Home Tours 2009: Anne Cashill and Jose Vido | South Minneapolis

They got married in Rio de Janeiro and took their last vacation in Italy. But Anne Cashill and Jose Vido’s true piece of paradise is their 1911 stucco two-story near Lake Harriet. “Because I work in New York and come back to Minneapolis on weekends, I wanted this to be our fun country house in the city,” says Cashill, who is vice president of merchandising for the popular accessories brand Coach. She and Vido—president and owner of MorningStar Coffee, which is served at top Twin Cities restaurants and sold at Kowalski’s—set about renovating the home shortly after they were married. “It was interesting as a newly married couple to embark on a significant project like this,” Cashill says. “At times I was like, ‘Impasse!’”

For the most part, the two were on the same page. They wanted a large kitchen and more bedroom and bath space, but they didn’t want to lose their home’s classic cottage style. “At many points, our builder said it would have been easier to tear the house down altogether, but we wanted it to feel like it really fit into the neighborhood,” Cashill says. “The façade stayed within its original form.”

Yunker Associates Architecture’s Martha Yunker and Bryan Carpenter (now with Alchemy Architects) doubled the home’s square footage while remaining sympathetic to the landscape. Brazilian teak floors and pale wall colors finish most spaces and subtly connect with Vido’s Brazilian heritage. “Even though Minnesota has a cooler climate, you can have a feeling of light and airiness and all things optimistic,” Cashill says.

The process proved enjoyable. “I’ve been collecting home magazines for the better part of my life,” Cashill says. “If I had a second career it would probably be in interior design or architecture.” But here, she appreciated passing tear sheets to the builder, Structural Image, and a host of custom craftspeople.“It’s so important for me to compliment all of them,” she says. “Everyone saw our vision and worked cooperatively toward solutions.”

Brad and Roger Asp, who built the fireplace mantel in the living room and the cabinets in the kitchen and library/TV room, worked from photos from Cashill’s British magazines. “They were spot-on with every detail,” she says. Simone Stoilov did the metalwork, including the custom console table in the dining room, and Maureen Lyttle applied the delicate gold leaf to its surface. “I love that we have so many artisans in the Minneapolis area, and that they’re so hugely talented,” Cashill says. “The house is 98.9% exactly what we wanted.”