Romancing the Home

by Alecia Stevens

Photo by Alex Steinberg

When Linda and Michael Krelitz bought this slightly shabby, turn-of-the-twentieth-century home on Lake of the Isles a few years ago, Linda had a file cabinet full of tear sheets and a head full of ideas. Her vision: more chic than shabby; more modern than “Old World.” She also knew she wanted to lighten up the rooms and evoke romance and tradition. To pull it all together, Linda—owner of Linda Krelitz Interiors—teamed up with Lucy Penfield of Lucy Interior Design, and Charlie Simmons and Dan Nepp of TEA2 Architects in Minneapolis. The team worked their magic to create this romantic, modern cottage living room.

1. Bones -

Since the original home was separated into dark, sullen spaces, the Krelitzes worked with Nepp before a single piece of furniture was ordered. The star of the show is the light. The architecture is the vessel. Nepp pulled the rooms together with elegantly scaled wainscot, casings, and a coffered ceiling. White millwork, dark ebony-stained floors, and white walls with soft blue undertones create an ethereal palette for the furnishings.

2. Lighting -

The team decided to forego lamps in this room. Concerned that vertical lines and lampshades would obstruct the view and dilute the mood, they planned recessed lighting. “I really didn’t want lamps,” Penfield says. “I wanted each piece of furniture to feel like it is sculpture dancing in the room.”

3. Layout -

Because seating should encourage conversation, Penfield deftly pulls the pieces in and around the large Ming-style coffee table that was custom made by Three Pagodas. “We wanted it to feel like a French salon,” Penfield says. Not one to worry about an off-center fireplace, she realized people are the point here.

4. Neutrals -

Plain fabrics never go out of style. The transitional white linen sofa and creamy linen lounge chair look as fashionable today as they would have five years ago or will five years into the future. In large rooms, especially, big blocks of neutral color help fill the space while keeping it calm and providing a modern flair.

5. Accessories -

With a background in fashion, Linda accessorizes a room as if she were finishing a daring outfit—a splash of vintage here, a chunk of modern there. Here, she and Penfield used glamorous materials and finishes, such as the embroidered silk pillow from Victory, the vintage crystal chandelier, and a gilded antique tub chair covered in white silk damask. Altogether, the mood is simply romantic.

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