People

Photos by David Ellis“I’ve always been in the art realm,” says Tia Salmela Keobounpheng (who also goes by the moniker Tia Keo), even though she has long practiced design and architecture. A high school...

Photos by David Ellis  The fascinating history of handmade ceramic tile—the oldest decorative art—dates back to 4,000 B.C., when Egyptian, Assyrian, and Babylonian artisans began working with colored stone and crafting blue-glazed bricks before...

Photos by David EllisEyenga Bokamba, a visual artist and designer, modestly insists, “I have an art career because people reach out to me, so I’m like, ‘OK, let’s do this.’” And it’s true—but only...

Photos by Dina KantorErin Zosel is a multihyphenate who may just be getting started. Case in point: Six years ago, she opened her first salon, Sloane’s Beauty Bar, after 25 years as a hairstylist....

Photos providedThe long-time, trusted home-improvement brand and media company “This Old House” is currently building its first Idea House in the Midwest. After eight houses elsewhere in the country, “This Old House” has teamed...

Photos providedThe American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame Foundation Inc. is an industry organization founded in 1988 meant to preserve the history of the home furnishings industry, inspire generations of innovators, and celebrate leaders...

Elemental Engineer As a former competitive skier and semi-pro fisherman, Travis Gienger’s passion for the outdoors is evident in his career. After spending nearly 20 years in the landscape design-build industry, Gienger began his own...

Photos by Wing Ta“I never thought, ‘Let’s live next to a stadium,’ but it’s pretty fantastic,” says Christopher Strom of his south Minneapolis home. Located on a corner lot across the street from a...

Photos courtesy of Mike RataczakFor most, life’s journey is not linear. For Mike Rataczak, owner of Mike Rataczak Studios, this notion rings true. “I took an indirect path into my design career,” he says....

Photos by Wing TaInterior designer Renae Keller says the best present she ever received was a Barbie Dreamhouse when she was six years old. The gift may have been a clever move on her...

Photos by David Ellis Growing up in central Wisconsin, Sarah Londerville wanted one thing: to end up in Minneapolis. In the early 1990s, that dream became reality when she accepted a job with Knott’s Camp...

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...

Photos by Chelsie LopezSince Brianne Boettner started Timber & Tulip in 2016, the Minneapolis furniture designer and business owner has been creating custom furniture for her clients with originality and flair. “Not only do...

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...

Photos by David EllisAt a young age, master woodcarver Erik Wyckoff “fell in love with beautiful, personalized interiors,” he recalls. “Whether it was a restored Victorian full of ornate detailing or a Craftsman bungalow...

Photos courtesy of Danelle Marie Calligraphy  Danelle Erickson of Danelle Marie Calligraphy has mastered the majesty of making words look magical with her custom calligraphy services, where the North Pole is the limit for clients...

Photos by Andrea RuggElaina Moss’ yard is an edible landscape, and it’s not just Moss and her family eating. Bees, lacewings, and countless other insects are also welcome diners who, in turn, add value...

Photos courtesy of Cynthia YangThe ongoing pandemic affects each of us, along with our productivity and creativity, in different ways. For Minneapolis-based photographer Cynthia Yang, boredom led to creating a TikTok account that’s racked...

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...

Portrait by Mariah Brink, product shots provided Dan and Alex Cordell launched Solid Manufacturing in 2012 knowing that quality handmade products could be manufactured in the United States and built to last. The couple makes...