Features & Interviews · April 21, 2024

This Minneapolis Designer Swears Her Office’s IKEA Desks Have Stood the Test of Time

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Visiting a someone’second workspace is similar taking a peek within their brain. Whether it’s at home or inwards an fine art studio, Nice Work explores where creative people make all of their, well, creating, so that you lot tin bag their on-the-clock mode.

Name: Victoria Sass

Occupation: Principal and interior designer, Prospect Refuge Studio

Time I kickoff: I similar to go upwardly early (about v a.thousand.) in addition to get a petty operate fourth dimension inwards before the family starts stirring. After breakfasts together with buses, I mightiness ringlet into the studio well-nigh ten a.k.

Time I clock out: I try to shut the laptop by vi p.k. almost days. Maybe I selection it upwards an hr some inward the evenings afterward dinner.

red dining chairs

Most important affair on my desk: A coaster for my beverages.

What’second on the walls: Tapestries by Megumi Shauna Arai, hooks past Elizabeth Parker of Blanche Jelly, a landscape picture past Ginny Sims, too some inspiration pinboards of scraps we are loving on.

Current creative fuel: Working outside of Minneapolis. I love when I go to pass a few days sourcing in New York City or Los Angeles, or visiting our current projects inward Kansas and Chicago. I too had an amazing trip to Israel with around pattern colleagues last month. People summation places are where it’sec at for me.

purple sofa

What I turn to when I’m stuck: We go on a adept provide of books at the studio, many of which are untapped resources. I’1000 a firm believer that it’sec healthy to take around books around that y’all haven’t read nevertheless for when you demand to run into something spontaneous and novel—specially cookbooks. 

How I rest organized: Project baskets and clear plastic Velcro folders. I also live by my Monk Manual—it helps me proceed my to-do list focused in addition to concise together with reminds me to practise gratitude in addition to reflect at the end of the twenty-four hours.

sculptural conference room table lighting

Ideal function lighting: We similar a warm, glowy mood. Dimmable overhead lighting punctuated by sculptural accents that function equally fine art. Our conference lighting is a piece from our Ontologia collection, a collaboration alongside Hennepin Made. The globes are removable, so you tin home them on the tabletop for a candlelight vibe. We as well take pieces past Céline Wright as well as Allied Maker.

red chairs around dining table

Conference tabular array I convene about: Our electric current conference table is a collaboration betwixt PRS together with local makers Elijah Neumann of NEU Design, who crafted the triple-barrel base of operations, and Brian Grabski of Designed & Made, who helped us brand the inlaid marmoleum tiptop with a ribbed walnut border ring. A few 1960s scarlet chairs by Rainer Schell circular out the whole state of affairs. 

Caffeine I run on: Coke Zero. Actually, I’thousand a large beverage mortal, too there’s a time and home for everything. Three espressos showtime matter inward the forenoon, followed past my outset Coke, and so it’second a Spindrift with lunch. After dejeuner, [I’ll take] another espresso and some other Diet Coke, or if I’thousand out at an afternoon meeting, it’s belike a matcha latte or a craft mocktail. 

painted wood kitchen cabinets

Biggest splurge inward this infinite that was so worth it: Commissioning artist Tara Austin, who applied rosemaling to our kitchenette cabinets. 

wood desks

Biggest salve that I’d recommend to anyone: IKEA woods drafting desks alongside sawhorse legs. They accept stood the exam of fourth dimension!

Preferred soundtrack: My day progresses musically along amongst my beverages. Mornings are classical, to repose into things a chip. Then it’second probably about ’70s land rock when I arrive the studio (CCR or Rolling Stones). Later inwards the afternoon, nosotros power get into approximately Hank Mobley if I involve to period, or Dominic Fike if nosotros are working on a shoot or brainstorm session. We have a pocket-size merely mighty record collection at the studio.

copper lamp next to sofa

Local artist featured inward our space that I can’t get plenty of: Bobby Rogers. We take a beautiful portrait of his inward our front lounge infinite that is my favorite place to take a Zoom telephone call.

desk in front of book shelves

Book on my shelf I’one thousand constantly pulling out to present clients: The Steven Gambrel monograph. [There are] then many beautiful, complicated, too fascinating details inward his function.

red chairs under yellow arch

Paint selection that had the biggest bear on on the infinite: We had a picture mean solar day at the studio together with painted our K archway a vivid xanthous. I intend the colorway is XXX. It was kind of spontaneous; nosotros balanced it past painting our prop shelves, a modular blueprint paradigm we’ve kept about, a truthful cerise carmine.

Key to making an office experience homey too welcoming: Art. Real, personal, preferably (only not solely) local fine art, too a few plants. Caregiving is of import inwards a workspace. We ask then much of it, yous have to reach back a petty if you desire to form a true human relationship amongst your environment.

Things I Can’t Work Without 

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Preserved Oranges Dark Chocolate, Casa Bosques ($22)

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Le Pen, Le Pen Store ($2)

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Le Patch Incense Paper, Ponsont ($24)

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Large Filippo Bag, Yvonne Kone ($i,170)