best of minnesota

For traditional tastes: HomeGoods

Friday May 11, 2012

Stagers who spruce up a house before it goes on the market shop here first. That's because the furnishings look more expensive than they are. You can get a leather-look red barrel chair for $150 and enough lamps to put a different one in every room. Check out the aisles devoted to garden elements, library decor, country accents or florals, but don't wait until you sell your house to take advantage of the expensive-looking mirrors, rugs, framed prints, wall hangings and accent tables.

• Eight Twin Cities locations including Roseville
• 651-636-7524
• homegoods.com

For the modern look: CB2

Tuesday May 15, 2012

The Twin Cities may be overrun with furniture retailers, but contemporary furniture fans can count their choices on one hand. That's why the landing of CB2 last year brought a sigh of relief -- and a host of mod, brightly colored furnishings. Crate & Barrel's hipper spinoff can take a simple butterfly chair and move it from the dorm to the apartment with a leather sling cover ($399). But traditionalists need not stay away. Anyone can appreciate the whimsy (and the price) of $3 Oliver appetizer plates decorated with stick figures who play volleyball or roast marshmallows. Sales and clearance events are frequent.

• Calhoun Square, 3045 Hennepin Av. S., Mpls.
• 612-821-9303
• cb2.com

For secondhand furnishings: Wabi Sabi Shop

Tuesday May 15, 2012

The highest compliment customers can pay a consignment store owner is to assume the merchandise is new, not used. That happens a lot at Wabi Sabi, thanks to the impeccable taste of owner Kay Frandsen and her ability to assemble eclectic vignettes as welcoming as Ethan Allen's. She seamlessly mixes antiques with newer traditional, modern and contemporary pieces. And there's always an unexpected treasure, such as a Dimplex electric fireplace mantel or a leather sofa for only $250. Don't see what you want? Frandsen will put your item on a wish list and call you if it comes in.

• Waterford Plaza, 10100 6th Av. N., Plymouth
• 763-404-8499
• wabisabishop.com

Antiques hubs in the metro: 50th and Xerxes in Minneapolis

Friday May 11, 2012

From the eclectic collections of cloches, antlers and '50s fabrics at Hunt & Gather, to the carefully selected Arts and Crafts furnishings at City Chic (612-926-8934), to the rustic repurposed items at Piccadilly Prairie, you can sample a world's worth of aesthetics without leaving the city. But wait, there's more: the multi-dealer Loft Antiques, furniture consignment at Bella Galleria, and clothing and accessories at the Vintage Studio (612-929-2559). Located at the intersection of 50th Street and Xerxes Avenue in south Minneapolis

Antiques hubs in greater Minnesota: Buffalo occasional stores

Friday May 11, 2012

The first weekend (Thursday through Sunday) of every month, the small town of Buffalo transforms itself into a junker's paradise. A dozen occasional stores (so named because they're only open occasionally) offer everything from bona-fide antiques to cleverly repurposed and repainted furnishings. The granddaddy of the bunch is Second Hand Rose, but don't miss the French-inspired The Porch or any of the other shops, including Patina General and Yesterday's Charm. The prices, selection and ability to shop-hop make it worth the drive. And as long as you're in Buffalo, check out the Buffalo Nickel. Unlike the occasional stores, this antiques store, housed in massive old barn, is open every day.

Gardening for dummies: Tonkadale

Friday May 11, 2012

Not sure what to plant in that shaded spot by the fence? Or maybe you're looking to populate a sunny patio? Tonkadale's big colorful banners clearly identify "Shade" and "Sun" perennials, annuals and hanging baskets without making you read all the tiny plant tags. Banners also tell you where to head for herbs and accent plants for pots.

• 3739 Tonkawood Rd., Minnetonka
• 952-938-6480,
• tonkadale.com

June bargains at garden centers: Linder's Flower Marts

Friday May 11, 2012

In May, Linder's flower marts spring up in parking lots outside local strip malls, grocery stores and even bowling alleys. If you can hold off until early June, the flower marts sell perennials, annuals and container gardens at 33 percent off retail. In years past, Linder's has been known to slash remaining merchandise even more, to 50 percent, before packing up for the season.

• Go to linders.com to find a mart in your neighborhood.

Family-friendly garden centers: Halla Nursery and Garden Center

Tuesday May 1, 2012

Most kids would rather feed black swans than look for pink geraniums. Halla Nursery offers plenty of diversions while Mom and Dad shop. Kid-friendly attractions include a putting green, koi ponds (with a live underwater webcam) and a playground outfitted with a shady gazebo for tot watchers. New this year: a farmers market every Saturday, opening June 2.

• 10000 Great Plains Blvd., Chanhassen
• 952-445-6555
• hallanursery.com

Home tour for vintage-lovers: Summit HIll House Tour, Sept. 9

Friday May 11, 2012

Lovers of old houses will drool over these architecturally awesome jewels in St. Paul's historic Summit Hill neighborhood. About a dozen well-preserved homes representing a mix of architectural styles are open for this popular biannual event.

• summithillassociation.org

Home tour for new construction: Homes by Architects Tour, Sept. 22-23

Tuesday May 15, 2012

A chance to peek inside architects' custom-designed remodeled and new homes. These upscale projects are standouts, with everything from a renovated loft like you'd see in Dwell magazine to an updated Beaux Arts mansion. The event is sponsored by the American Institute of Architects Minnesota.

• homesbyarchitects.org

Home tour for remodeled projects: Remodelers Showcase, Sept. 28-30

Friday May 11, 2012

Get an inside look at how enterprising homeowners turned a closet into a mudroom or transformed a dysfunctional 1970s kitchen into a cook's dream. Remodeling pros are on hand to answer questions at dozens of homes across the Twin Cities.

• paradeofhomes.org

Residential design trend: Prefab

Friday May 11, 2012

Prefabricated home construction has come a long way. Just a decade ago, prefab houses were synonymous for cheap and tacky. But today, more and more architects are designing factory-built homes -- and sometimes winning awards with them. Sure, you can still save a little money -- maybe 20 percent, compared to building the same house the conventional way. Lots of buyers put those savings toward other bells and whistles that make a home more stylish and appealing. The Twin Cities is a good place to explore prefab's cutting edge, with two local architectural firms leading the way: FlatPak and Alchemy Architects.

Where to shop for a fixer-upper: Old Highland, Minneapolis

Friday May 11, 2012

Sweat equity 101: If you’re going to break a sweat, do it in a neighborhood that’s worth the effort. Old Highland in north Minneapolis recently won the seal of approval from This Old House magazine, which lauded the ’hood with a trifecta of honors: “Best Old House Neighborhood,” “Top 6 Editors’ Pick” and “Best Place for Fixer Uppers.” What’s cool about Old Highland? Victorian-era housing stock, proximity to the Warehouse District and “preservation momentum,” plus a thriving neighborhood association with a website to keep residents abreast of upcoming wine-and-cheese parties and spring cleanup days.

• oldhighland.org

Where to find a new house: Blaine

Tuesday May 15, 2012

It used to be that if you wanted a new house you’d have to drive 45 minutes to the boondocks where developers were transforming vast swaths of farmland into massive subdivisions. Today, most new construction is happening in first- and second-ring suburbs on smaller in-fill parcels of raw land that didn’t get chewed up during the housing boom. Blaine, for example, has one of the highest ratios of new houses to existing ones on the market. In fact, 20 percent of the 280 listings on the market last year were brand new compared with only one in 10 for a metro-wide average.

Where houses sell fast: Mac-Groveland

Monday May 14, 2012

The Macalester-Groveland neighborhood in St. Paul is a perennial favorite among buyers who want easy access to both downtowns as well as restaurants, shops and spectacular parks. In fact, the neighborhood is bordered on one side by the shady paths that follow the Mississippi River. That’s why the average market time for all home sales last year was only 103 days, about 30 percent fewer days than the metrowide average. Buyers love the neighborhood because there’s a range of housing stock, including tidy starter bungalows, all the way up to stately Tudor-style houses that sell for more than $1 million.

Where sellers get their asking price: Downtown East

Monday May 14, 2012

In the Downtown East neighborhood of Minneapolis, which is situated along the banks of the Mississippi River, sellers got, on average, more than 95 percent of their original list price. That’s 5 percent higher than the average metrowide. This up-and-coming neighborhood that’s sandwiched between Portland Avenue and I-35W is sprinkled with cultural attractions (Guthrie Theater, Mill City Museum) and excellent restaurants. Most of the housing consists of high-end condos in either new buildings, or in rehabbed historic warehouses.