In the ballroom, overlooking the marble staircase there was an area that was boarded over. We assumed they closed it off during a phase in the 60's as an insurance agency and the space was partitioned off into offices. Delightfully, when we (Liz's Dad) removed the sheetrock, it revealed an original banister in black and a Rapunzel perch! A significant amount of additional light now streams into the space next to the fire place.
In a project like this, there are exactly 5,782 decisions to be made per day. Thankfully, once you have identified the foundational vision, it's possible to bob and weave through the sea of white tiles available in the world! (We have ordered every. single. one. possible.) While there are so many things left to source, we're feeling excited about this mix of natural finishes that can be simultaneously fresh and timeless.
We have the amazing fortune to work with architect Toby Rapson. He is helping us form the slightly Spanish, slightly Scandinavian space into a classic rendering with nods to Bauhaus with rounded plaster staircases and curved rod railings. Beyond his amazing talent as an architect, we appreciate that he allows for true collaboration without ego.
The Borchert Maps Library at the University of Minnesota has a wealth of resources available like this 1892 Platbook that shows the property, though at the time it was owned by JH Gardner, a train conductor and the structure we are currently had yet to be built. It's still compelling and we can't wait to find more!
We felt like it was vital to get to know the structure and understand it before we could design it. Our approach all along has been to "Think twice, demo once" and the same applies to the design -- let's not over-do it.