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Name: Casey Fritz
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Size: 825 square feet
Years lived in: 1 month — rented

I like to think of Casey as a modern, male version of the beloved TV character Mary Richards. There he is, living his bachelor life in Minneapolis, with a cool job and, as you'll see in this house tour, a fabulous apartment that, like Mary Richards', I totally covet. The only thing Casey is missing is his own theme song!

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We first got a taste of Casey's decorating style in his Loft Life House Tour. Casey loved that loft, as well as the building, but he was starting to outgrow the space. When a larger unit with a better view became available, Casey decided to move on up. (Oh, wait, I'm mixing 1970s TV sitcoms, aren't I?) Now the burgeoning designer has transferred his tasteful aesthetic to this larger unit, gaining 250 square feet and a view of downtown Minneapolis.

As we saw when we got a sneak peek last week, Casey has outfitted the new digs with his usual mix of masculine/glam details. I spy quite a few tricks I may be "borrowing" in the future. My personal favorite decorating trick: having a light fixture rewired so that he could run the cord through pipe attached to the wall. With the loft's high ceiling, that's a perfectly simple solution for the fixture over Casey's dining table.

Apartment Therapy Survey:

MY/OUR Style: Clean/eclectic/cohesive with a little southern charm thrown in for giggles

Inspiration: The whole design evolved from 2 things: the color pallet and the view. Once the paint went up I instantly realized this would be a more sophisticated space. At night when you open the door and look ahead all you see is the city lit up. The lack of art and navy blue paint really helps to highlight this.

Favorite Element: The additional 250 square feet that I gained, a HUGE laundry room and walk in closet.

Biggest Challenge: Dining room lighting and lack of an island.

What Friends Say: Wow! You've only been here for a month? & "Did you steal that street sign?" (no!)

Biggest Embarrassment: I'm not a huge fan of the blue-green granite in the kitchen nor am I a huge fan of the "visible tv" Both the kitchen and the bathroom are on a 5 year plan for a total redo.

Proudest DIY: I'm going to have to say the huge savings that I scored with the lighting. The full retail of my chandelier, sconces and bathroom fixture would have been $2,274. Instead, I searched and searched online and ended up spending $443. I'm also pretty proud of my creative solution to the dining area light issue. I turned a hardwire chandelier into a plug in, had conduit cut and threaded and put it all together. So happy with the result.

Biggest Indulgence: Having a painter come in and do the painting was my biggest expense but totally worth it.

Best Advice: Don't pre-buy too much for a space before you move in because things evolve once you're in the space. Such as my island – I was sweating that issue for weeks. Once I moved in I had a better idea of spatial relations. Enter the light table found at an antique store and the custom butcher block top!)

Dream Sources: Parisian Flea Markets!!!

Resources of Note:

PAINT & COLORS

    • Bathroom: Ralph Lauren Silver Cuff Links
    • Main color: Ralph Lauren Neutral Grey
    • Accent walls: Ralph Lauren Cardiff Blue

ENTRY


LIVING ROOM


DINING ROOM


KITCHEN

    • Letter press Art above sink: Lunalux Minneapolis
    • Island base: Hunt & Gather

BEDROOM


BATHROOM


Thanks, Casey!

Images: Nicole Houff

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