Stephanie’s Sunlit Treehouse
Name: Stephanie A. Meyer
Location: Lowry Hill; Minneapolis, Minnesota
Size: 1800 square feet
Years lived in: Just over a year; Rented
As a food writer/blogger, photographer, and newly-minted cookbook author (coming this fall!), cooking and sharing food is at the heart of Stephanie A. Meyer’s home. Surprising no one who knows her well, Stephanie managed to take a simple, but elegant new space, address serious storage challenges, and turn out a home with her signature grace, functional style, and a bit of quirk.
Finding this space was a also bit of foodie-related serendipity; a friend and fellow writer (the lovely cookbook author & pastry chef, Zoe Francois) and her family had begun extensive and loving renovations on the house with the goal of turning it back into just two units. Stephanie’s apartment was completed at just the right time for her post-divorce search for an inspiring, cozy place to kick off the next phase of her life.
Nestled in the top floor of this grand Minneapolis home, Stephanie’s apartment is filled with natural sunlight, extra-high ceilings, and a delicious smattering of original details: moldings and baseboards, tile and fixtures, and leaded glass windows. A few modern updates were made as well, giving Stephanie the functional kitchen she needed for cooking, recipe testing, and making all those delicious meals she photographs. A few storage challenges aside (no small thing for a food photographer and friend of fashion!), this apartment provided Stephanie a serene headquarters from which to photograph, write, recipe test, and finish her beautiful book. A labor of love from home to book, and back again.
The space is amazing — spacious and airy with lots of room to move. And intentionally so. Stephanie explains, “I get a thrill out of knowing the apartment was originally the home’s ballroom. I’ve even looked up 1902 formalwear to have a vision of what people might have looked like cooling themselves on the balcony. So chic. I’m very happy to be living in a party room.” Stephanie put that festive mentality to work with her eclectic, collected, and curated sense of style. And she’s always ready to whip up a quick meal and a cocktail to get the party started.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My style: A mix of traditional and contemporary – a contrast of old and new with the overall goal of warm and serene. I cherish dishes and photos and books and like to see and touch them all, so I have to be careful to keep it all pared down and organized.
Inspiration: I’m drawn to both old farmhouses and contemporary lofts. I’m inspired by and think about both.
Favorite element: The light, for sure. It’s amazing up here. I’m on the third floor of a historic Minneapolis house, up in the treetops. It’s a dreamy place to take photographs.
Biggest challenge: I think twice before buying heavy things because I have to haul them up a lot of stairs!
What friends say: My friends dubbed my apartment The Treehouse, which I love. It feels like a treehouse; I love being tucked way up high in this beautiful old home.
Biggest embarrassment: There aren’t any closets in the apartment, so I turned a small bedroom into a catch-all closet. I have everything in there: winter coats, the leaves to my dining room table, all of my clothes and shoes, cleaning supplies, spare bedding, dog food. It’s a beautiful jumble! It seems indulgent to have a whole room for a closet until you realize it’s the only storage space I’ve got.
Proudest DIY: As a recipe writer and food photographer, I have a ton of kitchen equipment and prop dishes. And, as I mentioned before, there are no closets, so I settled on good old commercial kitchen Metro shelving racks for storing it all. I enjoy having everything out in the open.
Biggest indulgence: My custom-made dining room table. Eating is a recreational activity around here, so not just any table would do. Everything about it is just right: proportions, finish, lines. Everything.
Best advice: It’s the person who makes a home, not the building. I had that realization when I had to sell my first home, which I absolutely adored. There are an endless number of pretty spaces to live in — what makes them unique and special is what I bring to them. I love home-making, and knowing that I can put it together just right for me makes it much less stressful to move and start anew.
Dream sources: Artists, artisans, custom furniture makers, and antique stores. The older I get the more I appreciate handmade, authentic items that have a story. In fact, I treasure them.
Resources of Note:
Paint colors:
Not sure, everything was painted fresh clean white when I moved in – absolutely perfect!
Living Room:
- Couch, cowtoman + tray, small upholstered stools, arm chair, throw pillows, dining chairs – Room & Board
- Dining table – custom
- Artwork over dining table – Stacey E. Meyer (my talented sister)
- Metro shelving – Hockenbergs Equipment + Supply
- Baskets on shelves – Target
- Collection of dishes is a mish mash of heirloom hand me downs, collected vintage, Crate & Barrel, Anthropologie, IKEA, Target
- Chandelier – Holly Hunt, International Market Square
- Bird art – Christine Baeumler
Den:
- Couch, ottoman, small chest – Room & Board
- Bean bag – Pottery Barn Kids
- Rug – vintage Turkish kilim
- Pillows – Target, Room & Board
Office Nook:
- Desk – Pottery Barn
- Chair – Aeron by Herman Miller
- Shelves – IKEA
Main Bathroom:
- Curtains, shower curtain, linens – Target
- Small cabinet is an heirloom piece from family
- Tall cabinet – Traditions (it actually holds my crystal stemware…shh!)
Kitchen:
- Metro shelving + racking – Hockenbergs Equipment & Supply
- Shelves, glass racks, spice racks – Pottery Barn
Hallway:
- Painting above entrance to bedroom – Stacey E. Meyer
- Artifacts + Collectibles on bookshelves came from an assortment of trips, the featured item in the photo was from South Africa
- Frames – a collected assortment from Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Target, etc
- Wine Racks – WineCellar.com
Second Bedroom:
- Bedding – Crate & Barrel and Target
- All furniture – IKEA
Master Bedroom + Bathroom:
- Bed – also from Amazon
- Bedding – Crate & Barrel and Target
- Kilim rug – vintage Moroccan
- Sheepskin rug – Room & Board
- Side tables – Traditions on the left side of the bed; heirloom piece on the right
- Sheer curtains – Target
- Skin care products in bathroom – Elizabeth Dehn for One Love Organics
Entry:
- Dresser – Traditions
- Mirror – Antique
- Vase on the left – Randal Anderson, Rogue Potters
- Chalkboard – Bauer Brothers Salvage
Thanks, Stephanie!
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