COZYING UP TO FALL
As much as my team and I (and most Minnesotans) absolutely love summer, there’s a lot to love about the fleeting season of fall, too. Maybe it’s the way it nudges us to spend more time inside, with temps falling a few degrees by the week providing that friendly reminder of cold months ahead. Once inside, surrounded by layers of warm hues and textures, we’re grounded, reassured, and ready to nest.
My team and I are always reimagining the way we cozy up to fall. Sure, it’s about bringing in new blankets, pillows, florals, and candles. But even more, it’s about figuring out how to balance the classic touches that make us feel good with the surprises that feel fresh yet still true to the season. The idea comes together beautifully in a design we completed last year for a new home on Lake Minnewashta. The snug living space peers onto the lake but also cocoons you with its fieldstone-and-concrete fireplace and walls covered with Phillip Jeffries Gaucho Cloth in Phoenix Fringe. It’s a look made for playing cards or curling up with a book.
What’s perhaps most gratifying is the way many of the choices work all year round. A certain degree of cozy makes sense for all seasons. But with the right bones and base layers, you can dial up the warmth—and that’s exactly what our ideas do here. Happy fall!
Design moment: We are loving the luxe look of patent leather trim. It’s a little sassy but leans softer and more subdued with these beautiful fall tones from Holly Hunt Minneapolis—beiges, grays, and taupes.
Local artisan: Ian Grant with Bjorling & Grant travels the world with a spirit of adventure and eye for design. But the best part is how he brings all that inspiration back to home to projects in Minnesota. Here, it’s in the form of a reclaimed mango wood puzzle coffee table he and I designed for the same Lake Minnewashta home shown above, which is full of work by local craftspeople.
Scent of the season: It’s officially the start of candle season, and Tatine makes some of my favorites—so much so that I carried them back when I had a retail location. In fall, St. John’s Wood and Woodsmoke come to mind, but I’m partial to their take on the earthy classic, Fig. Even the packaging and gray artisan-made glass feels like fall. Find Tatine candles at Brown & Green in Linden Hills
Seasonal drink: Drywit is the brainchild of Megan Dayton, who tapped the talented Peder Schweigert (who was behind the cocktails at the former Marvel Bar) to help her deliver a trio of delicious non-alcoholic bubblies. Trust me, try them during the holidays. My favorite is Salinger, which pulls flavors from linden flowers and clarified pear juice and pairs well with hearty salads and roast chicken. Find it at restaurants around town like Broders’ Pasta Bar and Porzana, and in stores such as Surdyk’s, France 44, and Marigold, Minnesota’s first NA bottle shop.
Statement piece: We’re swooning over sculptural accent chairs from Egg Designs—especially the Primal Armchair with solid cast-brass base (shown here), which is going into a project of ours right now. The company is based in South Africa, and all of their pieces are made by local craftspeople.
Design tip: Swapping out pillows and blankets is the easiest way to make that seasonal shift in your home—and this time of year, it’s hard to beat the beauty and warmth you get from heritage brands like Pendleton or Minnesota’s own Faribault Mill. The Northfield Plaid Wool Throw Blanket by Faribault Mill (shown here) is one of our favorites. Pick it up at Faribault’s shops in Edina and Excelsior—or on a fall road trip to this historic mill in Faribault itself.