Meet the Lower Level Designers
Lounge, Home Theater, and Wet Bar
The Lower Level of the Pillsbury Castle would have been used as coal storage in the early 1900s. Original brick and bulky pipes span the walls and required much-needed remodeling. All of the brick and wood paneling was kept. Cement floors were converted into wide plank wood flooring, and arches were framed with black iron glass doors.
Entering the lower level offers a myriad of gems throughout. The new stewards of the home plan to use this floor for entertaining where guests can choose their own adventure. We begin with the Lounge, Wet Bar, and Home Theater all designed by Julie Tuerk, Allied ASID, of Julie Tuerk Interior Design. Vujovich Design Build Inc., was up for the task of remodeling these two rooms.
Spacecrafting Photography - Photos of the Wet Bar, Lounge, and Home Theater circa June 2023
Julie Tuerk Interior Design is a full-service interior design studio, specializing in residential and boutique commercial design. With expertise in various design disciplines, JTID guides clients through the entire design process from concept development to punch list. While offering services including space planning, finish and material selection, furniture and decor sourcing, project, and construction management, JTID maintains the highest level of client service.
Approaching each project as a new adventure allows the client, designer, architect, and builder to work as one team, collaborating to create truly one-of-a-kind spaces that reflect the unique vision of each client. Personalized, thoughtful design lends an ease to daily life, a goal for each and every JTID project.
The Lounge in the lower level of Pillsbury Castle is a perfect blend of tradition and personal style. The brick walls, curved hallway, and arched pass-throughs provide an authentic period backdrop to showcase the owners’ sharp design sensibility. The vision was medieval sophistication for the modern era, with an avant-garde touch. The Home Theater is designed to be both functional and sophisticated, seamlessly connecting to the adjacent Lounge. It serves as a perfect spot for entertaining guests and cozy family movie nights with speakers cleverly hidden within the leather wall and ceiling pane.
Renderings by Julie Tuerk Interior Design
Billiards Room & Speakeasy
The Billiards Room is the very room that the Pillsbury Castle was built around. Alfred Pillsbury had a taste for history and would settle for nothing but the best for the home he’d spend his life in. Deconstructed in England and shipped over to the United States just for Alfred, this 17th-century English Library features original millwork and a hand-carved plaster ceiling. Shane Spencer, Associate ASID, of Spencer Design Associates, and David Wehrspann, Associate ASID, of Abitare Design Studio had the unique challenge of designing the space around this iconic structure. They also designed the hidden speakeasy that lies behind a security vault door that Alfred used as his private drinking room and gallery for his famous Asian Art. Remodeling efforts were executed by the team Vujovich Design Build Inc.
Spacecrafting Photography - Photos of the Billiards Room and Speakeasy circa June 2023
Abitare Design Studio has long been a destination for contemporary furnishings, but it is the level of expertise they deliver time and again that keeps clients coming back for their originality and creativity. Their mission aligns with Shane Spencer, who they partnered with on these spaces. Spencer Design Associates is an Interior Design firm specializing in high-end residential and boutique commercial development projects for interior design in Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City, and Greenwich, and select locations within the U.S.
Transforming the historic library into a modern Billiards Room, designers seamlessly merged opulence with comfort. Luxurious furnishings and custom fittings breathe new life into this timeless space, creating an inviting ambiance for entertaining. The billiards table becomes the centerpiece for friendly games, while intimate seating arrangements by the fireplace provide a cozy retreat. Remodeling involved restoring the quartered white oak wall panels, all built without the use of nails.This old-world hole and peg mortise and tenon joint system date back 7,000 years. As needed, wall panels and millwork were repaired or replaced using salvaged materials from the home.
To the right of the Billiards room lies a vault that uncovers another one of the Castle’s secrets. The Speakeasy reinvigorates the former Vault Room of Alfred Pillsbury’s magnificent Asian Bronze Collection which now lives at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. A breathtaking barrel vault wall was installed for depth and interest setting the tone for this masculine abode. Oak and stone flooring were carefully restored beneath the bespoke furnishings. This opulent lounge exudes sophistication with a stunning dry bar, an elegant crystal chain chandelier, and luxurious Italian furnishings. The space is a harmonious blend of global allure, featuring custom-designed items produced locally.
Renderings courtesy of Spencer Design Associates and Abitare Design Studio
Lower Level Entry
A compact yet one of the most important parts of the home, the Lower Level Grand Entry was beautifully designed by Katie Brandt, Associate ASID, of Katie Brandt Interiors. This is where the homeowners will come and go while setting the tone for their day. Vujovich Design Build Inc. mindfully remodeled this room honoring the historic brick while working to make it more functional for today’s busy lifestyles.
The Lower-Level Grand Entry has transformed into a space that truly reflects its importance and elegance. With its location next to the tucked-under garage, this area serves as the main entry point every evening and the departure spot every morning. The designer was inspired by the original emerald green tile in the entryway, pairing it with black cabinetry that beautifully contrasts with the original brick. The strong, dark cabinets are complemented by elements of unlacquered brass and glossy handmade floor tiles.
Photos of the Lower Level Entry circa June 2023
Katie Brandt Interiors is a full-service interior design firm built upon bringing together the elements of comfort, beauty, and function. With over 35 years of experience, Katie has worked on homes all over the country and has a passion for creating beautiful, personalized spaces. She loves working with her clients to really get to know how they live and uses that to inform the design of their projects. Providing a truly collaborative experience, Katie works hard to make sure her clients are happy with the end result. She thrives on the challenge of creating unique spaces that will be enjoyed by her clients for years to come.
Secondary Staircase
The back staircase spans all four levels of the home, each floor with its own flair thanks to Kristen Sheikh from Bruit de la Mode Inc. Once used as the back staircase for employees of the Pillsburys, it is now reimagined as another access point for the homeowners and guests to navigate from floor to floor. Two remodelers were involved in the staircase including Vujovich Design Build on the Lower Level and J3 Renovation and Design on the 2nd Level.
Spacecrafting - Photos of the Secondary Staircase June 2023
When asked about the meaning of her unusually named Interior Design firm Bruit de la Mode, Inc., Kristen always likes to explain. “It’s slang that translates from French to ‘the gossip of fashion’, which pretty much encapsulates my world,” she says. To Kristen, the gossip of fashion means the collaboration, the variety, and the inspiration of what makes the world interesting, beautiful and unique - via clothing, art or interior design.
After expanding her design company from Washington, D.C. to Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, Kristen is creating beautiful spaces for clients with her design aesthetic that is fresh, innovative, and elegant. It is paramount to her that the client’s daily functionality needs of space are met in every design she does. Highly experienced in renovations/remodel projects, Kristen’s strength in space planning creates stunning new environments beyond her client’s expectations.
Honoring Alfred and Eleanor Pillsbury’s love for Chinese bronzes and jade art, the designer drew inspiration from a Chinoiserie mural. A serene water-lily scene with tones of muted green, blue, and charcoal serves as the primary focus of the secondary hallways and stairs throughout the Castle. For a modern twist, Kristen paired this mural with a dark gray and white carpet cut as a stair runner. The eclectic collection of art and design in these areas pays tribute to the vast array of Archaic Art the Pillsburys collected and donated to the Minneapolis Institute of Art.
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