Southwest Minneapolis Dining Room and Kitchen

PROJECT: Dining Room and Kitchen
LOCATION: Fulton neighborhood, Minneapolis
DESIGNER: Paul Stepnes, paulstepnes@gmail.com

Filling small rooms with function and style is old hat for designer Paul Stepnes. But his skills were recently tested by a handsome Southwest Minneapolis bungalow, the third 1924-built, small-scale home he has owned and renovated.

One of the best examples of how he treats space is seen in the clubby dining room. “I don’t like dining rooms to be wasted most of the time, so this also serves as a library,” Stepnes says, noting that he often reads, works, and listens to music here. The round Theo Alexander table, which he found at International Market Square in Minneapolis, features the kind of drawers typically found in a library table. Leaves allow it to accommodate up to 12 people, all of whom can relax in upholstered seats while Stepnes works in the adjacent kitchen. Even after dinner, guests will often linger in the space.

An antique Persian rug with a Heriz design, purchased at Navab Brothers in St. Louis Park, warms up the floor. A lantern purchased at International Market Square illuminates the room from overhead. “I’m not a big chandelier kind of guy, and I like how the lantern gives the room character,” Stepnes says. Even though the fixture is new, a chinoiserie design painted at the top gives it an antique look.

Draperies made with a Ralph Lauren floral fabric and walls painted Ralph Lauren Library Mahogany envelop the dining room with a warm country French look that complements the home’s other key spaces. By using dark colors in a small space, Stepnes says, “You’re not as defined by the walls—like when you go outside at night and it’s really dark. And they pull the outside in during the day so that you really notice the light and colors.”

The kitchen’s design elements further the country French style. “Look at the limestone countertops and floor, the oil-rubbed bronze faucet with the porcelain handles, all of the hardware, and the green cupboards with the beadboard backsplash,” Stepnes says. “It’s a very French provincial look.” The 10x14-foot kitchen is also full of function. By closing off an unnecessary doorway (it was one of three), Stepnes made the room far more efficient. “It gave the kitchen more of a butler’s pantry quality with a lot of counter space and room for a dishwasher,” he says. Other features help with this space-stretching endeavor: The designer planned a bank of upper cabinets with seeded glass doors that reflect windows on the upper wall and worked a plate rack into cabinets above the sink. “It looks like a drying rack, which is very provincial,” he says. “But it’s great storage for platters and everyday plates, keeping them easy to grab when you’re cooking.”