Another creation by Dan Hines of Barntiques Custom. Courtesy Barntiques Custom.

The Collective: Dan Hanes

Photos courtesy Barntiques CustomFor 28 years, Dan Hanes led a fifth-grade classroom, driven by passion to teach both art and the notion that the best work doesn’t happen while seated at a desk. Now...

Catch the Balloon Bug With Balloon Installations by Minne Merriments

Photos by Natalie Snyder PhotographyEllie Dhar was a new mom with a 7-month-old baby when she first caught the balloon bug. She had just installed her first balloon art for her best friend’s wedding...

Sapphire Anderson Crafts Character & Charm in Her Historic Home

Photos courtesy of Sapphire Anderson  A house will never truly feel like home without some personal touches and a little bit of character. This is something Sapphire Anderson (@sapphirejameliahome) discovered soon after moving into her...

Minnesota Maker: Anthony Siewert

Photos courtesy Kona's Custom LodgingAnthony Siewert knew no regular bed would do for his beloved Weimaraner and company namesake Kona, so he did what any great maker would do: He used his metalwork talents...

The Collective: Shop Local This Winter With Koselig Candle Co.

Photos provided by Jerrod Sumner The Collective: Koselig Candle Co. Since 2016, founders and lifelong buddies Matt Kruger and Blake Anderson have poured small-batch candles that define a space and conjure a coziness that would make...

The Collective: Allison Johanson

Allison Johanson came to her craft when she needed art most in her life—to fill her home and to be creative. Johanson paints textured, abstract landscapes that add serenity and joy to any space....

New Architecture Book & Exhibition Celebrates Minnesota Modernism

“Lisl Close was born to modern architecture,” explains architectural historian and author Jane King Hession. The daughter of culturally savvy parents, Elizabeth (Lisl) Scheu grew up in Vienna in a strikingly modern home designed...

Master Ojibwe Bead Artist Jessica Gokey Reveres Beadwork as Fine Art

Photos by David EllisJessica Gokey was only 16 years old when she had her first run-in with beading. Her aunt doled out a daunting task: Take apart a beaded hair barrette and reconstruct it....

The Collective: Kimberly Tschida Petters

Photos courtesy of Kimberly Tschida PettersKimberly Tschida Petters found her signature style with a simple line of paint on a notecard, which soon led to the artist and business owner delighting Vandalia Street Press...
Shayla Owodunni, founder of the Plant Penthouse

The Plant Penthouse Is Open

Photos courtesy Shayla Owodunni When Lakeville native Shayla Owodunni was younger, she wasn’t known as a plant person—but her parents were. “Their Birds of Paradise were their pride and joy,” she laughs. “We had a...

The Collective: Wettrock Co.

Photos provided  Kevin Whetstone’s admiration of all things made by hand began with watching his grandfather cast tools in his workshop. Today, Whetstone’s own work incorporates all five elements of the industrial age: glass, reclaimed...

Frank Foo’s Feng Shui Practice is a True Balancing Act

Photos by Wing Ho  Nowadays, when discussing a new restaurant, location, or even a new friend, you’ll often hear a certain phrase included if the review is positive: “The vibes were good.” The same can be...
Fall flower bed

Q&A with MN Landscape Arboretum Director Peter Moe

September is here, and fall draws near. Soon enough, trees will adopt their fiery fall hues, lattes will become increasingly pumpkin-spiced, and yards will fill with premature Halloween decorations. Fall is a time of...

Authentically Gary Aülik

Photos by Wing Ta“I’ve been collecting antiques and reclaiming old buildings throughout my career,” says Gary Aülik, founder of Aülik Design Build in Minneapolis. While half of his business is new construction (he admits...

The Collective: Defiant Ceramics

Photos providedKelly Paul didn’t mesh with the art kids, and she didn’t vibe with the corporate world she left behind in 2019 either. This lack of belonging led to the inception of Defiant Ceramics—her...

Mercury Mosaics’ Mercedes Austin Talks Tile

Photos by David EllisSporting a cheerful smile, perky pixie cut, and plastic safety glasses, local entrepreneur Mercedes Austin takes us on a tour of her tile manufacturing space, pointing out where clay is formed...

Marian Parsons’ New Book Guides Readers to Create the Home of Their Dreams

Photos and styling by Marian ParsonsMarian Parsons, aka Miss Mustard Seed, has written books before—as well as created fine art, refinished furniture, crafted a beloved blog, innovated product design (including her own line of...

Tangled Within the Thread: Multimedia Art by Brandi Kole

Photos by Dina KantorAs a youngster growing up in Bloomington, Minnesota, multimedia artist Brandi Kole spent her after-school hours watching her grandmother sew. Kole’s grandmother made hundreds of quilts she donated to nursing homes...

Residential Design Firm Nguyen Architects and Resilience Following Fire

Photos courtesy Nguyen ArchitectsAfter George Floyd’s murder on May 25, protestors and rioters took to the streets in an uprising that brought international attention to police brutality and racism across the globe. In the...

Italian-Style Meatballs

Photos ProvidedCrave cozy dishes simmering in heavy pots that make the whole house smell like home during fall? This go-to meatball recipe combines beef, pork, quinoa instead of bread for an option suitable for...

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