Example of an Alchemy’s “weeHouse”

Geoffrey Warner, founder of Alchemy Architects of St Paul, will be speaking at the Uptown location of Design Within Reach on Thursday, February 4th from 6-8pm.   Known for their modern, prefabricated houses, termed “weeHomes,” Alchemy Architects believe that “the greenest square foot is the one you don’t build.”  When building, the architects focus on efficiency, durability, sustainability and affordability of the home.  Their speech will delve into how to increase the value of one’s project, while decreasing its impact on the environment.

If you are planning on attending, please e-mail minneapolis@dwr.com.

Design Within Reach

2939 Hennepin Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55408
Phone: 612.827.0990

Image from mnartists.org

I had the opportunity to meet Lauren Welle two years ago for Do It Green Minnesota’s annual Green Gifts Fair at the Midtown Global Market and instantly loved her work.  Her retro inspired pieces come from recycled origins.  By scouring antique shops, garage sales and auto junkyards, Lauren finds unique items to create recycled and re purposed art.  Her funky work includes buttons, magnets, collages, record bowl, key chain, and vintage magazine frames and mirrors.

Find Lauren Welle’s work at mnartists.org.

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Image from MCAD

Sometimes there is so much focus on the classic mid-century modern designers, one may wonder why more attention is not being given to present day furniture designers?  If you are interested in looking to the future of design, look no further than MCAD’s latest exhibition, Studio Furniture: The Next Generation.  Read on for more info and for pictures of some of the latest designs.

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Image from Bludot.com

I always appreciate a fantastic advertising campaign that is artistic and original.  The crew at Minneapolis based furniture company, Blu Dot, hit the ball out of the park with their latest marketing experiment labeled, “The Real Good Experiment.”  In early November, the company took 25 chairs and dropped them off on the streets of Manhattan and tracked where they went…read on after the jump to see the documentary of the experiment and what happened to the chairs.

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Picture of Marimekko fabric from Finnstyle

Finnstyle, home to all things Scandinavian, is moving its store from 651 Nicollet Mall to 160 Glenwood Ave, Minneapolis, MN.  Over $30,000 worth of merchandise will be marked down 50% or more.  The sale starts today and runs through January 30th.  Finnstyle will open on February 10th at its Glenwood location and there will be opening store events on February 19th and 20th.

I recently met local designer, writer and stylist Alecia Stevens and was immediately blown away with her work.  She has a background in fashion and set design before pursuing interior design.  She now owns Alecia Stevens Interiors and is a freelance writer and stylist for national publications.  Read on after the jump for more samples of her work.

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Image from Victory Newsletter

Victory owner Kerry Ciardelli just returned from a flea market in Atlanta and came back with these gorgeous vintage suitcases.  They will be making their way into her store at 3505 W 44th St in Minneapolis very soon.  I can’t wait.  The suitcases make for a great alternative coffee table or bedside table, like the picture shown below:

Image from House Beautiful

Image from patina.com

I found a fantastic book while I was rummaging through Patina to get more ice lanterns (see December post on ice lanterns).  This book shows different ideas on stenciling one’s wall and comes with 10 recyclable stencils.  Graphic designer Ed Roth created the stencils and you may see him describe how to stencil a wall in the following video:

If you are looking to do something classic, yet funky, to your walls, I recommend getting this book and then getting to work!

Victory is a unique store situated in Linden Hills that carries an eclectic array of new and vintage finds from all over the world.  The store is an amazing inspiration to walk through.

Owner, Kerry Ciardelli, opened Victory in 2003 and Minneapolis has benefited from her store ever since.  Incorporating her love of world traveling and interior design, she decided to share her two loves after making a split decision to start the store after seeing a “for rent” sign in the storefront.  Before starting the store, Kerry visited London, Paris and Italy and brought back one of a kind antiques and treasures for the home.  The store now specialized in high-end furniture and accessories that can be considered updated classics. Victory is located at 3505 W 44th St, Minneapolis, MN

Check out the photo gallery:

The wall of gifts and treasures that greet customers upon walking into the store (picture from www.shopvictory.com)

One of the best rooms in the place.  A wide array of coffee table books, vintage unique pieces for the home

This is a gorgeous chair.  Great updated classic design.

An African head dress and brightly colored pillows rest upon the french settee

Lots of china looks great in front of this mirror