Rich and Carrie Higgins, Minneapolis

Last update: November 4, 2009 - 12:24 PM

His space: A basement bar with a Gaelic accent, dubbed "Collier's" in honor of its origins as a coal storage room. At 6 by 12 feet, "it's the world's smallest Irish pub," Rich said.

Her space: A Country French-inspired sitting room/office directly above the pub. Carrie was seeking a female-friendly oasis inside the 1918-built house, which has square lines and Mission-style furniture. "I love that look, but it's not very feminine," she said. For her room, "I knew I wanted it very different, without a man's touch at all."

Starting points: Carrie's room had an abundance of windows and natural light, while Rich's had "great architectural details," including an original exposed brick chimney still tarnished with coal dust, said Jennie Korsbon of RCC Interiors, who designed both rooms.

His look: Personalizing the space was important to Rich, a golfer, skier and connoisseur of single-malt Scotch. The wood for the black-walnut bar, designed by Jeff Nicholson of Quarter Sawn, came from a tree on the Higginses' property. Stained-glass windows with a Celtic knot design are a nod to his Irish heritage, and a mirror, with the pub's name etched on it, gives the space a vintage vibe.

Higgins decorated his pub with personal mementos, including a golf trophy won by his grandfather, ski passes dating from the couple's meeting in Colorado, a 1939 bottle of Scotch from the QE2, framed cards picturing Scotland's whiskey distilleries, and "Lance the Monkey," a stuffed-animal relic from a ski shop Rich once managed. Korsbon contributed an antique Collier's magazine cover that she came across at a garage sale. "Everything he has in here has meaning," she said.

Her look: Carrie wanted sunny yellow walls for her space. Small-scale furniture, floral fabrics, white-painted woodwork and pink and green accents give the room a fresh, feminine feel. She has a comfy chair for reading or talking on the phone, and a writing desk for letters and thank-you notes. "At one point there was a TV, but I nixed that," Carrie said. "It's not what the room is for."

Lifestyle impact: Rich's pub has become a favorite spot for entertaining a few friends before or after a sporting event or dinner party. "Ladies are welcome," he said. "In fact, sometimes my wife will say, 'Why don't we have appetizers in the pub?'" Carrie's room offers the mother of two young children a quiet sanctuary. "Nobody [else] ever comes in here," she said. "It gives me a place where no one is encroaching on my things. It's a very cool little room."

KIM PALMER

RICH AND CARRIE HIGGINS, MINNEAPOLIS.

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