PROJECT
Treeside
Where the prairie meets the woods stands a tree. Thick-trunked, deeply textured, mossy and sheltered on its north side, sun-warmed and golden on its south. Treeside imagines the home as this same tree, evolving across two distinct directional climates that meet under one roof. To the north: dense, sheltered protection, deep rich woods, and softly rounded forms that evoke comfort and grounding. To the south: warm golden tones, light woods, and grass-like textures. Together, the two halves read as a single harmonious ecosystem, responsive to the rhythms of the day and the changing seasons.
Project Type: Whole-Home Furnishings
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Services: Interior Design, Furnishings, Procurement, Styling
The Brief: Design two directionally distinct halves of the home. One cool and sheltered, one warm and open that read as a single, cohesive story rather than two competing ones.
"Imagine your home as this tree, evolving and adapting to two distinct directional climates. To the north, a sense of dense, sheltered protection emerges; moving southward, the atmosphere shifts, embracing warm golden tones and light woods. Together, these elements create a harmonious ecosystem, responsive to the rhythms of the day and the changing seasons."
Victoria Sass
CONCEPT
THIS SIDE OF THE TREE
On the north side, the forest air is still and cool. A mossy, sheltered world of rich, plush textiles in deep piles and intriguing textures: velvets, mohairs, buttery rugs, nubbly bouclés, and soft sheepskins layered like moss over stone. Furniture takes on organic, stone-like silhouettes, quiet in form. Overhead in the dining room, a chandelier of glass bobbles and metal detailing catches the light like dewdrops on moss, while underfoot, a sculptural rug with true dimension mimics an aggregate of stones. Dark, grounding woods like walnut and mahogany anchor the story, framed by a "petrichor" palette of emerald and pine greens, dusty blues, and deep terracotta, evoking the earthy freshness of the forest floor just after rain.
Move south, and the atmosphere opens and warms. The same family of color shifts lighter and brighter. Caramel in place of brown, salmon in place of terracotta, olive in place of emerald. While blonde woods like oak and ash, some lightly cerused, replace the north side's dark walnut. Dry grassland textures inspire a grasscloth-wrapped den, woven rugs, and screens, while a hand-painted floral motif brings a touch of wildflower whimsy to a headboard or wall. The dewdrop lighting motif softens here too, its glass and brass bobbles reimagined as blossoms and petals. Connecting the two halves, a hallway ombré plaster installation captures the transformation itself in a single continuous gesture. The shifting light, the changing seasons, one side of the tree becoming the other.
