by EMERSON SLOANE
I've been envious of my friend Lindsay Kolu's beautiful interior design since I first saw her put up pictures of her apartment in Duluth, Minnesota. It's deceptively simple looking and then when you take in the entire panorama, the individual pieces begin to pop and you start to realize the complexity and thought put into the entire space.
I first met Lindsay when she was the general manager of one of Duluth's gorgeous downtown nightspots, Black Water. Her Paris-chic individual style and her forward and confident personality are both luminous. Lindsay is not only a savvy and experienced businessperson, she is also a qualified and elegant tastemaker.
Recently relocating to the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul for school and for love, Lindsay just recently set up her new home in the Kenwood neighborhood near Lake of the Isles. Again, beautifully composed, Lindsay explained to me that she began her original hunt for furniture and accessories five years ago on a zero budget and with not one piece of furniture to work with, but art is the foundation of what you see before you.
"All the art is local--from Duluth and Minneapolis female artists. I had my cousin, artist Lydia Komatsu, make the big canvas paintings for me. Without her abstract art, my house would be nothing," Lindsay said as she referred to the art that is placed around her home. "That's been the most incredible collaboration and process--to design art for a space."
Everything in the house looks like a showroom find at an upscale boutique. I was surprised when Lindsay reported that she found the buffets, side tables, and all the chairs on Craigslist!
"The couch is a $60 thrift store steal I had reupholstered in white. I'm inspired by my Finnish heritage--minimalist, monochromatic palette. The buffets and side tables I finished in black."
The accessories that pull everything together are also inspired by Lindsay's Finnish heritage but also by her mother, a costume designer who would find low-cost items and repurpose and refinish them for their own home.
"I Like earthy Nordic elements such as sheep skins and furs. I think they make a house look warm, and skulls I find so interesting. I found the cow skull at a garage sale for $20.
Enjoy the view and I'm sure we'll see more as Lindsay settles in to her new digs. If you have questions for Lindsay about her style or about the art in her beautiful new home, feel free to ask them in the comments. And, even better, Lindsay will be launching her own style guide soon where you'll be able to catch up with her influences, her personal style, and what's going on in her new life in the Twin Cities. We're looking forward to it!
All images © Lindsay Kolu
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