What do you get when you mix collectibles from many eras and cultures into one stylistic stew?
You could easily end up with visual indigestion.
But collectors Jamie Becker and Wayne Beauchemin have found the recipe for blending Asian, Russian, Mexican, French, African and Scandinavian artifacts into an artfully balanced melange.
"It feels like a European house," said Becker, describing the Minneapolis home that they've filled with finds collected over the decades. Becker has made more than 50 trips to the continent, many during his career in visual marketing for Dayton's, Marshall Field's and Macy's (he's now retired), where he scoured French flea markets.
"We're both Francophiles," Becker said. "That's been the inspiration. In Europe, people have a mishmash of ethnic influences."
Their dining room, for example, features an antique Irish farm table, a Tibetan chest, Russian biscuit tins, Chinese figures, French pottery and Swedish glassware, as well as pieces by contemporary artists.
That's this month's dining room, at least.
Becker and Beauchemin alter their decor frequently, rotating pieces in and out of the lineup, and accenting with a revolving gallery of Becker's own paintings. "We move our collections so much -- about three times a year," he said.