This 133-Year-Old Minnesota Home Is Incredibly Charming (I Can’t Pick a Favorite Detail!)
Cullen Ormond
·8 min read
Stay-at-home mom Sapphire Anderson has lived in this three-bedroom house in Red Wing, Minnesota, with her husband, Tyler, and twin children, River and Oakes, for four years. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
The 1890s house was the first of three that the couple wanted to tour. Immediately after viewing the space, the charming details convinced them that it was the one. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
"The white picket fence and large maple tree gave us butterflies," Sapphire explains. "A picket fence and a decent-sized front yard were features I had always dreamed of and manifested!" Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
Sapphire remembers being blown away by the home's stained glass windows and experiencing the grandeur of the entryway. "The staircase banister was also something that caught our attention, as it made the entryway feel grand," she says. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
The location was also prime for their family. It's less than one mile from downtown and situated near an expansive bluff with views of a park and hiking trails. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
"We also learned that the home was built in 1890, which we couldn't believe, as the home's structure was in great shape," Sapphire remembers. Soon after, their offer was accepted, and they received the keys and the home's abstract. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
Even though the bones were incredible, the decor choices weren't letting the house's vitality shine. "The vibe was dingy due to paint color choices, cabinetry, and light fixtures," Sapphire says. "Those things didn't allow the large windows to shine and made some areas feel too closed off." Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
"Four years later, after some much-needed updates, previously loved furniture and decor additions, the home feels warm and inviting with a conversation to be had in each space," Sapphire says. "Its style is more Victorian cottage." Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
Speaking of purchasing secondhand, it became one of Sapphire's most rewarding decor challenges. "It's now become my niche," she says. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
"When I am in the process of searching for something over time, it gives me a greater appreciation for that item — especially if it comes from homes with stories to tell," she continues. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
Sapphire and Tyler renovated the kitchen first. At the time, the room had one window and an "outdated five-bulb chandelier" that didn't provide much light. Plus, the cabinets and walls were different shades of brown, which added to the dark vibe. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
The kitchen remodel was a community project. A local contractor removed the upper cabinets and installed open shelving, while a friend provided butcher block cabinets that were left over from another project. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
Sapphire sourced an antique dresser from Facebook Marketplace to use as a kitchen island. She painted it using Farrow & Ball's Jitney, and a friend gifted a slab of leftover quartz to go on the top. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
"I’ve always loved the look of marble floors, but our budget did not! So, a little over two years later, after sourcing a dupe, we updated the floor with some affordable peel-and-stick tiles," Sapphire explains. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
Initially, the far wall didn't have cabinets, so Sapphire found shelves and a console table on Facebook Marketplace and created a coffee station. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
If the home had a Zodiac sign, Sapphire explains it'd be a mix of two: Cancer (she describes it as "passionate, nurturing, and domestically oriented") and Gemini ("versatile, charming, and impatient"). Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
Sapphire doesn't believe she's broken any design rules in this house because she doesn't think design decrees are real. "I say this because I strongly believe a home is a home because of how one chooses to fill it and dress it according to their personal tastes and what works for them," she admits. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
One of Sapphire's favorite moments in her home is when the natural light drenches a portrait of James Baldwin (a source of "comfort and safety" in their home) in the entryway. The dining room windows also brighten portraits of other activists. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
The most frequently asked question Sapphire and Tyler get is where their glassware is from. It can be seen proudly displayed in this vintage Swedish cupboard. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
A view into the library, which, when Sapphire completed it, she knew she wanted to submit her home for an Apartment Therapy House Tour. "It is my main safe space and where I enjoy having my morning coffee and flipping through design books." Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
"The library and front porch are spaces I enjoy being in. I love being surrounded by books that hold beautiful stories, information, and photographs, and being able to look at the garden in the morning or evening is a joy," Sapphire shares. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
"If we wake up extra early and sit out, we can sometimes see deer crossing through the yard or up the road, which is always a special treat," she continues. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
While the library is Sapphire's happy place, the basement is the opposite. "The basement is the scariest place I've ever been," she admits. "I no longer venture down there." Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
Windows open up to the front porch where you can see the cozy furniture and native garden Sapphire describes as "a project that just keeps giving." Now, bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies flutter around the gorgeous flowers. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
Sapphire has purchased most of the porch furniture from Facebook Marketplace. Namely, the $50 wrought iron daybed to which she added mosquito netting. "Many naps have been taken out there," she admits. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
"I’d like to think that most everything I thrifted or bought secondhand from Marketplace were great purchases. To name a few, the front garden, porch, and pergola on the back deck make the home feel more like a cottage, and they’re all visible from the outside," Sapphire shares. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
"I’m at home every day, so being able to be surrounded by beautiful flowers and plants, a cozy outdoor nook I can fall asleep in, and gathering space is key and helps keep the woes at bay," she continues. Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
Thanks, Sapphire and Tyler! Credit: Sapphire AndersonCredit: Sapphire Anderson
Stay-at-home mom Sapphire Anderson has moved around quite a bit throughout her life. She’s originally from Trinidad and Tobago, but moved to Idaho when she was 7 years old. Soon after graduating high school, Sapphire lived in Alaska, Chicago, Florida, and Wisconsin. Along the way, she met and married her now husband, Tyler.
However, while living in Wisconsin, the urge to move again set in as the couple yearned to be closer to family in Minnesota. The pair knew about the city of Red Wing and thought it would be a beautiful place to live — and luckily, there were several available homes to look through.
Sapphire and Tyler narrowed their sights on three homes to tour, and they immediately fell in love with the first option — even when they were just looking at pictures of it online. It would turn out to be even better in real life.
“The white picket fence and large maple tree gave us butterflies. A picket fence and a decent-sized front yard were features I had always dreamed of and manifested,” Sapphire shares. “The front door, porch window, and main front window were adorned in stained glass, which took our breath away. There is a unique doorbell on the front door that we instantly knew we would never change if the home was to be ours!”
Once the couple stepped inside, the charming details continued to appear, like the grand banister in the entryway, the rich hardwood floors, and the wraparound porch, which was like a gem to discover, as it wasn’t included in the listing photos. The three-bedroom house was also situated close to downtown and is near a gorgeous park.
Sapphire and Tyler made an offer immediately, and it was accepted (they were given the keys and the home’s original, handwritten abstract). While the house was built in 1890 and has a long history, it’s the perfect place for the couple and their twin children, Oakes and River, to set down roots.
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