Farmhouse Fresh

The first farmhouse in Minneapolis’s Kenwood neighborhood, built in the 1880s, is now the home of Leslye and Eddie Phillips and their eleven-year-old twins, Hutton and J. J. Originally positioned to overlook acres of farmland, the house sits perched high on what is now Mt. Curve Avenue. To accommodate the Phillips family’s busy life of work, school, tennis, piano, baseball, softball, and golf, the house has been updated over the years. Leslye worked hard to give the home a fresh twist while keeping the integrity and character of the historic farmhouse. Throughout the house, rural touches in the furniture and décor serve as reminders of the past.

New and Old  
The house had been renovated eighteen years ago by Elizabeth Hyatt, a previous owner. When the Phillipses moved in eight years ago, Leslye wanted to warm up the all-white interior so she redecorated, enlisting the help of interior designer Billy Beson. “You can see it was done in winter,” she says of the cozy, inviting space with wooden furniture and rich reds and creams throughout. “I like a mix of things, rustic and old antiques.”

“Like me,” adds Eddie. “I’m rustic and old.”

Location, Location  
From the Phillipses’ prime Kenwood spot, the family can walk to their favorite restaurants—Auriga, Lurçat, Campiello—and the Walker Art Center. They frequent Isles Market and Deli for ice cream, “the highlight of the kids’ day,” and circle the lake to the dog park for Shadow, their golden retriever.

Family Ties  
It’s no surprise that Eddie is a family man, considering he started in his greatgrandfather’s liquor business, Ed Phillips & Sons, in 1969. Eddie started his own company, Millennium Import LLC and is the creator of Belvedere vodka. (Eddie’s mother, Pauline, was Dear Abby). Eddie’s son Dean (from a previous marriage) is the president of Phillips Distilling Company, a spinoff of Millennium. Away from work, Eddie is just as crazy about his clan. Dean lives three doors away and Eddie’s other grown son, Tyler, works downtown, so family get-togethers are frequent.

Mixers  
“There’s always an air of informality when we entertain,” Eddie says, adding that regardless of the menu, parties are full of “casual people in casual attire.” Whether it’s a sit-down dinner in the dining room or barbecuing on the patio, he’s often playing bartender, sometimes mixing new cocktail recipes the company has created for its brands. “It’s fun to use friends as focus groups,” he says.