Ornament LLC

🍦I can’t not share this juicy little of our nearly complete kitchen remodel in S. Mpls… she cute y’all!! We’re nearly there on the final details and after a year+ from design to construction it’s so satisfying to remember where we started.

This sweet little 1956 mid-century rambler is in amazing shape with so many wonderful classically mid-century details including its original kitchen, down to the gold flecked laminate countertops. But, after nearly 70 (!) years in action, her time had come to be updated. She had hosted all the dinner parties she could handle…

There’s so much to tell about this project and its process, a full story will come once it’s fully wrapped and we have nice photos but in the meantime, I have to give it up to all of our amazing trades & project manager, Teddy, who really made this design come to life with an attention to the details that is often overlooked, especially at this budget. 💪❤️‍🔥 This kitchen may look simple but we utilized humble products (ahem & cabinets) to create something special and that’s not possible without skilled folks, who actually care, to bring it all to life. Mad props to you all, without you we’d just have dreams & ideas. (Most don’t have grams, those that do are tagged)

🤎 Adult acne and chapped lips brought you to by the 2025 endless hustle. Just checking in to say : hi. Thanks for being here. I haven’t had time to post anything work related or anything that screams : OMG HIRE US! But oh well! If you’re a client, I appreciate you (and I probably owe you an email!) If you’re a trade, I appreciate you! We’ll all get through this I hope! 🐣🌸💸🆒

Omg! Look, Ma, we got an office! ❤️‍🔥🎀 And we get to share it with the Capsule Gals™ ! I’m soooooo excited to fill this puppy up with books, rugs, books, desks, books, a couch and of course… laughs! And to welcome you all in for a tour! Goodbye basement, hello humongous window & natural light. 🦋Thanks to for this dopest of desks and delivery today and to the for the ever inspiring branding opportunities. 🦅 Here we go!

☯︎ 2024 : We worked with 27 homes & 1 salon this year! Our first year : MASSIVE.

We’re either in the midst of design development, in-progress construction, or nearly (or completely) wrapped with 28 projects. Incredible! We’re a *super* small team so this number honestly feels immense and kind of crazy when it’s on paper (or screen). And the truest part of it all is that it wouldn’t be possible without YOU, y’all! If it weren’t for the interest and support of this little community that’s grown this past year, and the trust of all of our clients, and the generous folks who refer us to their nearest & dearest, we’d simply not be here, doing what we do, day in and day out.

I love the corner of this weird world that’s been carved out in an Ornament shape which allows me to explore the realms I want to, meet incredible people who welcome me into their homes to sprinkle ✨ a little joy or relief or functionality into their dustier corners. And not only does this company allow me the privilege to meet and work with so many new faces, it also affords me the opportunity to go off and see my people and spend quality time with them in their homes (and maybe do some friendship pro bono work while I’m at it lol). It allows me time with my own family to explore the world. It all feels kind of insane actually, to receive the whole cake and then to eat it too… I was always told we don’t get to do that? Glad to see that’s not true.

So thank you so very much for this momentous first year. Here’s to 2025! To all the fun projects we have in store and all the people I have yet to meet. And to the next ten years and however long I get to be welcomed into homes and lives and stories. And to all the mirror selfies to come! Lol.

However long it lasts, I’m here for it, let’s have fun! ❥

❤︎

🎀 A pleasurable for you while you doom scroll in the bathroom between pie baking and turkey basting. As you’ll see in slide 6, this bathroom clearly had a sweet and spunky vision at one point but had fallen into disrepair after many years of use.

The high ceilings offered us an opportunity for an extra tall tile set in a classic cornsilk which makes the bathroom feel quite regal, if I do say so myself. The crème de la crème was sourcing the perfect deco liner tile that had to be painstaking set to match with the modern day thickness of the field tile but it was worth it in my opinion.

Re-enameling the outside of the original clawfoot tub in a dusty rose to match the vintage console sink and voila! She’s fab!

There were plans for a sassy wallpaper to meet the top of the tile but funds were low by the time we got to the end of the project and we decided it didn’t need it… maybe someday! Budgets are always real and we take them seriously. 💸


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A simple post on a simple atmospheric & snowy Wednesday appreciating the gorgeousness that is this wallpaper which we were fortunate to use on a project a couple of years back. It served as the perfect mysterious bridge between the dusty, yet punchy colorful spaces that existed in the front and back halves of this home. This pattern is from his Ripple 〰️〰️ collection which, in his own words, “…became an homage to the soft rolling lines of waves and sand dunes. Ripple behaves like a graphic print, with its reduced palette and matter-of-fact line movement.” 🌊 Perfect. I’m looking forward to the next time I get to use one of his gorgeous papers in a project. Take a look at his website for the full library. 📚

🌀I’ve always been interested in the informal nature of a space… The meandering life of a room is such a beautiful alchemy of lived experiences and outside thought. To decide to put a painting on the wall is one thing but a forgotten collection of pinecones in a corner is another. There is nothing in my nature that desires to plot out each moment in a room’s formation in specific detail, but rather, to help conjure up the surface framework every space requires and allow life to conglomerate over time. This isn’t a particularly novel take on space, there have been many to examine it better than I ever will but it’s one of many ways to approach the interior world and it’s fun to realize it’s mine.

As a result of this being a silent but guiding philosophy and my penchant for hoarding books, I realized recently that I’ve inadvertently started a library of books that all generally hold this informal approach at heart. A library of books that celebrate the people, movements, and ideas that embrace the quirk and slow spontaneity of lower case d-design. So I’ve decided to start posting (semi-)regularly about this collection… I’ve even decided to take the step and name the series in an attempt to make myself accountable to keep it going (social media consistency is not my strong suit if you haven’t noticed…)

So, welcome to “The Dig.” A series to enjoy the informal pleasures of space & place and all those who make it so.

First up is a book I found at my most recent estate sale haul, ‘Living For Today’ by Karen Fisher. This is a book that raises a glass to everyone who doesn’t let a lease or funds get in the way of personalizing their space. In her own words, “The world of the two-year lease is a demanding one, but it needn’t demand anything we don’t have or want to give ... like more time or money than we can afford. Vital materials are a good eye, a clever idea or a fresh use of somebody else’s clever idea, and the willingness to experiment. It is possible even necessary—to create a personal environment within the confines and limitations of conventional living.”

I hope you enjoy!

꩜ “Innovate as a last resort.”

“Take your pleasure seriously.” ꩜

These are my two all-time favorite quotes from the Eames’, I know I’m not alone in holding both close to my heart in my daily work. The Eames’ personal belief in these mantras is very evident as you saunter around the grounds and exterior footprint of their lifelong home, colloquially known as ‘The Eames House’ and originally known as ‘Case Study House No. 8.’

Ray and Charles Eames entered into the Case Study House program with John Entenza in 1945 when they bought (Or perhaps bartered as there’s no firm record of how much they paid for the plot) the 1.4 acres of eucalyptus lined land along the PCH in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, this particular part of the overall parcel was a fairly narrow strip ending with a direct view at the Pacific Ocean. Much of the story of this house and studio are well-known but my favorite detail is the role of Ray and how she employed these two quotes so perfectly in their design legacy…

The original approved design for the house was a joint architectural effort between Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen that consisted of cantilevered glass box that jutted out from the bordering hill, cutting the ribbon of land in half and offering the maximum view of the ocean from the west facing side of the house, a classic approach from the architect playbook… However, the build was delayed 3 years due to shortages with materials thanks to the war during which time Eero stepped away as architect, Ray stepped in. This was a pivotal delay in that it allowed for the Eames’ unencumbered enjoyment of the site itself. Picnics, lawn games, idle time staring up at the blue sky through the waxy green leaves. Ray was the one to suggest they change the plan for the house. Swing it 90° back toward the hill to mimic the existing placement of their studio. Her simple and *instinctual* edit to the architecture of the house ended up having numerous advantages to the house which were all derived from the simple fact that Ray listened to the land and the site. Thanks, Ray.

I ❤️ LA

A bit of a different post here but in observance and honor of or National Day of Truth & Reconciliation, I feel compelled to briefly highlight a history of place and home that is very hard to comprehend and is very painful to think about but which I think is very important to recognize and learn about.

Orange Shirt Day was started in 2013 in Canada as a way to spread knowledge and start conversation about the shameful history of residential boarding schools throughout CA and the US. First established by christian missionaries, the aim of residential boarding schools was the “civilize” Indigenous children by often forcibly removing or enrolling under false pretense children from Indigenous tribes across the US and CA, stripping them of their identity through renaming them, cutting their hair, disposing of their traditional dress, forbidding the use of their languages, and indoctrinating them into Anglo-Saxon cultural traditions. When met with resistance they would enforce through corporal punishment.

I can’t help by think about this history in the context of what I do. I can’t separate this truly evil *recent* history with the luxury of how I get to think about the home. Home is where you find peace, love, care, comfort ; where you feel the most You. Where you’re wrapped up in the most carnal feelings of warmth of protection. To have that ripped away from you, to be put in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar faces, speaking unfamiliar languages. To be told your Home is wrong, sinful, morally abhorrent. Imagine the heartbreak and confusion. Imagine the generational trauma. Sitting in luxury & privilege feels so uncomfortable when you learn about these true histories. But for those who enjoy comfort, it’s our responsibility to take that discomfort and use it as the catalyst to learn and share.

I’m certainly no expert in this and do not represent anything beyond my own beliefs. But here are some organizations and people who I recommend you follow, support, learn from and amplifyfy :

🌈 ORNAMENT TEE #2 ☁️

They should be printed at the end of September (by the wonderful )! 🤎☯️🌞

HMU if you’d like one! $40/shipped 🦢 SM-XL I might dye some but I might not… we shall see! (as always if you really want one but $40 is too much just holler at me and we’ll get you one)

🌈 Kids shirts next!

🌀On this lazy Sunday evening I’d love to present some appreciation for Kolo (Koloman) Moser. Born in Vienna in 1868, Kolo balanced a life in the arts from an early age when his father died when he was only 20 and he took up commercial illustration to help support his family. A decade later, he was integral in creating a new society of artists who balked at the tightly held nationalist art culture inside Vienna at the end of the 19th century, known as the Vienna Succession. Once the Succession was established he immediately launched into designing decor, as it was the Secessionist guiding philosophy to use applied arts to bring Art into the everyday home and out of the grips of the nationalist elites.

Just 7 years after the birth of the Vienna Succession, together in partnership with Josef Hoffmann, he founded the monumental Wiener Werkstätte [Viennese Workshops] which was a consortium of sorts bringing together many different artistic modalities from architecture to textiles to metal working to graphic design to woodworking to bookbinding to interior design to glassworks and beyond all with the intended purpose to make the common articles of life more beautiful and interesting but nonetheless functional and utilitarian.

Kolo was unique in the Succession and Werkstätte because of his distinctly edgy style. He was bold & experimental and applied his point of view to a multitude of forms including : wallpaper, textiles, furniture, metalwork, posters, stamps, bookbinding, and eventually once he parted ways from the Werkstätte he dedicated his life to his painting. His style took form early on marrying hard geometric patterning and distinct colors with Romanesque style.

I’ve included here the pieces that have most struck me while exploring what’s available to see (or was ever captured) of his catalogue. Punchy and confident, there’s a common thread of irreverence for the stuffy and hoarding nature of “old” Vienna which comes through in the nature of the colors, lines and forms here. Ahem, the marbled papers made me gasp. Especially slide 3…

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BBB of MN & ND: 103 newly Accredited Businesses in July BBB of MN & ND is proud to welcome 103 newly Accredited Businesses in July 2024.

🌱 When I’m getting to know someone new in my life I love an opportunity to see their home. Witnessing how someone chooses to live in their intimate space gives an insight into who they are: what they like & what they don’t like… how fastidious or lackadaisical they are when it’s just them… what colors and textures turn them on?… how do they like to arrange their things?… do they even have “things”?… layers or simplicity?… are their books organized by color, author, genre or are they stacked on the floor in no decipherable order? There are so many nods to a person’s inner self that be gleaned through walking around their home.

In so many cases we don’t get to enjoy this approved version of voyeurism when it comes to people who have made a wider cultural impact. The people whose books we have on our shelves often keep their inner lives to themselves so us everyday folks don’t get to dip our toes into their sanctuaries… but what happens when we do?

I have to admit that while I’ve always had respect for Georgi O’Keefe and known the famous works of hers, I’ve never been a diehard fan. I’ve never connected with her paintings the way some people have and I never investigated her life too deeply to understand more about her. But on a recent trip to New Mexico with some very dear and longtime friends we toured her Abiquiu home and Miss O’Keefe came to life for me.

Simple, utilitarian, sumptuous, soft, and alive, even in the absence of O’Keefe, the home inhales and exhales the lives lived in it’s walls and gives so much insight into what kind of person Georgia O’Keefe was and how she liked to spend her days, along with the people who inhabited the space with her.

Human face for the algorithm (because the alg clearly didn’t like my furniture content from the weekend 🏄‍♀️ ). Nothing too design-y or KEWT in this post but I’m EXCITED to get started on building some of these projects we’ve been designing for the last few months and wanted to get that sentiment on the grid.

There have been so many learning lessons since starting Ornament but the most surprising is how much of a mental rollercoaster it is to be in design development on so many fun things but not be building them yet! The design process can be long and (at least for me!) creativity doesn’t always just flow freely out of the creativity tap sometimes I have to dig deep to find interesting ideas.

I love construction!👷‍♀️ There is so much beauty in the process of seeing skilled folks use their craft to build these projects that the client and I have labored over, budgeted and finalized over a multitude of months. It’s the realization of the pretty ideas; it’s tactile and REAL! So it’s a huge mood boost to finally see some designs start to come into the world.

Slide two is two of Ornament’s secret weapons : Marcos & Teddy. So lucky to have them!!

🌀 I’m taking you back with this of an oldie but a goodie that still hits. This project was a design-to-sell that was going on the market at the end of the covid craziness so we could take a few more chances with the vibe because let’s be honest, the market was wild. ☄️ 

This 1929 Mediterranean has classically dignified bones but had been subjected to quite a few gallons of grey and white paint. It was lacking the lustre & oomph it deserved. Cue the color, baby! 

We all have our own personal color wheel of favorite hues and admittedly “gem tones” aren’t usually the colors that rise to the top for me, but once I learned from my clients that the home’s exterior had originally been decked out with mossy green clay tiles on the roof and hunter green trim (at some point replaced with the more commonly seen terracotta red 🫠) I became drawn to that spectrum. 

I went through multiple iterations; borscht pink, garnet red, burnt clay orange, indigo blue but the original leaded glass window panel in their front door was the ultimate inspiration (slide 5). Sports team colors be damned (a secret mission to reclaim those color combos), I dove in with saturated gold, purple, green & a hint of super dark aubergine 🌈 all woven together with a flush creamy white. 

Add a flirty splash of in both bathrooms and voilá : !

These clients really trusted in the process, while it wasn’t choices they would have made for themselves they understood the vision and (minus a tiny panic attack when the painters started spraying the goldenrod all over the entryway 😇) kept an open mind. They even made curtains for the stairwell from some Indian block print fabric we found. 

💕 Whether it’s a monster project for the home you never want to leave, a smaller refresh for a home you just bought or help smoothing out some of the rough corners to get your home ready for market : is your one stop shop!