spaces magazine twin cities

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DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

Designers at homeDesigners at home

{HOLIDAY TIPS} SHOPPING IN NORTHFIELD + GIFT IDEAS + MORE{HOLIDAY TIPS} SHOPPING IN NORTHFIELD + GIFT IDEAS + MORE

Finnish sauna A love storyFinnish sauna A love story

5 pros open their doors5 pros open their doors

11-20-10-TABS-F-1S-Spaces 11/2/2010 8:53 AM

11-20-10-TABS-F-2S-Spaces 11/1/2010 8:58 AM Page 1

11-20-10-TABS-F-3S-Spaces 11/1/2010 3:48 PM Page 1

11-20-10-TABS-F-10,11S-Spaces 11/3/2010 10:52 AM Page 1

DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Departments

1770 | Putting on the glitz

Mall of America store finds its niche

in special-occasion dresses for the

post-prom set. Plus: Great gift ideas.

play12 | Bright spot

Railroad museum lights up the holidays

with Night Trains.

39 |Designersat homeFive designers

open their doors

and give us a

peek into their

favorite rooms.

Features

14 | Editor’s Letter

19 | Noon to Three

26 | High-Tech Home

30 | Accents

82 | Bright Ideas

68 | Discover what’s new

Looking for more culinary adventure?

Put these 10 new restaurants on your

must-see list.

shop

59 | Embracingthe coldBuilding an authentic

Finnish sauna was a

two-year labor of love that

has changed this family’s

attitude about Minnesota’s

bitter winter chill.

12 | DECEMBER 2010/JANUARY 2011 SPACES

eat

30


Warmth. It’s what I crave most this time of year. Coming intoa warm house after shoveling snow.Warming up by a fire.

Warm, home-baked cookies.The warmth of gathering with lovedones for holiday celebrations. The long, dark days of winter passmore quickly when they’re punctuated with moments that makeme feel toasty inside.

In this issue, five designers welcome us into their homes.Theyhave different styles of homes in different parts of the Twin Cities.But all their spaces give me that toasty feeling, because they areinviting retreats from drab skies and chilling winds — comfort-able places to relax with friends and family. See what I mean onPage 39.

For one writer in this issue, a cozy home wasn’t enough. ChrisNiskanen longed for an authentic Finnish sauna and had littletrouble convincing his wife, who grew up in the South, that heshould build one on their property. The project took more thantwo years, but it has become one of his family’s favorite gatheringspots year-round for the warm feelings it generates (Page 59).

Speaking of warm feelings, that’s what the holiday season is allabout. With that in mind, we offer lots of ideas and tips for mak-ing the most of the holidays. Check out a new store with holidayparty dresses that are on trend but all grown up (Page 70). Spruceup your holiday decor with items featured in Accents (Page 30).See what you’ll find when you take a holiday-shopping daytrip toNorthfield (Page 19).Take the kids to see “Night Trains” (Page 73).And what self-respecting magazine would give you a holidayissue without gift ideas? Find them on Page 72.

Warm wishes,

Heidi Raschke

Publisher

Editor

Art Director

Contributing

Writers

Copy Editors

Photographers

Creative

Consultant

Stylist

Advertising

Information

Senior Account

Executive

Ad Design

Publisher’s

Assistant

Martha Severson

Heidi Raschke

Ellen Thomson

Maja Beckstrom,

Holly Berecz, Alyson

Cummings, Molly

Guthrey, Kathie Jenkins,

Allison Kaplan, Chris

Niskanen

Cheryl Burch-Schoff,

Dana Davis,

Kathy Derong,

Lisa Legge

John Autey, Ben Garvin,

Ashley Halbach,

Richard Marshall,

Chris Polydoroff,

Tim Nehotte,

Scott Takushi

Barb Pederson

Barbara Schmidt

Martha Severson

651-225-1217

Stephanie Hart

651-271-3667

Annie Maus

Kelly Rogers

651-225-1175

Twin Cities Spaces

is a Northwest Publication.

Editorial, Sales and Back Issues Offices

Spaces

345 Cedar St.

St. Paul, MN 55101

spacestwincities.com

Questions 651-225-1175

Information in this publication is carefully compiled to

ensure accuracy. No recommendation regarding the

quality of goods and services is expressed or implied.

Contents of this magazine are copyrighted by

Northwest Publications in their entirety. No part of this

publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval

system or transmitted in any form or by any means,

electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise

without the prior consent of the publisher, SPACES,

345 Cedar St., St. Paul, MN 55101.

Vol. 6, No. 8 December 2010/January 2011

On the Cover: Carrie-Kirby Rodman started from scratch when she and

her husband downsized to a condo near Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis.

Designers at home story, Page 54. Photo by Richard Marshall

to our readers



B Y A L L I S O N K A P L A N P H O T O S B Y C H R I S P O LY D O R O F F

Decked Out

noon to three . S H O P A N D L U N C H

Digs inspires creativity with a colorful array of sewing and crafting supplies.

SPACESTWINCITIES.COM | 19

Always a charmer, Northfield really turns it on

during the holiday season.

Don’t resign yourself to familiarmalls just because the last

leaves have fallen. Less than anhour from the Twin Cities, North-field has the charm and energy of acollege town, with better shopping.This downtown district, nestledbetween Carleton and St. Olaf col-leges on the banks of the CannonRiver, shines at the holidays.

The Northfield Winter Walk onDec. 9 is an annual tradition with all

the trappings of a Jimmy Stewartmovie: roasted chestnuts, cider,strolling carolers and fancifullydecorated wreaths.The stores, mostof which line Division Street, willbe open late and decked out for theseason.

Northfield’s independent retail-ers celebrate the town’s vibrant artscene and creative spirit. Northfield

Arts Guild sets the tone with asophisticated museum shop that

You’ll find no shortage of bold color at Swag — like

this sculpture titled “No Explanation” by Chicago

artist Jesse Hickman ($895).



displays a well-edited assort-ment of fine and functionalwork by local artists.

Some go on to open theirown gallery/stores, like Studio

Elements. Run by local artist JillK. Enestvedt, the space featuresher geometric paintings plus arevolving mix of work by otherartists as well as art tools, hand-made cards and gifts and whatEnestvedt refers to as “funjunk.” The Sketchy Artist willmake you want to put pencil topaper — the hip store is filledwith art supplies for all ages and

skill levels. Japanese influencesfind their way into the pottery,imported gifts, greeting cards,journals and collectible figuressold there.

Northfield is a crafter’sdelight. The selection at Glass

Garden Beads is extensiveenough to impress an experi-enced jewelry maker. Digs is theplace for fabric, yarn, ribbon andother sewing supplies. If youprefer the finished product, thiseclectic shop has that, too, andthen some: home accessories,gifts, vintage jewelry and more.

Jewelry by owner Jessica Prill is one of many personal indulgences at

Oolala.

New home store Rooms by Tagg2 showcases wood furniture, like this

solid walnut coffee table, made by Steve Taggart.



For handmade goods on adifferent scale, be sure to visitRooms by Tagg2 featuring woodtables and more made by theowner’s husband. This newerstore is rounded out with a col-orful assortment of contempo-rary home accessories. Swag isanother must, featuring avibrant collection of art andaccessories.

There’s fashion, too. Start at

Sisters Ugly — a misleadingname for a mother/daughter-run boutique filled with trend-right women’s apparel. It’s nextdoor to the Archer House RiverInn, which is home to Paper

Petalum, packed with gifts,décor and Minnesota-themedproducts, and A Bag Lady, whichis all about accessories — themore glitz, the better. For evenmore affordable jewelry and

Jenny Turek is

co-owner of Sisters

Ugly, a contemporary

women's boutique.

Decorative wall

hangings made from

recycled materials in

Haiti at Rooms by

Tagg2.



The Hideaway Coffeehouse and Wine Bar

is a comfortable spot near the stores for

lunch or drinks.

The Sketchy Artist offers art supplies

as well as Asian-inspired stationery

and gifts.


11-20-10-TABS-F-22,23,24S-Spaces 11/2/2010 9:22 AM Page 1

handbags, try Aescendant Accessories.Anna’s Closet is a good resource for figure-friendly

jeans, sweaters and jackets with a touch of whimsy. Fine

Threads focuses on ready-to-wear for a more maturecustomer.The baby gifts in the back part of the shop aretop-notch. Get a deal on current clothes or somethingwith vintage flair at Fashion Fair, a consignment shop ina boutique setting. The Rare Pair is that outdoorsy shoeshop every Midwestern campus needs, offering hikingboots and comfort shoes from better brands.

Oolala is great for gifts — sleepwear and lingerie,candles, jewelry and other personal indulgences. Findboth gifts and inner peace at Monarch, where virtuallyevery product has a feel-good angle, from aromathera-py to inspirational stones and jewelry to self-help books.

You won’t have to leave the shopping district to re-fuel. Right on Division Street, there’s the quaint Hide-

away Coffeehouse and Winebar, serving panini sand-wiches and salads. Next door is Hogan Brothers’

Acoustic Cafe, popular for its hot hoagies and home-made baked goods. ■

Allison Kaplan writes about shopping and style for the Pioneer

Press.




N O R T H F I E L D : W H E R E T O F I N D I T


Home accessories and gifts are sure to have personality at Swag.

ShoppingPaper Petalum

212 Division St., 507-663-0565

A Bag Lady

212 Division St., 507-412-9695

Sisters Ugly

220 Division St., 507-645-2376

The Sketchy Artist

300 Division St., 507-645-2811

Anna’s Closet

302 Division St., 507-645-2539

Northfield Arts Guild

304 Division St., 507-645-8877

Digs

310 Division St., 507-664-9140

Fine Threads

314 Division St., 507-663-7993

Oolala

320 Division St., 507-645-5275

Rooms by Tagg2

314 Division St., 507-645-9100

Aescendant Accessories

13 Bridge Square, 507-645-5555

Studio Elements

16 Bridge Square, 507-786-9393

The Rare Pair

401 Division St., 507, 645-4257

Monarch

405 Division St., 507-663-7720

Fashion Fair

411 Division St., 507-645-6967

Glass Garden Beads

413 Division St., 507-645-0301

Swag

423 Division St., 507-663-8870

DiningHogan Brothers’ Acoustic Cafe

415 Division St., 507-645-6653

Hideaway Coffeehouse

and Winebar

421 Division St., 507-664-0400


All earsAvailable in 14

vibrant colors,

Plattan

headphones

from Urbanears

feature a

collapsible

design — they

fold down to the

size of a fist for

maximum

mobility — and a

“Zound Plug”

socket that lets

friends share

your listening

experience. $60.

urbanears.com

high-tech home. P R O D U C T S W I T H B Y T E

Gifts galoreWhether your

holiday shopping list

includes stargazers,

curious kids, movie

buffs or audiophiles,

this selection of

gadgets offers

something for

everyone.

B Y H O L LY B E R E C Z


Boogie woogieNow, when little ones ask

to play with your iPhone or

iPod Touch, you can hand

it over without worry. The

huggable Woogie case

from Griffin Technology

lets kids enjoy entertaining

and educational apps, too.

Great for at home or

on the go, it

features two built-

in speakers, six

legs (or are they

arms?) and non-

toxic fabric.

$19.99.

griffintechnology.com

Thin is inWant a larger-than-life

television experience that’s

super slim? Samsung’s 55-

inch Class 9000 Series

1080p LED HDTV measures

a svelt .31 inches thin. Selling

for $6,000, this skinny TV is

packed with the latest

features, including cinema

quality 3D, groundbreaking

2D and Smart TV with Web-

Connected Samsung apps.

samsung.com


Face to faceChange your perception of video

calling. Designed with all instant

messaging and video services (like

Skype) in mind, Webcam Pro from

Philips offers HD video quality with

true 2.0 Mega Pixels video.

Available for $65, it features 90-

frames-per-second video, auto

focus, ultra-clear stereo sound and

two built-in microphones.

usa.philips.com

high-tech home. P R O D U C T S W I T H B Y T E

Over the moonGalileo’s contributions to science are celebrated with the

400th Anniversary Galileo Commemorative Telescope from

Ameico. Inspired by the instrument Galileo would have used,

the telescope magnifies 80 to 100 times with a focal length of

100 mm. $450. ameico.com


Seamless soundEnjoy crystal clear sound on your deck, patio, poolside or dock without

the distraction of unsightly electronics. Algonquin outdoor speakers from

Axiom are small but powerful speakers that can be customized to blend

seamlessly with your siding, awning or any area you choose. $384 a pair.

Custom color matching is an additional $60. axiomaudio.com

Infinity and beyondThe next generation of audio entertainment, the

ARIR200 Infinite Radio by Acoustic Research offers

endless listening possibilities. An easy connection to

your wireless home router or WiFi network lets you

choose from thousands of global music and talk

stations. Sold for around $100, it combines a compact

tabletop design with total content personalization plus a

clock radio. arinfiniteradio.com


accents . F U N F I N D S

[ P H O T O G R A P H E R

T I M N E H O T T E ]

[ A R T D I R E C T O R & S T Y L I S T

B A R B A R A S C H M I D T ,

B S T Y L E , I N C . ]

“T’was the night before Christmas, and all

through the house …”



> Rug, “Fresco,” 8-by-10-foot, hand-knotted in India,

aubryangelo.com, contact showroom for pricing. > Glass

ornaments, tjmaxxhomegoods.com, $4 each. > Vintage

leather ottoman, swankretro.com, $45. > LED faceted lights

in Cool White, target.com, $12. > Wallcovering, Mandarin

NUP08005, zoffany.com, contact dealer for pricing. > Silver

glass Christmas tree, tjmaxxhomegoods.com, $10. > Blue

glass Christmas tree, tjmaxxhomegoods.com, $20. > Marx

vintage railroad crossing toy, timelinesonline.net, $40.

> “Ferdinand” toy train, toysrus.com, $22. > Railroad track,

toysrus.com, $11 for the set. > Wood floor in Red Oak

Sambuca, miragefloors.com, contact dealer for pricing.


“not a creature was stirring, except for a …”

> Wood floor in maple Alaska, miragefloors.com,

contact dealer for pricing. > Mouse ornament,

macys.com, $10. Garland, tjmaxxhomegoods.com,

$10. > Hanging fabric, Trevelyan Silks “Beduzzi”

D1761/03, scherpingwestphal.com, contact

showroom for pricing. > Handmade aluminum

holiday tree sculpture, timelinesonline.com, $90. >

Beaded star tree topper, tjmaxxhomegoods.com,

$13. > Rug, “Engraved” by Lapchi, hand-knotted in

Nepal, aubryangleo.com, contact showroom for

pricing. > Mirrored box, tjmaxxhomegoods.com,

$35. > Tufted bench with brass legs, Antique

Manor, 275 Market St., Suite 319, Minneapolis,

612-333-1685, $1,950. > Mercury glass vase,

tjmaxxhomegoods.com, $8.

accents . F U N F I N D S



FIVEDESIGNERS@ HOME


FIVEDESIGNERS@ HOME

To Jayme Meyer, painting comes natu-rally: Her parents are professionals inthe building trades, and she grew upchanging her room’s walls just about asoften as she changed clothes. Now, usingthe skills she has honed as an interiordesigner with Martha O’Hara Interiors,she finds paint an easy and economicalway to redo her own home’s style.

How long have you lived in your St. Paul

home?

About six years. It’s a very small place, about

1,200 square feet, but my husband and I

love that the lake (at Como Park) is about a

mile away. We often run down there or bike.

Now I couldn’t imagine living without access

to a lake.

How did you change up the place after you

moved in?

It was definitely a fixer upper. Smokers lived

there. We’ve done a lot of work. We repaint-

ed everything, including the woodwork,

which was a tan oak but is now painted

creams and whites. We ripped up all the car-

pet and refinished the hardwood floors

underneath.

What was your last home-improvement

project?

Our bathroom. The paneling on the walls

was awful. We painted it a solid white — it

goes halfway up — and then a really dark

gray. We also have a new toilet, new sink,

new mirror, new white fixtures and a new

floor. Everything is white and gray, and it’s

pretty dramatic.

Is there anything you don’t like?

I bought the brown chair and sofa in my liv-

ing room back in college, and I hate them

now. I’d like to replace them with something

not matching, something that mixes it up —

like wood on the chair and a fully uphol-

stered sofa. I’d also replace the rug, which is

from Target, with a modern rug, a solid color

— a fine, hand-knot rug would be my dream.

I’d choose different colors for the room now,

like grays and taupes, maybe even a linen

color, creams.

My husband likes the dark rug that is

there now, though, because you can spill on

it and walk on it and it doesn’t show. We

laugh about that: the real-life situation versus

what looks good. Maybe there’s something

out there that can make us both happy.

Beyond your own showroom, where do

you shop?

The usual places that everyone else does.

Ten years ago, I’d pick the wrong stuff there.

Now, I can use my skills as an interior

designer to spot the good stuff and the

good deals. I also love little boutiques, like

Sophie Joe’s on West Seventh Street in St.

Paul.

Can you spot the classic looks that will

endure even when you’re at a discount

store or picking through a boutique?

It’s funny, but what I thought of as “classic”

10 years ago, well, now I know … wasn’t. My

eye has matured, evolved. It’s hard to

describe, but I guess what I look for is in the

colors and lines.

Do you like color?

I love any color. My latest is orange and

white. Like a bright tangerine color and a

crisp white. My kitchen is purple (Grape Juice

by Benjamin Moore). It sounds extreme, but I

did it a couple of years ago and I still love it.

It’s a really bold pinky-purple. It took me

months to pick it out. It doesn’t matter if any-

one else loves it; when I walk in the room, I

love it. I love bold colors, like my dark bath-

room color. Anything with a high saturation

draws my eye. I think it’s because those are

the colors that make me happy.

Do you ever get sick of your choices?

Yes! I’ve painted my bedroom three times in

six years. My kitchen is on its second color,

the office is on the third color, the bathroom

the second.

Isn’t all that repainting a hassle?

I like to do it myself. I like the process. I find

it relaxing. My dad is a painter; that’s where I

learned it. My parents are both in the busi-

ness — sheetrock, drywall, painting. My

mom has done wallpaper for 20 years.

Changing our rooms up when I was young

was fun for them, fun for us. My parents let

me change the walls of my room however

many times I wanted. I can still remember

my first wallpaper choice, a 1990s light pink

and light blue, shiny, wavy wallpaper. It’s not

there anymore, thank God.

What are you like as a client?

I am both a horrible client and really easy.

I’m difficult because I have to fall in love with

something to bring it into my own home — it

can’t be just OK — and it’s hard to fall in love

with every single piece. I’m an easy client

because I love so many different things and

styles: I love mixing up shabby chic, contem-

porary, traditional, casual and even gaudy

traditional, like a gold chandelier or a big,

white, swirly lacquered mirror.

And what does your husband think

about purple kitchens and gold chande-

liers?

I just do it. I don’t give him a choice. He’s

accepting of everything. Sometimes we’ll

even agree on some weird, wild thing.

Maybe he has a little bit of an eye for it, or

maybe from me talking about this stuff, he’s

slowly picked up on it. And our purple

kitchen, when I was trying to decide

between the two final colors, he picked the

one we used!

Molly Guthrey writes about homes, gardens and motherhood for the Pioneer Press and MinnMoms.com.

Jayme MeyerBY MOLLY GUTHREY <> PHOTOS BY SCOTT TAKUSHI



Lisa Knighten is a kitchen designer whofinally got the chance to design her ownkitchen. The remodel was an opportunityto unite the skills of her eclectic careerpath: appliance designer, art teacher,woodworker and now the owner of L.K.Kitchens and Baths.

Why did you remodel your kitchen?

It was lacking in storage, lighting and

countertops. It was a little, square-shaped

kitchen with no island. It did not flow.

How much bigger is the kitchen now?

It went from a small to a medium kitchen, from

114 square feet to 196 square feet. It was part of

a bigger project: Our house is a 1940s rambler,

a one-story rectangle in St. Louis Park. We put

two additions on the back to create a U-shape,

with a new outdoor room in the middle. The

additions gave us more space for the kitchen

and bedrooms.

How did the common living space change?

Before, there was a small doorway between

the dining room and kitchen. I opened the wall

and duplicated the original archway that

separates the kitchen from the living room. The

whole space keeps the original style of the

house but makes it feel much more spacious.

What was it like to design a kitchen for your

own family?

Oh, I’ve been designing it forever; it was fun to

finally bring it to life. I knew exactly what we

needed and wanted. Before, when I opened

the cabinet where I kept the Tupperware,

everything would fall out. So I designed a really

deep Tupperware drawer. Nothing falls out

anymore!

What were you like as a client?

You can ask clients a ton of questions about

how they use their kitchen and what they want

to store, but ultimately you don’t know their

habits as well you know your own. So, when

designing for myself and my own family (she is

married and has an 8-year-old daughter), I

knew how we would function.

How much storage space did you add?

We now have a mini-mudroom right off the

kitchen. It’s honestly equivalent in size to a coat

closet, but for such a small square

footage, it has a huge amount of storage and

organization. It has floor-to-ceiling cabinets that

include outlets for charging things and a

hidden kitty-litter box. There’s a bench to sit on

and lots of hooks.

We made use of every inch of space.

Because of concerns over the placement of the

new fridge and whether the door would have

enough clearance and not hit the new archway,

we moved it over nine inches. We didn’t want

to waste those nine inches, so we designed a

tall, skinny shelf that pulls out to access oils

and vinegars. Below it is storage for trays and

cutting boards.

What is the cabinetry like?

It’s all custom cabinetry, painted white, by

cabinetmaker Tom Britz, owner of Minnesota

Masters Renovation. I met him on another

Lisa KnightenBY MOLLY GUTHREY <> PHOTOS BY RICHARD MARSHALL

FIVEDESIGNERS@ HOME



project and was impressed with his

craftsmanship. When he worked on my kitchen,

I liked that he was open to my ideas.

What idea did you splurge on?

The glass subway tile backsplash that is the

color of water. I did not want to see any outlets

on the backsplash, so outlet strips were

installed on the bottom of the upper cabinets.

Where did you try to save money?

I just fell in love with the walnut for the floors,

so to stay on budget, we put carpet in the new

bedroom. I tried to make good choices all

along; for instance, we did not buy a new, built-

in microwave. Instead, we built space in a

cabinet in the island to fit the old one.

I also originally wanted soapstone countertops,

but they are expensive and it was hard for me

to find the color I wanted — gray-black rather

than the more common green. I ended up

finding black granite that looked just like the

soapstone I wanted, but at one-third of the

cost.

Where did you shop?

Lighting consumed a large part of the shopping

time. Lighting is like jewelry and can make or

break a room. I shopped at a wide range of

lighting stores when designing my renovation,

from high-end stores like Filament Lighting and

Muska Lighting in St. Paul to Menards. I also

shopped online at Lamps Plus. I have no

problem hanging a $500 light fixture next to a

$30 light fixture if it is the right piece for the

room.

Did your husband get to pick out anything?

He wanted a “refrigerated beer drawer” — a

stainless-steel drawer under the countertop

that pulls out and holds bottles and looks cool.

But it broke our budget, so instead we

compromised on a new Electrolux Icon French

Door refrigerator; it has a thin drawer inside

that spans the whole width of the fridge. That’s

his beer drawer.

Was there an appliance you insisted on?

I bought the Electrolux Icon fridge because it

has a great water and air-filter system. Plus I

liked the control panel on the icemaker

because the options are dark until you touch it,

and the handle matched my other appliances. I

selected the Thermador duel-fuel range with

convection because it is a great-looking

appliance from a company with excellent

products and history.

What’s one of your favorite parts of the new

space?

On one end of the kitchen is the little family

room we built with a gas fireplace, and it’s

almost a part of the kitchen. When you’re

sitting at the island or cooking, the fireplace —

framed with two contemporary, warm gray

chairs from Room & Board — is the focal point,

almost like a piece of art. You also get views of

the back yard from the windows on either side

of the fireplace.

I like that the TV on the wall and the couch

are off to the sides and not within view.

Molly Guthrey writes about homes, gardens

and motherhood for the Pioneer Press.



FIVEDESIGNERS@ HOME

John B.A. Idstrom IIBY ALYSON CUMMINGS <> PHOTOS BY RICHARD MARSHALL


What was your inspiration for the house?

I wanted to do a Southampton type of

cottage — it’s a fairly formal cottage in the

woods.

What were some challenges you faced in

the design process?

The property is pretty heavily wooded. I

looked at it first in the summer but didn’t buy

it until all the leaves were off the trees. I

wanted to see it with the snow on the

ground. There’s a little creek in the back

yard. The land was really important to me. I

designed the house to be very north and

south oriented, and I stuck to that.

Did you give yourself a budget?

I was downsizing, so it was more trying to

keep the size of the house down.

Did you downsize when it came to buying

furniture, too?

Most of it is inherited, so it has more

meaning than anything else. There are a lot

of pieces I got from the house I grew up in

and some from my grandparents.

Where do you like to hang out?

The master bedroom that gets the sun in the

morning is a great place for coffee in the

morning during the summer.

How was working on your own project

different from a client’s?

Making decisions is challenging because, as

a designer, you learn to like so many

different things. You work with so many

different materials and are exposed to so

much it’s hard to narrow it down. Clients

have a more definite taste: “I like that. I don’t

like that.”

Do you like working with yourself as a

client?

I probably would have liked myself more if I

was more decisive.

Alyson Cummings is a Twin Cities writer.

John B.A. Idstrom II helps people design their dream kitchens and bathrooms for hiswork with Partners 4 Design in Minneapolis. For his own home, on a 10-acre lot inMinnetrista, Idstrom designed a “cottage in the woods,” a cozy place full of furniturewith sentimental value.Angel and Purple, his two thoroughbred horses, and Corbin,his mini-poodle, add to the country charm.


As the owner of Style Minneapolis, ShayneBrown Barsness recycles everyday house-hold items to create fabulous looks for herclients. Barsness and her husband, a con-tractor, are continually re-creating theirown home, too — her “style lab” — andtesting ideas she can use in her work proj-ects.

One of Barsness’ favorite rooms in theUptown house belongs to her daughter,Greer, because the mother and daughterworked together to create a cozy teenagehideaway. Even though Greer is now awayat college, the family cat, Aulait, still hangsout there.

How would you describe the room?

Well, there’s really no set style to it. The bed is

surrounded by bookshelves and curtains so it’s

a nice, cozy nook. We incorporated drop

molding and rope lights that glow at night

when they’re turned on. We did the whole

room when she was a junior in high school, but

it’s really a great room for any age.

How did the room come together?

We don’t put anything on paper. Our carpenter

has worked on our house extensively. We start

with just a concept, and he’s fabulous at

turning our ideas into something three-

dimensional.

What part of the room is your favorite?

We both think the bed is the best thing in the

universe. She spent a lot of time in there doing

homework, and her friends were always

stretched out in there. Aulait still sleeps there

like he’s waiting for her to come home.

What is something that went wrong?

The paint was a disaster. Greer wanted yellow

but didn’t have time to pick it out, so I went and

got some paint. We put it up on one wall, and it

just really wasn’t what she wanted. We added a

tint to fix it, and that was that.

What are some things you splurged on in the

rest of your house?

I definitely splurge on rugs. I mean, I can’t

make rugs like I do with everything else. I love

lighting fixtures as well. They can give a lot of

presence in a room. My favorites are probably

Shayne Brown BarsnessBY ALYSON CUMMINGS <> PHOTOS RICHARD MARSHALL

FIVEDESIGNERS@ HOME



the antler chandelier and my animal hide rugs.

Where are some of your favorite places to

shop?

I get a lot of my things from thrift stores and

estate sales. Craigslist is great, too, and I love

Zachary down at IMS (International Market

Square in Minneapolis).

How is renovating and decorating your own

home different from working with a client?

I’m more experimental in my house. It’s more

of a style lab, really. When I’m working for

someone, I decorate to reflect the client, not

myself. Everyone’s taste is a little different.

Most of what I do involves reupholstery, paint

and slipcovers. I really try to work with what

you have unless it’s absolutely ghastly.

Do you like working with yourself as a client?

I’m the best client in the universe, and

sometimes the worst. I’m the easiest one to

please and sometimes the hardest one to

please.

Alyson Cummings is a Twin Cities writer.



FIVEDESIGNERS@ HOME

Carrie Kirby-Rodman, a seniordesigner at Martha O’Hara Interiors,gaveherself a tough assignment when she andher husband — and their soft-coatedWheaten terrier,Vivian — downsized to a950-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bathcondo. But it was worth it, because theempty nesters now live by Lake Calhounin Minneapolis. They’ve said goodbye tohighway commutes and hello to regularwalks around the lake with Vivian.

What was your biggest design challenge?

It was the first time I was starting from

scratch — we got new things when we

moved, because the scale of the condo was

smaller and nothing we had would work.

(Our son got a lot of our furniture.)

Scale was very important: The biggest

challenge was fitting enough seating into the

living room, a small space where you had to

be very careful of the depth and width of

things — if the sofa was this wide, you

wouldn’t be able to get out to the patio, and

if a chair was that wide, you wouldn’t be able

to open the door to the bedroom.

Wasn’t it difficult, finding small pieces?

Furniture today seems so super-sized.

Not anymore — a lot of furniture

manufacturers are downscaling their sizing,

because people are downsizing, especially

baby boomers.

So you didn’t buy a sectional to stretch out

on?

No, we chose a bigger leather ottoman to put

in front of the sofa. It works perfectly: My

husband and I can both put our feet up and

watch a movie or a game, or one of us can lie

down and another can put our feet up and it’s

really comfortable — and it looks pretty.

What’s your favorite space?

The living room — it’s our only living space.

It’s where we entertain, where we watch TV;

it’s our only hangout spot. I have a dusty-

black and off-white wallpaper that’s a pretty

big floral; I did that to disguise my big

monster TV, which I had to have!

What says “Carrie”?

I love fabrics and wallpaper more than

anything. I really have fun with those. I’ll

build a room around them. I think I inherited

my love of wild wallpaper from my grandma.

I don’t have art on the walls; I have

wallpaper. The other is in the bathroom — it’s

a lime-yellow background with huge white

flowers. Most everyone comments on it —

doesn’t matter if it’s the cable guy or another

designer; they all love the impact of a wall of

wallpaper. It’s a way to add a lot of design for

not a ton of money.

Where did you shop?

I found everything through us (Martha

O’Hara Interiors, which has a showroom in

St. Louis Park) except a chair that I got at

Design Within Reach. It’s acrylic in a steel

base, timeless and cool.

What did you splurge on?

My Ming sideboard from Baker and the

off-white leather ottoman.

What were you like to work with as a

client?

It’s harder to do your own home because

you’re emotionally attached. I am my most

difficult client; most of us probably are. We

have to ask each other for help picking out

our own furnishings, because we see new

things we like every day — and, because we

see things every day, we also get tired of

them more quickly.

Did you keep a folder of ideas?

Yes, I rip pictures out of magazines just like

everybody else. I also use it for clients,

because often you have to show them what

you mean.

Was it difficult to try to incorporate your

husband’s wishes into your design?

He drives a Harley. He said, “No way, no how,

no pink.” I was out shopping one day and I

found a pink cashmere skull pillow. I liked the

yin-yang of it. I brought it home, and he said,

“You knew the one way to get pink in here.”

Molly Guthrey writes about homes, gardensand motherhood for the Pioneer Press andMinnMoms.com.

Carrie Kirby-RodmanBY MOLLY GUTHREY <> PHOTOS BY RICHARD MARSHALL



Building an authentic

Finnish sauna was a

two-year labor of love that

has changed this family’s

attitude about Minnesota’s

bitter winter chill.

Embracing

B Y C H R I S N I S K A N E N

P H O T O S B Y

S C O T T T A K U S H I

the coldvvvvvvv



IT WAS A JANUARY EVENING, THE KIDS WERE ASLEEPand my wife’s eyes were fixed on her novel.

“If you had your choice, what would you pick: a new bathroom oran authentic Finnish sauna?” I asked her.

Two decades earlier, I had spent a summer studying abroad inFinland, where the surname Niskanen fills three pages in theHelsinki phone book. I spent several months swimming in theBaltic Sea and researching Finnish saunas.

I sweated in hand-hewn log saunas built in the 1880s. I beat myback with leafy birch branches in trendy urban saunas. I evenbathed at the prestigious Finnish Sauna Society in an authentic“smoke” sauna, where a trace of wood smoke and steam are allowedto commingle.

I became a connoisseur of “löyly,” that uniquely Finnish word forthe steam that rises from hot sauna stones.

My wife, a Midwest transplant from North Carolina, had neverenjoyed Minnesota’s deep, cold winter days. She had always listened with keen interest to my stories of Finnish sauna lore and

The view from the

loft above the

sauna and into the

dressing room.

The loft is a play

area for children

when the sauna is

not in use.

A custom door handle by iron

specialist Lisa Elias of Minneapolis

adds an attractive detail to the

outside of the sauna door. The

inside handle is made of wood to

keep it cool to the touch.



tradition. She had been in health club saunas, but not in a trueFinnish sauna, and the thought of a steamy, cedar-lined roomappealed to her.

“I think I’d like the sauna,” she said, “especially if it had a woodstove and we had a nice dressing room.”

Our decision was made.

AUTHENTIC DESIGN

You can buy kits for pre-fabricated saunas, either for inside yourhome or outdoors, but I had acquired a few power tools and basiccarpentry skills while remodeling our house. I wanted to build myown.

For design ideas, I consulted the photos of historic and modernsaunas I had taken in Finland. I settled on a simple one: a 10-foot-by-16-foot building erected on concrete pilings and posts, with agreen metal roof, lots of windows and board-and-batten siding.

I needed the pilings because the sauna would be built on anincline overlooking a lake behind our home in Stillwater. I chose thegreen metal roof and rough batten siding for the Scandinavian look

vvvvvvv

A bucket stores water

to throw on hot rocks

on the wood-fired

stove. The bucket is a

traditional accessory in

Finnish saunas; this

one is from Finn Sisu in

Lauderdale.



I had seen in Finland. We decided to stain the siding to blend withthe reddish-brown hues of the surrounding pines.

The sauna itself would occupy half the building; the other halfwould be the dressing room. Since I wanted it to be a multi-purposebuilding, I incorporated a sleeping loft above the sauna room; thekids could host sleepovers there in summer.

My budget was $4,000, less than the $6,000 to $9,000 you wouldpay for pre-fabricated saunas.

To stay under budget — and green — I decided to use recycledlumber, windows and doors bought mainly from recycle centersaround the Twin Cities. For new lumber and the custom-sized metalroof, I went to Menards.

My two biggest single expenses were my Finnish-made, wood-burning stove ($700) and the white cedar tongue-and-groove paneling ($750) for the inside of the sauna.

vvvvvvv

A small window

draws light into the

sauna, which is lit only

with candles.

Every detail in the sauna room was constructed by hand and not a kit,

including the clothes pegs and benches. Bathrobes are heated inside the

sauna. “Diablito,” a painting created by Mexican schoolchildren and

purchased at a local art fair, adds a little visual heat.



I bought the stove from Finn Sisu, the Nordic skiing and saunastore in Lauderdale. For the paneling, I went to John Latola, whoowns a custom sawmill in the Finnish-American community ofPalo, Minn., on the Iron Range.

Latola knew exactly what I needed when I called.White cedar, aMinnesota native, is difficult to find as a milled paneling product,and Latola produces only small batches of it, mostly for customsaunas.The pale tan wood is aromatic, beautiful and rot-resistant.

A few weeks later, I made the 500-mile round-trip drive to Lato-la Lumber for a load of white cedar paneling. It turned out to be mymost important purchase for replicating the Finnish sauna experi-ence.

SIMPLE PLEASURES

Working on weekends and after work, it took me more than twoyears to build our backyard cabin with the sauna inside. It was alabor of love, and the beginning of what has become a full-blownlove affair with the small, handsome building in our back yard, sit-uated among red pine and outfitted with a woodstove and a smart-looking dressing room.

An old Finnish saying states, “You must conduct yourself in thesauna as one would in church.” For us, that means quiet conversa-tion, no cell phones (which risk melting anyhow), meditating on the

The sauna stove was

made in Finland and

has rocks on the top.

Once they are heated,

cool water is thrown

on top to create

steam. The slanted

floor has a drain to

allow any moisture to

run outside. Candles

give the room a warm

feeling.

A water pitcher is a

must-have in any

Finnish sauna.



crackling fire and enjoying the simplepleasure of steam mingling with cedar.

Our 6-year-old daughter loves to hearfolk tales in the sauna’s candlelight. Our14-year-old invites her girlfriends over fora sauna, giggling and inevitable boy talk.

After a sauna, we frequently sit inchairs under the trees and listen for owlshooting and coyotes yipping; on the cold-est nights, we enjoy the yawning andgroaning of the lake making ice. Unfortu-nately, our lake is too shallow and weedyfor an icy plunge, but a roll in the snow willdo.

One evening, when the temperaturesdipped to 20 below, we emerged from thesauna with our skin steaming and stooddefiantly against the cold.

On nights like that, it’s easy to enticefriends from town out to the country bytelling them the sauna will be heated to atoasty 120 degrees. For kids, we bring two

buckets of cool water into the steamy roomand let them splash around.

The inevitable question arises: swim-suit or no swimsuit? Finnish tradition saysno swimsuit, which is certainly the mostcomfortable, but we leave it to our gueststo decide for themselves. With only a fewcandles (no electric lights), it is too dark toworry much about appearance.

My wife now looks forward to those bit-ter cold nights, and I look forward to chop-ping stout chunks of oak and building afire in our stove. It is our respite from mod-ern life and our connection with the landof my ancestors, who believed the saunacould cure most diseases, solve any argu-ment and bring joy to the darkest night.

They were right. ■

Chris Niskanen, author of “Prairie, Lake, Forest:

Minnesota’s State Parks,” writes about the

outdoors for the Pioneer Press.

The most noteworthy

Finnish word in the English

language is “sauna,” and

now the most noteworthy

book about the Finnish-

American experience with

saunas has been published

by the University of

Minnesota Press. In

"Opposite of Cold" ($34.95),

author Michael Nordskog

and photographer Aaron W.

Hautala dive into the Finnish

sauna tradition in the old

country and how it easily

made the Atlantic crossing

to America with Finnish

immigrants. For anyone

planning to build a sauna,

from scratch or from a kit,

this coffee-table book is the

must-have resource for

understanding sauna

history, lore and function.

The pictures of old and new

saunas are lovely, and the

foreward by noted architect

David Salmela puts the

building and tradition into

context.

For info: upress.umn.edu.

— Chris Niskanen

vvvvvvv

A lake can be seen

through the south

window of the

sauna. Unfortunately,

it is too shallow for

swimming after a

sauna.


eat. R E S T A U R A N T S

Discover what’s newLooking for more culinary adventure?

Put these 10 new restaurants on your must-see list.

➤ Bars Bakery. It

opened in September,

but I’m already

wondering what I did

before Bars Bakery came

to town.

The buttery bars, the

apricot scones, the goat

cheese tarts — oh, my!

(612 Selby Ave.,

St. Paul; 651-224-8300;

bars bakery.com)

➤ Cafeteria. The room is

loud, the rooftop view is

spectacular and the

skinny servers (squeezed

into tight pants) are

young at this pseudo-

cafeteria, where diners fill

up on Swedish meatballs,

buttermilk-fried chicken,

meatloaf sliders and

shrimp fried rice. For

birthdays and other

special occasions, Cafeteria sends out big, fluffy

cones of cotton candy. (3001 Hennepin Ave.,

Minneapolis; 612-877-7263;

uptowncafeteria.com)

➤ Caribe. It’s just a little neighborhood

Caribbean-style cafe, but the food is personal,

memorable and delicious. What should you eat?

The mango and white cheese empanadillas, the

BLT with avocado and grilled pineapple aioli, the

shrimp with black pepper rum glaze. Polish off

your meal with tres leches cake. Also, check out

the weekend breakfast menu. (791 Raymond

Ave., St. Paul; 651-641-1446; caribemn.com)

➤ The Depot Tavern. First Avenue’s new bar is

not only one of the few places in downtown

Minneapolis where you can get a reasonably

priced breakfast on weekends, but it also stays

open until 2 a.m. And the bar fare is really very

good. The Diamond Dog — 1/4 pound hot dog

wrapped with bacon, deep-fried and served on a

pretzel bun — is a contender for my 10 Best

Dishes list this year. And don’t miss out on the

awesome triple-fried fries. (17 N. Seventh St.,

Minneapolis; 612-338-1828)

➤ Faces. David Fhima, who ran LoTo in this

space overlooking Mears Park, makes a

comeback. This time around, he gets it right. The

American comfort food comes with a modern

twist and reasonable prices. The room is as

good-looking as the servers. There’s also a bar,

deli, bakery and wine shop. (Cray Plaza, 380

Jackson St., St. Paul; 651-209-7776;

facesmearspark.com)

➤ Heartland. Heartland’s new bigger and

fancier digs in Lowertown better suit the upscale,

daily-changing dinner menu focused on local

ingredients. But you don’t have to spend a

bundle to get the Heartland experience. There’s

also a wine bar and a market with a deli and

bakery open morning ’til night. (289 E. Fifth St.,

St. Paul; 651-699-3536; heartlandrestaurant.com)

➤ Patisserie 46. If you like French pastries, this

neighborhood gem has the

best around. I love the

gibassiers, the wonderful

doughnut-like treats with

anise and candied orange

peel. (4552 Grand Ave. S.,

Minneapolis; 612-354-

3257; patisserie46.com)

➤ Roman Anthony’s. The

room is retro, but the menu

is up to date, so you get a

taste of the past and

present in one package.

Try any of the pastas, the

beef carpaccio with

arugula salad or the giant

bone-in rib-eye with

gorgonzola crust and

amaretto-glazed cherries.

Don’t dismiss the Caesar

salad made tableside.

(1350 E. Minnesota 96,

White Bear Lake; 651-414-

9613; romananthonys.com)

➤ Szechuan Spice. The couple who run Tea

House in St. Paul recently opened this spot at

Lyn-Lake, serving mainly a rich mix of Szechuan

and Hunan specialties, but there are also

Shanghai-style soup dumplings, scallion

pancakes and Peking duck. The hardest part of

eating here is deciding what to order. (3016

Lyndale Ave., S. Minneapolis; 612-353-4281)

➤ Thom Pham’s Wondrous Azian Kitchen.

Thom Pham knows how to create a scene. The

restaurant looks like Las Vegas with a splash of

Hong Kong. The bar would be a great spot to sip

a Singapore Sling or a Bombay martini before a

Twins game. The Asian-fusion food is hit and

miss, but if you stick to sushi and appetizers, you

probably won’t be disappointed. (533 Hennepin

Ave., Minneapolis; 612- 338-1479;

wondrousmpls.com) ■

Kathie Jenkins is restaurant critic for the PioneerPress.

B Y K AT H I E J E N K I N S P H O T O B Y S C O T T TA K U S H I


Bars Bakery on Selby Avenue in St. Paul.


shop. H O L I D A Y

Putting on the glitzMall of America store finds its niche

in special-occasion dresses for the post-prom set.

There’s a new place to Get Social this hol-iday season.

Locally owned Mall of America boutiqueGet Social by Glitz! is aimed at women whowant to look stylish without looking liketheir daughters. For years, these womenhave complained to MOA prom retailerMaryAnne London about the dearth of age-appropriate, budget-conscious options forspecial-occasion dresses.

Get Social is trying to fill what Londonperceives as a void between prom shops and

high-end department stores. Dresses start at$169 and sizes go up to 22. The overall lookis trend-right, often embellished and defi-nitely not for women who want to fade intothe background.

The idea for this store has been brewingsince the early days of Mall of America,when London, who maintains a day job as acommunications vice president for Kraus-Anderson, opened the Wedding Chapel,where she offered ceremonies to sell dress-es. She sold the chapel seven years ago to

concentrate on her successful MOA spin off,Glitz!

“Ever since I had the Wedding Chapel,women would come in and ask about moth-ers’ dresses,” London says. “I tried to do it alittle bit, but I always felt we needed to do itbig.”

A lack of options for mature women heldher back. But London says designers andmanufacturers are beginning to respond —brands like VM, Mori Lee and Jovani are nowoffering more sophisticated lines for a cus-

B Y A L L I S O N K A P L A N P H O T O B Y A S H L E Y H A L B A C H


tomer who maintains heryouth but is well beyond herprom-going days.

Get Social is in a promi-nent first-floor space atMOA just outside Nord-strom. This store has themost of London’s personalityin it. Beyond dresses, GetSocial features rhinestone-studded hats, handbags andglammed-up cowboy boots.London is not necessarily aproponent of pairing theboots with the gowns, butthen again, she believes inself-expression. And what-ever sells. ■

Allison Kaplan writes about

shopping and style for the

Pioneer Press.


shop. H O L I D A Y

➤ Shave and a hot

towel. Art of Shaving

recently opened its

first Twin Cities store

at the Mall of America.

The upscale brand

offers a full range of

razors, shaving creams

and balms. Or get a

shave at the store’s

Barber Spa. A 30-

minute service is $35;

the 45-minute royal

shave, including a hot

towel wrap and

“rejuvenating mask,” is

$55.

➤ Art purses. Toting timber has never looked so

lovely. California wood artist Denise deRose makes

one-of-a-kind art purses from nonendangered wood

species. There’s a maple burl shoulder bag, a blue-

dyed handbag with wood-burned floral print, clutches

and more. You’ll find them at the AAW Gallery of

Wood Art on the second floor of Landmark Center,

75 W. Fifth St., St. Paul or at galleryofwoodart.org. The

purses sell for $200 to $375; special orders available.

(The gallery’s gift store also offers kitchen gadgets,

ornaments and other small objects created by local

and national artists from sustainable materials. Most

items range from $15 to $50.)

— Allison Kaplan

➤ From Russia with love. The Twin Cities’ Museum of

Russian Art has opened a satellite shop, the Izba, at Mall of

America. The only museum in the United States dedicated

exclusively to the preservation and exhibition of Russian art and

artifacts, it is also one of the only

retailers to feature gifts from

the region, including hand-

crafted decorative art

pieces, collectibles, home

furnishings, original

paintings, lacquer art and

art-inspired children’s

books and toys. The Izba is

on the first floor just

outside Nordstrom.

Looking for presents they’ll remember?

Add these fresh gift ideas to your list.

Surprise them


play. F A M I L Y O U T I N G S

My preschool-age daugh-ter has never ridden a

train, but that didn’t stop herfrom being captivated by theminiature versions at theTwin Cities Model RailroadMuseum. She stood with hereyes inches from the tracksand waited for the nextengine to roll by.

“Look inside that car!” shesaid, pointing ecstatically atthe tiny windows. “Look!There! People!”

Sure enough, it was like adollhouse on wheels withtiny passengers readingnewspapers and a dining carcomplete with plates.

The detailed model train layout in Ban-dana Square has long been a fun place totake kids, and recent additions make it evenbetter. I took my three elementary age chil-dren to the museum’s annual Night Trainsexhibit, when the museum stays open lateand room lights are dimmed.

“We started Night Trains to show off theinteriors of these passenger trains,”explained longtime club member PaulGruetzman. “Then, the guys who do the

buildings didn’t want to be outdone, so theyput lights in the buildings.”

Every year, volunteers add new details —a few more streetlights, cars with workinghead and taillights, a flashing Christmas treeon a roof.ATTENTION TO DETAIL

The model train club started meeting in1934 in people’s homes. For a number ofyears, members operated a layout in the St.Paul Union Depot. In 1984, they moved totheir present location on the second floor.

It’s an apt home.The large complex southof Como Park once housed the main repairshops for passenger cars on the NorthernPacific Railway.

Today, an O Scale layout fills an entireroom and re-creates Twin Cities landmarksfrom the 1930s to 1950s in painstakingdetail. Every tiny railroad tie was hand-

stained black and spiked intoplace. The railroad bed ismade from the granules usedin roofing shingles. For theholiday Night Trains events,club members sprinkle can-ning salt to simulate snow(and vacuum it up later).

On the night we visited,people were crowded aroundthe edges, sometimes severaldeep. A half-dozen trainslooped around nearly 2,000feet of track, winding throughminiature scenes and disap-pearing into tunnels.

“This is really cool,” my 10-year-old son said.

One side depicts a Missis-sippi River bluff, where a glowing paddle-boat with a turning wheel plays jazz music.My daughter couldn’t resist leaning over therailing to touch the glassy fake water. (Lookfor the foot pedal that activates fiber-opticfireworks at the top of the bluff.)

A detailed model of the old MinneapolisDepot, torn down in 1977, sits in the centerof the display, complete with Greyhoundbuses parked outside and a working clock.The Mississippi River flows down the mid-dle of the room, spanned by the ThirdAvenue Bridge, the Stone Arch Bridge madeof painted basswood and, finally, three rail-road bridges.

My two sons had fun weaving through thecrowds and chasing trains. First, they fol-lowed the glitzy Christmas train. This train,with boxcars edged in flashing lights, was byfar the highlight of the show, eliciting

Railroad museum lights up

the holidays with Night Trains.

B Y M A J A B E C K S T R O M P H O T O S B Y J O H N A U T E Y

Bright spot

Where: Bandana Square, 1021 Bandana

Blvd. E. (Suite 222), St. Paul Info: 651-647-

9628 or tcmrm.org Cost: $6; free for kids

younger than 5. (Night Trains admission $7 or

$20 per family and free for kids younger than

5.) When: Room lights are dimmed and train

lights lit for Night Trains from 6 to 9 p.m.

Saturdays Nov. 27 through Feb. 27.



squeals from kids whenever itcame around a bend. Next, mysons followed a nondescriptblack engine pulling severalboxcars.

“There it is!” said the 10-year-old. “See it coming out bythe Gold Medal building?”

My favorite train was thegleaming Twin Cities Zephyr, amodel of the stainless-steel pas-senger train that the Chicago,Burlington and Quincy Railroad(CBQ) ran until 1971.

The layout is also full ofwhimsy. A corner shows a fic-tional town of Mattlin, namedafter one of the club’s foundingmembers. It includes a model ofthe Chisago Lake EvangelicalLutheran Church, which wasdepicted in the movie “GrumpyOld Men.” If you look carefully,you’ll see tiny stand-ins for themovie’s stars, Jack Lemmon andWalter Matthau, in front of theirhouses with their Jeep and boattrailer.SMOKE AND WHISTLES

After about an hour lookingat the main layout, we headednext door to what club memberscall the new “Toy Train Division.”It opened in February with a lay-out donated by a hobbyist whowas moving to Texas and didn’twant to take his trains.

Now, the room is filled with13 mostly donated layouts, in avariety of gauges and vintages.The rattle of the trains runningmakes the room sound like anarcade.

The most recent addition is a16-by-30-foot layout of the Minneapolis Mill District donat-ed by Michael Corrigan, a SantaBarbara, Calif., train enthusiastwho had grown up in Minneso-ta. He hired Broadway scenerydesigner Clarke Dunham tobuild a miniature version of hischildhood haunts.

EAGER VOLUNTEERS

One of the best things aboutthe museum is the friendly vol-unteers. Club members aremostly older men, and they areeager to engage new blood intheir hobby. They started a Sat-urday program to teach BoyScouts how to wire trains andmake fake trees.

And if you bring in an oldtrain that isn’t working, some-one might check it out and tellyou how to fix it.

On the night we were there,volunteer Peter Southard wascleaning a locomotive with Q-tips and rubbing alcohol.

“We want parents and chil-dren to get together and build alayout,” he said, as he squirted abit of oil into the wheels. “It’s agreat family activity that getsyou away from the televisionand away from the computer.”

By the time we left, themuseum had worked its magic,and my 7-year-old son was ask-ing to build a layout to goaround our Christmas tree. Weweren’t the only ones.

Dave Tschida was trying tolure his two children, Ben, 5, andLila, 3, away from the Thomasthe Tank Engine table. Dave’sdad, a retired railroad mechanic,sets up his old 1936 train setevery year at Christmas. Now,Ben wants one, too, and seeingall the trains at the museumrekindled his desire.

“Grandpa’s train has a hop-per and tanker and passengercar and caboose and tender,”Tschida said. “Ben wants thesame kind of setup, but he alsowants a steamer that can makesmoke … and a whistle … and alight.” ■

Maja Beckstrom writes about

children and families for the Pioneer

Press.



bright ideas. F A S H I O N

Names to watch

New St. Paul boutique Allee Metro Chic at Snelling and Selby isbecoming a place to discover hot local designers. Here are two

labels worth trying on.

Anne Cramer. She opened a studio in South Minneapolis just lastyear to teach sewing classes, but the students were more interestedin buying the teacher’s designs. So Cramer switched gears andbecame a fashion house overnight. Her fall/holiday 2010 collectionfeatures elegant but modern dresses, skirts and tops in wool andvelvet that could easily go from school function to evening event.

“I love Audrey Hepburn and always have those clean, straightlines in the back of my mind,” Cramer said. “Classic but wearable.”She keeps the silhouettes simple but adds a twist, like hot-pink lining or a bow.

Without a store presence or fashion show exposure, she packedthe studio for her fall trunk show last week and nearly sold outmany styles. Now, Allee has picked up the line. And as of this week,Melly at the Galleria ordered it, too. One of the biggest sellers is the$190 Put a Bow on It dress, a sleeveless A-line wool sheath that hitsabove the knee with a bow on one shoulder.

It’s the realization of a dream Cramer never imagined wouldcome true. “I had my first son in college. I thought I’d missed theboat.”

The 39-year-old mother of three boys ages 20 to 5 has been mak-ing her own clothes since eighth grade, when she showed up at aschool dance in the same Laura Ashley dress two friends werewearing. “I knew at that age I didn’t want that to happen again.”

Two local designers fall

under the ‘must-have’ label.

DadaDress by Jessika Madison-Kennedy. Long before there wasMNfashion and a lively scene of local designers, Jessika Madison-Kennedy was making dresses. She and a friend started selling theirdesigns online at dadadress.com in 1999 while students at the Uni-versity of Minnesota. Madison-Kennedy didn’t really considerfocusing on the Twin Cities. “At the time, nothing local was reallygoing on,” she says.

She moved overseas to attend the London College of Fashion,and that’s where her DadaDress label really took off. The look is vintage but timeless — simple A-line shifts in solid colors with bolddetails. Prices start at just over $100.

“I like things that are beautiful but with an edge. Never cutesy,”says Madison-Kennedy, who does not own jeans and believes dress-es should be worn every day, even in the winter. “There’s nothingworse than cold fabric pantstouching your leg. Put onthick wooly tights with adress.”

Now back in the TwinCities, Madison-Kennedy, 36,recently accepted a positionwith the College of VisualArts. She continues to designout of her St. Paul home, andall the manufacturing is donelocally. She sells online to aninternational audience, butpassing by Allee one day,she realized the European-inspired boutique would be agood fit. “I love the shop andlike the connection to some-thing in the city you’re basedin. It’s good to have a pres-ence.” ■

Allison Kaplan writes about

shopping and style for the Pioneer

Press.

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