Minneapolis Mid-C Time Capsule Home Star Tribune

Family life in a "time capsule" - from dwelling to belongings, this family resides in their own recreation of the fifties. They found their 1957 home two years ago, and according to Matthew, "What sold me was I looked through the windows and saw blond brick on the fireplace and an original NuTone clock doorbell." More below:

According to the Star Tribune article, Matthew has been collecting midcentury modern for seven years and his passion for the era has furnished the home and has also helped turn a profit. He relays a story in which he recognized a Gino Sarfatti lamp in a consignment shop, purchased it for $99, and sold it on ebay for $4500. Lesson - it pays off (in more ways than one) to go with what you know and love for your home decor.

Check out the entire article from the Star Tribune here and the full slideshow here.

Photos: Joel Koyama/Star Tribune

Comments (18)

Lovely home - looks very fun and comfortable.

Ah! I found that green & blue "Chicago skyline" painting at a Milwaukee thrift store last year and I am *still* kicking myself that I didn't buy it when I saw it. Do you think there are several in existence or did this mid-century family snatch up my mistake?

Here's the one I found -- exact same!

I recognize the wife from eBay listings -- she sort of lounges on furniture in that dress and those boots. Their house always looked cool from the limited view you get in listing photos. Nice to see the whole thing.

Does anyone know of a good metal shop in Los Angeles? I'd like to have some poles cut and use them for suspension shelving like in the first photo. Thanks!

They certainly have amassed quite the mid-mod stuff collection, however all of it at once is too much IMHO.

The time capsule seems a bit, um, unironic, if that's a word.

To 9th/Broadway: how about Rakks:
http://store.rakks.com/index.php?cPath=22

I agree with beddybee..just like I don't like head to toe Chanel or Gap..

I collected so much of this stuff in college the most I paid for anything was maybe 50.00, I had a huge loft and had to fill it. Once upon a time this stuff was in thrift stores all over LA and in good condition. Its a shame that its all being exploited and so expensive just because its Mid Century. I guess I've been there done that just for much less money. My only regret was giving away an original Eames Lounge Chair (no ottoman) that I bought at a Boyle Heights thrift store for $30.00

This dude wants fame..bad..he posted a sofa on minneapolis craigslist and tells everyone to check out the article..he won't post a picture of the sofa...just refers to the article..

particleboard: thanks for the link! unfortunately those poles have a maximum reach of 9'4" and i need them to reach 14'.

Sorry, those green chairs are eyesores. I'm sick of this house and its occupants. Maybe he'll get a book deal.

Love it! It's got a lot of soul!

I love the outside of the house, the inside? Not so much

I've never understood the attraction of trying to live in the past. Respect it, yes. Learn from it, yes. But let it go. The time is now! Stop stealing dead people's energy. Create something yourself. Leave your own legacy to give purpose to your carbon footprint.

For perhaps the first time in history, we have a whole generation that has lived in a fog of retro and has left no discernible signature style of it's own.

"Stop stealing dead people's energy. Create something yourself. Leave your own legacy to give purpose to your carbon footprint."

Oh - Like how?
Like buying more imported particleboard crap from Target or IKEA? Like wearing more clothes made in Southeast Asian sweatshops? Like ripping out perfectly serviceable bathrooms and kitchens and replacing them with "Lowe's Beige" because the existing pink tile is "Icky and Old"?

These folks seem to be having a little fun while actually minimizing their carbon footprint by making use of old things - things that have a heck of alot more style and uniqueness than an entire year's worth of Pottery Barn catalog offerings. I say more power to them.