapolis riverfront, look for more ideas at minneapolis-riverfront.com. Here are five activities suited for families. Lock and Dam Tours: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a visitors’ center at the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam and offers daily tours of the lock and dam through October. Times vary, so check the sign at the visitors’ center. (Free; 877-5521416 or www.mvp.usace.army.mil)
The Fabled Falls quest starts on a wood bench at the intersection of Portland Avenue South and West River Parkway. I held a fourpage printout in my hand and started reading our instructions: “Sit on a bench, look up high / See many words floating in the sky. …” After solving the clues, watching barges and having a great time, we went home with a treasure — memories of a fun afternoon together and a new appreciation for the river and its history. ■ Maja Beckstrom writes about children and families for the Pioneer Press.
What: Explore the Minneapolis riverfront with Fabled Falls and Forgotten Walls Quest Where: Stone Arch Bridge and Mill Ruins Park (Portland Avenue South and West River Parkway, Minneapolis) Info: 612-313-7793 or minneapolisparks.org (print quest directions from Mill Ruins Park page) Hours: Anytime Cost: Free Target Audience: Anyone who loves the thrill of a treasure hunt, an hourlong meander and local history in verse. Crowd Pleaser: Watching a barge go through the lock and dam. Avoid: Getting lost. Print a map of the area at minneapolisriverfront.com. More info: Read previously published family outings under “family fun” at MinnMoms.com.
BY MA JA BECKSTROM PHOTO BY JEAN PIERI 86 | OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2010 SPACES
Mill City Museum: A museum devoted to the history of the Minneapolis flour-milling district, with interactive exhibits that will grab the attention of preschoolers and grandparents. The museum also offers guided tours of the riverfront. A guided family quest is also coming up Sept. 26. (704 S. Second St., Minneapolis; $10-$5; 612-341-7555 or www.millcitymuseum.org) St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail: A 1.8-mile walking loop that takes in the Stone Arch Bridge, Hennepin Avenue Bridge, Nicollet Island and the east and west riverbanks. Lots of local history to read on plaques. (Free; www.mnhs.org/places/safhb) Segway Magical History Tours: A guided 5- to 7-mile tour of the riverfront on a cool Segway scooter; ages 13 and older. (125 Main St. S.E., Minneapolis; $80; 952-8889200 or magicalhistorytours.com) Water Power Park: Get within feet of St. Anthony Falls and explore parts of Hennepin Island open to the public only since 2007, when the park opened next to Xcel Energy’s St. Anthony Hydro Plant. (Free; waterpowerpark.com)
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