While we continue to stay home, our personal spaces have become more important to us than ever before and are worth recognizing. In the coming weeks, we will be appreciating the living spaces where interior designers, business leaders and other notables are spending their time these days.
Chris Plantan is a multi-talented designer based in the Twin Cities. In 2003, she founded high-end office supplies company after leaving a career as an architect. After selling the company in 2009, she cofounded West Emory, where she designed products for such retail brands as Nordstrom, Target, J.Crew, Crate & Barrel, and Vineyard Vines. This week, Plantan shared with us her elegant, inspiration-filled home.
Photography by Victoria Campbell
What’s your approach to design when it comes to your own living space?
My approach to design has always served me well: If I like it, I use it. There is always a place for those pieces or objects that catch your eye. I have never been one to shop for a specific item or shop out of need. So when it comes time to furnish a room or design a new space, I always have a treasure trove to pull from. It’s also a great excuse to acquire — something I am working on. I almost added the word “apologetically” working on, and I thought otherwise. I love what I collect!
What are some of your favorite decor, design or architectural elements in your home?
We have two wood-burning fireplaces in our home, and not only do they provide warmth, but they are focal points of the rooms. The living room is always arranged around the fireplace, and we gather around it winter and summer. The second fireplace is in the master bedroom library. It too is the focal point of the room and a special place to spend quiet time. It’s one of the best features of the home.
How did you approach the design of your home?
This is hard to admit, but I didn’t really have a plan. We each carry a memory of a beloved home, and many times, those special details have nothing to do with the design strategy. But for those details to mean something, the home needs to flow from room to room so the transitions are smooth. I don’t want anyone to struggle with different-looking decor in each room. So I would have to say, my strategy is keeping the home like a canvas: smooth, neutral and ready for work.
Home means everything to me. Most importantly, it holds memories and speaks volumes. Unimportant details? Hardly. For family homes are built around these essential little nothings that create a sort of footbridge between generations.
Photography provided by Chris Plantan
What’s your process for finding pieces for your home?
With a small older home, we are always rearranging rooms. I find myself always needing something new. Sometimes the solution is from another room in the house. I have never been successful heading out the door with a list of pieces I need. I seem to find them when I don’t need them. It’s like the proverbial perfect outfit: You don’t have one when you need one, but you stumble upon the most lovely pieces when you have no need or time to think about it. I am trying to learn to just grab the piece when I see it and trust that it will work in someplace at some point.
For instance, I purchased a topiary giraffe at a benefit auction many years ago. You can imagine the questioning looks from my husband and the delight it brought the children. It’s not every day that you have a six-foot-tall green giraffe delivered to your home that you have to water occasionally. However, it has been a fixture in our sunroom ever since, and the neighborhood children affectionally call this the giraffe house.
If you could add one design item to your home, what would it be?
It would be a book. I think I would like to become a librarian for my next career. Not only do I love to read books, I also love stacking them, touching their spines and fondly placing them in my favorite places. Second place is a topiary tree; every room, tabletop or desk just looks better with one.
Photography provided by Chris Plantan
Do you have a favorite room?
My favorite rooms are those with vast amounts of sunlight. The warmth and diffused light gets me through even the dullest of days. No matter the decor, everything looks better with natural light. I would have to say our sunroom is my favorite room. It is just off the living room and has full windows on two sides. They are old windows, and it converts to a screened-in room when weather permits. When we bought the house, there was lovely yellow wool carpet in the room, and I have vowed I will replace it again and again with… yellow wool carpet.
What room do you spend most of your time in? How does this room serve you?
With a smaller home, I use all the rooms. But right now, it’s the dining room. It looks out over the gardens and has wonderful light and an awfully big table. This table ends up serving as a desk, a project table and finally a great place for meals.
How are your personal spaces bringing you comfort or joy right now?
The familiarity and the function of my spaces are bringing me comfort right now. I, like everyone, have had some time to look at things differently. I have cleaned closets and organized piles. Not only is the end result a sight to behold, but the process itself was therapy. I am so fortunate to have such a love affair with my home. I adore it!
