Downtown Minneapolis

Keyvan Talebi

Warm and welcoming easily describe Keyvan Talebi at work. “I’m passionate about personalized service and making sure people have memorable experiences,” he says. One of the original and current owners of hot spot Bellanotte, he also owns The View at Calhoun Beach Club, Crave at Galleria, and reVamp! salonspa in Uptown. “Crave has been extremely successful, and we’re excited about growing it,” he says. “The next store will be opening up at the Mall of America soon, and other locations are in the works.” Considering his businesses are design successes, as well, it’s no surprise that design plays a key role in his penthouse condo at The Carlyle in Minneapolis, where he’s lived since its completion four months ago. “It’s just breathtaking,” he says. “At times you feel like you’re at the Ritz–Carlton.”

Serendipity helped Talebi land the penthouse address. His girlfriend, Laura Schara, a TV host and fashion trend expert for Macy’s who also serves as the fashion producer for Macy’s Glamorama, received a marketing piece about The Carlyle in the mail, and she loved the way it looked. “She said, ‘Keyvan, you need to take a look at this new development. It’s very New Yorkish and has a hip look,’ ” remembers Talebi. The pair went to check out the building’s open house, or so they thought. “We had the date wrong and found out the grand opening was for the following Saturday,” Talebi says. But that day they also learned from an office staffer that they may need to get in line the night before to pounce on one of the penthouse units. “I thought, ‘What, are you kidding me?’” Talebi says. “Sure enough, a week goes by, and I drove by a tent they’d set up for the next morning and a few people were there with backpacks. They were going to spend the night there!” Talebi paid a kid to wait in line for him, then returned at seven the next morning. “There must have been 300 people outside,” he says. “It was a frenzy.”

Talebi’s spot in line helped secure the prime unit he now calls home. “There’s no doubt that I have a passion for beautiful views,” he says. Complementing the dramatic view (the penthouse offers commanding views to the south, east, and west) is a dramatic interior. Working with Riehl Designs and sister-in-law Sara Talebi, he overhauled the floor plan, creating a circular entry and improving the traffic flow for entertaining. He and the design team also layered the space with elegant finishes, including mother of pearl on the entry walls, and fixtures such as Murano crystal chandeliers in the living and dining rooms. “Lighting is vital for me, and these fixtures are works of art themselves,” he says. As with his businesses, the effect is exquisite. “The sensory stimulation really does make people feel good,” he says, “and I really wanted that experience throughout my place.”