Sarah Olson didn’t want her home to be some (ahem) magazine’s idea of tasteful as much as she wanted to fill it with things she loves—things that others might love, too. Or hate. Either is OK with Sarah. “Take the wallpaper,” she says, referencing the raucous pink extravaganza on the staircase. “Everyone has a reaction—positive and negative. They feel something about it, and I like that.” That sense of fun and engagement pervades the 1885 Ramsey Hill Victorian in St. Paul that Sarah shares with her husband, Zach, and their two children, Runa, 7, and Hans, 5.
The well-cared-for house was a blank slate when the family moved in a few years ago, with white walls, natural oak woodwork, and leaded-glass windows. Sarah wanted to liven it up but knew she could veer into maximalist overdrive if left to her own enthusiastic devices. There was also the matter of Zach’s one nonnegotiable—a large felt-topped game table. A serious strategy gamer, he’d had his eye on it for years. So, Sarah called in a professional—Julia Miller, of Yond Interiors—to rein her in, figure out how to incorporate Zach’s table, and bring the spaces together in an interesting and cohesive way.
The joy of our work is that these spaces get used.
—Julia Miller, Interior Designer
“This house is all about how turn of the century meets midcentury,” Miller says. “We think that the vibe includes homage to the age of the home while integrating newer eras.”
Using the wallpaper as a springboard for a color strategy of smoky pastels, browns, blues, and greens, Miller layered a mix of eclectic furnishings and lighting that brighten the mood of the formal architecture. In the living room, she created two zones, one for Zach’s gaming and one for Sarah’s book club gatherings. On the bookish end, curvy, cozy sofas and chairs and a mix of tables create a flexible environment for groups; on the other, clean cabinetry and shapely Gubi chairs offset the heaviness of the game table.
“The joy of our work is that these spaces get used,” says Miller. “While the table presented some design challenges, I would be a complete failure if we didn’t pull it off. This was important to Zach, and that made it a joy to design around. This is his heart’s desire. That’s what we’re here for.”
Interior Design: Julia Miller, Yond Interiors, 1618 Central Ave. NE, Mpls., yondinteriors.com