Winning Rooms from the 2006 ASID Showcase Home Peoples Choice Awards

Each spring, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine lures lovers of beautiful homes to the annual American Society of Interior Designers Showcase Home Tour. We supply tour guests with a ballot and ask them to tell us what they loved about the home—this year a 12,000-square-foot historic Tudor Revival on Lake Minnetonka. The private residence and carriage house were open for four weeks of tours, which helped raise money for Second Harvest Heartland, Corner Stone, The Jeremiah Program, and the Junior League of St. Paul. For those who didn’t get a chance to see it or those who want to savor the vision of the English Cotswold cottage–style home a little longer, we present to you the results of this year’s poll.

>>Best Lighting
Dining Room
Ramsey Engler Ltd.
Laura Ramsey Engler, Leah Palmer Johnson, Joan Hoffman Berglund, Angela Novak Pederson, Bonnie Anderson, Matt Muenster
The designers sought an atypical solution to the commonly used center chandelier. Since the dining table is not centered in the space, the obviously asymmetrical installation was de-emphasized with a trio of blown-glass lanterns in varying sizes. The extra-long table also benefits from the broad coverage of light. The designers then selected the unusual “facing pair” of scrolled sconces that reflect the softly curved shape of the lanterns, yet are bold enough to flank the grandly scaled mirror. The lighting beautifully accentuates this artful, inviting space.

>>Favorite Gathering Space
Family Room
Eich Interior Design
Bonnie Birnbaum Interiors
The family room nestles perfectly next to the kitchen, informal dining area, and outdoor patio. Though it’s an open space, it’s tucked in a cozy corner surrounded by windows and French doors—with views of the lake—that flood the room with light. The room is grounded with hand-scraped wood floors and topped off by exposed rough ceiling beams. The design team chose soft, subtle, elegant fabrics in warm reds and golds that maintain the English Cotswold–style integrity. But it’s the balance of the traditional, comfortable, not overly decorated furnishings that makes the space inviting—one easily used for predinner cocktails as well as weekends with children in swimsuits and family pets.

>>Favorite Bathroom
Master Suite
GunkelmanFlesher Interior Design
Karen Kinsella, Martina Willegalle, Nicki Johnston
A major remodel transformed the master suite into a deluxe series of spaces befitting a home of this grandeur. The easy-to-move-about bathroom—including dual sinks, a free-standing claw footed tub, a separate shower, and a niche for the toilet—divides the walk-in dressing room from the bedroom and seating areas. The walnut cabinets, wheat-colored carpet in the closet, and travertine tile in the bathing area are earthy and warm. Finishing touches such as the handwoven rug, iron-finish sconces, and other décor blend the masculine and feminine and harmonize beautifully with the décor of the bedroom.