{the best junk round-up in the nation is in minnesota!}

If you’re looking for one-of-a-kind treasures for your home, then we suggest you hop in line for the Junk Bonanza! The best junk round-up in the nation rolls in to Shakopee, Minnesota on September 13 and runs through September 15.

The Junk Bonanza provides a gathering spot for purveyors and shoppers of vintage finds, beautiful antiques, one-of-a-kind and artisan-repurposed pieces. 

You won’t find any knock-offs here! The Junk Bonanza features only the most unique, distinctive works from “junkers” across the country.

The Junk Bonanza was started back in 2006 by Ki Nassauer out of her desire to simply clean out the garage! She turned her epic garage sales into the most epic collection of junk vendors and enthusiasts. Ki is also the editor of the twice-yearly magazine Flea Market Style and has co-written two books on junk décor — “Decorating Junk Market Style” and “Junk Beautiful: Room by Room Makeovers.” The Wall Street Journal recently profiled Ki in an article titled, “Turning Jumbles of Junk Into Treasures.”

Junk Bonanza details
Thursday, September 13th: 10 am to 5 pm
Friday, September 14th: 9 am to 5 pm
Saturday, September 15th: 9 am to 5 pm
Rain or shine! This is an indoor event

{keeping summer style in your home all year}

Can we all just agree that summer goes by much too quickly here in Minnesota? Ok? Agreed.

Thankfully, design transcends time and allows us to keep summer alive in our homes all year long! Here are some of our favorite year-round summer-inspired design elements:

Grasscloth wallcoverings
Adding natural elements, like grasscloth wallcoverings, to your home evoke the feelings of nature and the great outdoors. Grasscloth wallcoverings not only look great, but they also help cover any slight imperfections in walls, absorb noise and create a dramatic backdrop to any room. Check out the grasscloth wallcovering options at Hirshfield’s Design Resource, including the Thibaut collection.

Grasscloth wallcovering from Thibaut

Grasscloth wallcovering from Thibaut

Keep it clean with white…

{outdoor decorating solutions}

Summer is the best time of year to get the neighbors together for a backyard cookout or a relaxing drink on the patio. Especially here in Minnesota, we need to take advantage of the short time frame we have to spend time outside!

Turn your Minnesota backyard into a fun and inviting space with these simple decorating solutions from the paint and color experts at Hirshfield’s:

Dine Al Fresco
There’s nothing more precarious than trying to balance a plate on your lap while simultaneously holding a drink, watching the kids and talking with friends. Give your guests a place to sit while you dine outdoors, whether it’s a simple picnic table, some folding tables dressed up with linen or an ornate outdoor dining set.

House Beautiful

You can make your outdoor dining space feel special and dramatic by moving your table away from the house and placing it in the middle of your backyard. Surround it with candles or flowers to give it a touch of intimacy while maintaining the grandeur of the set up.

Offer shade with beautiful linen

{friday finds: getting your home ready for summer}

Summer doesn’t officially start until June 20, but it’s pretty much understood here in Minnesota that Memorial Day is the “unofficial” start to summer! And with the warm temps we’ve been having here in the Twin Cities and across the state, it seems as if Mother Nature is just as anxious for summer to arrive as we are!

So let’s welcome summer into our homes with open windows and fresh decor! Here are some tips to help get your home in shape for the season!

Let the fresh air in: Welcome the warm summer weather into your home with open windows! Not only does a nice breeze help you enjoy the outdoor weather even when you’re stuck indoors, it also  just makes your home feel fresher. You can even filter the outdoor air that comes through your house with plants. Some of the best air-cleaning houseplants are snake plants, spider plants, English ivy, and small-leafed rubber plants.

Examiner Home & Living

{win a $100 Hirshfield’s gift card!}

For some of us here in Minnesota, Memorial Day weekend is a time to welcome the start of summer. But for others, it’s a time to tackle some of those home improvement projects that have been staring us in the face all winter and spring!

So for those of you getting ready for a long weekend of painting, priming, staining and sanding, Hirshfield’s wants you to know that their paint and color experts are here to help! Plus, if you head over to the Hirshfield’s Facebook page, you can enter to win a $100 Hirshfield’s gift card! Click here to enter!

Use the gift card towards your purchase of paint, paint supplies, stain, anything you want from your local Hirshfield’s to make your Memorial Day home improvement project a success! And your gift card will go even further with the Memorial Day Paint Sale going on now at all Hirshfield’s locations!

{getting your home cleaned and organized for spring}

Spring has finally arrived in Minnesota! This is probably the one time of the year when the word “cleaning” actually has a positive connotation! It just feels so good to get the whole house cleaned and organized after the dreary winter months. Here are some tips for getting your home in fabulous spring form!

• Swap out those heavy quilts and blankets for lighter-weight bedding. Store your winter blankets in under-bed boxes, zippered bags, or vacuum-seal storage bags, which save space and protect against insects. Insert cedar or lavender sachets for extra freshness.

{design blogger feature: Twin Cities Design Scene}

The Twin Cities is filled with lots of great design, and lots of great design bloggers! With such a thriving design blogging community right here, we thought it would be fun to get to know each other better through some local design blogger features. A few weeks ago we featured Minneapolis design blogger, Erin from House of Turquoise. Today we are going to chat with Jennie from Twin Cities Design Scene!

Jennie, the blogger behind Twin Cities Design Scene

As a Minnesota native, Jennie has spent a lot of time learning and exploring the (excuse the pun) Twin Cities design scene. She started her blog in 2009 with the goal of creating an online resource for local design-related businesses, groups and individuals to showcase their work and connect to customers. Since starting the blog, Jennie has created an entire community of design enthusiasts who come together via her blog and Facebook page to share design-related ideas and events.

Now we’ll turn it over to Jennie and let her do the talking…

As a Minnesota native, what do you love most about living in Minnesota? Have you ever thought of living somewhere else?
It’s cliche, but I adore the Minnesota summers. Everyone seems to be coming out of hibernation and it feels like a big, happy community. There is so much to do in the summer! This summer, I am most excited to attend the Northern Spark Festival, Barbette’s Bastille Day Celebration and go to movies in the park. Although I love going to events in the summer, there is something to be said to going out in the winter. There is a great vibe when attending a concert when it is 0 degrees out, because you know  everyone is committed to being there. No one is going to leave their homes in the winter unless they REALLY want to be somewhere!

Do you have a favorite place to visit or shop to find design inspiration?
Hands down, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. In order to understand current and future design trends , you have to have knowledge of our design past. Most of our current design trends give a nod to past designers. What is old, usually comes back as new in one way or another. The MIA has a great collection of not only paintings and sculptures, but furniture and home goods. Once you start looking through their collection, you can see how you can build an eclectic and beautiful room based upon the different eras of design.

How would you describe your personal style as it relates to home decor?
Speaking of mixing eras of design, I use a mixture of Mid Century Modern and 1930′s inspired pieces in my own space. I love the juxtaposition of the serpentine lines you find in the 1930′s furniture mixed with some of the clean, straight lines from the 1960′s.  

You feature lots of local stories on your blog, is there a favorite story or person you’ve blogged about?
I’ve loved all of the people I’ve talked with for my blog and I am so appreciative of everyone who has taken time out of their days to share their stories. I love seeing the excitement people have to share their own stories. I do have to thank Swedish designer, Pia Amsell. She granted me my first in-person blog interview while she was in town in 2010 to talk about the accessories line she designed for IKEA with Barbro Wesslander. I spontaneously asked her to tell me her about her history after her public talk at the Bloomington IKEA store and she graciously took the time to talk with me for 20 minutes. You can read the interview here.

Through your current work at Spyder Trap and your past work at Room & Board and Gabberts, what have you learned about design?
What I have learned the most is good design can come in many different packages. We see all of these giant homes with expensive furniture showcased around town. Some of the most beautiful spaces I have seen are smaller apartments that have been thoughtfully put together with a combination of new, vintage and found items. While it is important to invest in quality furniture, not everyone can afford to do that. My biggest recommendation is to save up to buy quality pieces where you hang out for long periods of time, mainly your sofa, mattress and office chair. Make sure to shop around all of our locally owned stores across the cities and state to for great furniture and decor!

You can join Jennie’s community on her blog or Facebook page. Feel free to post your ideas and jump in the conversation!

{window treatments : hirshfield’s premier collection}

Shannon is here to talk about the Hirshfield’s Premier Collection of window treatments. This collection includes six different products, everything from wood-grain blinds to roman shades to natural shades. Every product in this line is custom ordered to fit your unique home decorating needs.

{hirshfield’s: your full-line hunter douglas dealer}

Hirshfield’s is a full-line Hunter Douglas dealer. This means that if you are looking for the best window treatment options in the Twin Cities or greater Minnesota area, Hirshfield’s has just what you are looking for! Now is a great time to stop in to your local Hirshfield’s and ask them about the Hunter Douglas Celebrate the Season Sale, going on now through December 13. With Hirshfield’s and Hunter Douglas, you get both style and savings!

Shannon is here from the Hirshfield’s window treatment division to give you a tour of the fabulous Hunter Douglas window fashions available.

{back to school: painting 101}

School is in session! As most Minnesota students are heading back to class this week, we thought now would be a good time to host our own little education session on something we love teach about – paint! So take some notes, this information will be on the test!

Before you get started on any painting project you need to understand some basics:

Choose your paint- there are five sheen levels for interior painting. Tim from Hirshfield’s in Lakeville explains the differences between the five levels:

• Flat is the lowest sheen level and is best used for low traffic areas and ceilings.  Flat paints touch-up wonderfully but aren’t the most washable.
• Matte finishes are relatively flat looking on the wall but offer an amount of durability and are commonly referred to as washable flats.
• Eggshell is the most common sheen and is appropriate for many different uses. Its level of durability makes it washable in high traffic areas and bathrooms.
• Satin finishes are great for very high traffic and high moisture areas such as busy laundry rooms and bathrooms where condensation is common.
• Semi-gloss works well for walls that see abuse everyday and is very durable and washable.