Jeremy and Douglas’ 750 Square Feet Modern Minneapolis Home

Name: Jeremy Stadelman Gauthier and Douglas Gauthier
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

I take up residence in the Soo Line Building in Downtown Minneapolis with my husband, Douglas, and our chorgi, Ms. Nola. We arrived here in August from Northern California and, well, we haven’t looked back. Along with everything else Minneapolis has to offer, we’re learning to navigate an eight mile skyway system downtown, connected to our building. When I first learned we would be calling the Midwest our new home, I searched for resources on Downtown Minneapolis living and came up empty.

It’s not difficult to understand why; the notion of living in downtown is a relatively new one for most people, and has only recently become feasible with more available housing popping up. The Soo Line Building is more than 100 years old and was converted just last year to luxury rental apartments (from 1914 to 1929 it was the tallest building in Minneapolis!). Of all the historic touches this building has to offer my favorite has to be the relatively high ceilings and large windows. The sunny and open feel lends itself to my choice of bright colors, sharp lines, and geometric patterns.

My favorite room in our apartment is the den. Coming in at a whopping 50 square feet, it’s just barely functional. It’s that coziness, though, that inspired me to design with such bright pops of color. The star of the den is the Lubi Sleeper Daybed in graphite from CB2. In addition to being highly functional (it turns into a super queen bed!), it acts as the anchor to my colorful accessories. We’ve had one guest so far who can attest to its comfort, so that’s a definite bonus. I’ve added taking a nap on it to my to-do list… I’m only half kidding.

The other piece of furniture is an Ikea chair that we brought with us from California. It’s classic Ikea in that it’s basic and modern; again, it’s a great base for the bright throw pillows I found at CB2. Rounding out the space are a few accessories I got from Dot & Bo, which exists solely to take my money.

Of course I can’t neglect my go-to instant room enhancer – temporary wallpaper. While there are a number places to get the stuff, including my local Target, I really like Chasing Paper. The online retailer offers an abundant selection of fantastic designs for a reasonable price. The wallpaper is incredibly easy to install and leaves no damage on the walls. I’ve also used it to change up lamps and trays, and I plan on using it soon to modernize a piece of boring furniture. This stuff is a must for all apartment dwellers.

My overall style is definitely modern, but I’m drawn to the mid-century and Scandinavian aesthetics, so those influences are seen throughout our apartment. I also tend to go through color phases; a year ago I was all about shades of green, but I’ve moved onto blues and bright oranges. Good thing I have an accessories closet!

Thanks, Jeremy Stadelman Gauthier and Douglas Gauthier!

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