AT HOME
indoors
alk about patience. Ned and
Susan Blankenship kept a
salvaged pair of wooden doors
in storage for a decade,
waiting for the right spot to
use them. Now they’re pantry
doors, and conversation
pieces, in their kitchen.
Attention to—make that love for—vintage
architectural detail shines through the 1938
home in Edina, Minnesota, which the
Blankenships renovated, mostly themselves.
Horizontal-plank walls, thick moldings, and
period light fixtures give this suburban two-
story all the charm of an old farmhouse.
Susan’s clean decor complements the simple,
substantial architectural details they built in.
To accomplish her quietly country look,
Susan keeps wall and furniture colors neutral
and lets texture, not pattern, do the talking. In
the living room, she pairs nubby linen sofas
and woven shades with the cool smoothness
of gently fluted pottery and painted furniture.
Using pale colors throughout gives each
room, and the whole house, a cohesive look.
So does Susan’s ability to make choices.
“I do estate sales and tend to drag a lot of
stuff home,” says Susan. “To keep the house
from getting cluttered, I move something out
whenever I bring in something new.”
That restraint shows in the dining room,
which is furnished simply with a galvanized
metal-topped table, an old painted cupboard,
and a subdued show of platters and pottery.
Conspicuously absent are fussy window
treatments, heavy patterned rugs, aggressive
color combinations, and shelves full of
collectibles—elements that would have taken
off the sophisticated edge.
“The key to the house is that it’s not too
busy,” says Susan. “It’s almost spare, but
there’s still personality there.”
3 8 JUNE 2008 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
