A Bold Downtown Minneapolis Warehouse Loft

Name: Brooke Voss and Jerrid Voss and their two dogs
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Size: 1,100 square feet
Years lived in: 5 years; Owned

Five years ago, Brooke and her husband downsized and moved themselves from the suburbs to Minneapolis’ booming warehouse district, the North Loop. Those five years have brought changes and improvements to the surrounding area, while Brooke has used her expertise as an interior designer to carefully design an intriguing loft space.

Brooke doesn’t approach decorating with anything specific in mind, including rules. Instead, she builds her space on things she likes—a pattern, a color, a bit of nostalgia—and isn’t concerned when her decisions clash, don’t follow the rules, or are last year’s trends. This approach has led to a loft brimming with excitement and personality—without a hint of pretentiousness.

While loft living can be difficult in terms of space and the exposed elements, Brooke has gladly accepted the challenge to manage belongings and eliminate the usual clutter associated with two humans and two dogs. She has successfully created a warm and inviting environment in a small space nestled between a concrete floor and a concrete ceiling.

My Style: I simply don’t design with a “style” in mind. I don’t pay attention to design rules or trends. My style is to be uniquely me. In my personal space, that’s a leopard rug with an antique, kelly green toile vessel and fuchsia pillows. I couldn’t care less what colors are across from one another on the color wheel. While I take my interior design business seriously, I don’t think an interior should be too serious.

Inspiration:
Heritage: Where you came from is just as important. I grew up a South Dakota girl, maybe this is the reason I love a little taxidermy. Travel: Landscape, food, clothes, shops, and hotels. Getting away and truly disconnecting allows all of your senses to open to your surroundings.

Favorite Element: My hot pink powder room done in Benjamin Moore Peony 2079-30. Guests either love it or hate it, but everyone takes notice and has an opinion…. Exactly the reaction I was looking for. 🙂

Biggest Challenge: Storage! A little space with two busy people and two sporting dogs. Everything we own needs a home—I can’t handle clutter and I can’t stand the space being untidy. The moment we run out of space for something to be stored, it’s time to purge. Living small means living lean and I love it. Someone once told me, “For everything you own, it owns a piece of you.” I wish I could remember who told me that… I think of it all the time. I much prefer having fewer things and having those fewer things be really fantastic.

What Friends Say: This. Is. Fun.

Biggest Embarrassment: Really nothing. 🙂 I don’t get embarrassed very easily.

Proudest DIY: None, I have great ideas but I just don’t have the ability to see those things through, so I rely on the experts to bring great ideas to life.

Biggest Indulgence: My Warren Platner chair. It was a splurge… I love it every single time I look at it.

Best Advice: My best design advice: “Follow YOUR design heart. If you design with things you truly love, your space will never go out of style.” My favorite design advice: “Style is attitude, attitude, attitude. It ain’t what you do, it’s the way you do it.” —Iris Apfel, my design icon

• Walls: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter HC-172
• Millwork: Benjamin Moore Super White PM-1
• Cabinets: Benjamin Moore Super White PM-1
• Powder room: Benjamin Moore Peony 2079-30

• Cabinet: USM
• Chair: vintage Knoll Saarinen via findfurnish
• Chair fabric: Élitis
• Lamps: vintage via Antique Manor in Minneapolis
• Metal steer head: Arteriors Home
• Rug: Aubry Angelo
• Man art: MCAD Art Sale
• Pink Screen: Jim Hilegass via Veronique Wantz Gallery in Minneapolis

• Leopard rug: AJ Maison
• Sofa: A Rudin
• Chair: Eames Lounger in walnut and grey
• Blanket: Happy Habitat
• Pillows: Designers Guild, Rauol Textiles
• Hot rolled steel fireplace: local metal worker Bo Jacobsson
• Platner Lounge Chair: Knoll
• Desk: Arteriors Home
• Concrete and wood desk lamp: Forage Modern Workshop
• Pebbles made of recycled books: Judy Maxwell Home
• Chair: Knoll
• Tulip fabric: Kravet
• Toile vessel: Victory
• Painted antler: Cassandra Smith
• Neon sign: Neoneon

• Bar cabinet: Noir Home
• Custom glassware: Hennepin Made
• Table: Wood From The Hood
• Chandelier: hunt & gather, rewired with pink fabric-wrapped cord
• Chairs: Donghia
• Lucite chair: Kartell Ghost Chair
• Fox pelt: Game Fair
• Planter case: Study Ceramics via Forage Modern
• Best in Show vase: Anthropologie
• Little box art: Barbara Gilhooly
• Landscape art: Theresa Handy

• Stools: Johnston Casuals
• Fabric: Osborne & Little
• Cabinet wallpaper: Spoonflower
• Sweet plate: I Like You
• Wood handle spoons: Butter Home
• Custom hood, shelf, and rack: local metal worker Bo Jacobsson
• Range: Capitol via Warners’ Stellian
• Refrigerator: LG via Warners’ Stellian
• Faucet: Graff Faucets

• Bed: BluDot via Roam Interiors
• Lamps: triple seven
• Plates: Fornasetti
• Dressers: Calligaris
• Rug: ABC Carpet & Home
• Art: Josh Meillier

• Wallpaper: Kasari Ikat in Silver from Schumacher
• Sink: Grainger
• Mirror: Zachary Ltd
• Turkish towels: THE FOUNDRY Home Goods

• Custom sofa: Kisabeth in Romo textile
• Wool cable weave rug: Jaipur
• Blanket: Designers Guild
• Green chest: Jeromeo in North Loop
• Oar: Sanborne Paddle Co
• Chandelier: Jonathan Adler
• Art over sofa: Joseph Haske via Circa Gallery in Minneapolis
• Large abstract art on the gallery wall: MCAD Art Sale
• Portrait of the girl: MCAD Art Sale
• South Dakota map art: I Like You
• The fun little piece that is two squares nested together: Barbara Gilhooly via Circle Gallery—love her.

• Perfectly Imperfect Gallery of Dogs: photos by Brooke Voss
• Hopscotch: Rebecca Postic

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