Homes

The lakefront land along Halstead Bay will be the home of a brand-new neighborhood: The Cove on Lake Minnetonka.

If there are two things that embody the essence of Excelsior, it’s community and charm. Gray Home + Lifestyle, opened in November by local mother-daughter duo Dee Dee and Chloe Lappen, offers just those things.

When professional organizer Brenda Gauvin-Chadwick bought a 1904 home on Maple Street in Excelsior in 2010, she hoped she’d one day downsize and retire there. At the time, she had no idea she’d marry—and share the home with—her husband Jim Agre, a physician at the University of Minnesota.

It feels like walking into the middle of modern dance performance. People move briskly in every direction. They all seem to know exactly where they are going. They crisscross in the hallway and side-step each other on the stairs.

A grandmother’s china, sterling flatware and delicate glassware cozy up to pots and pans in Julia Knight’s dishwasher. Clearly, she doesn’t wait for the holidays or special occasions for her kitchen or dining tables to wear their Sunday best. “I feel like, what are you waiting for?” she says.

Looking to upgrade your fireplace this winter? The pros at Fireside Hearth & Home share some important factors to consider.

For those who choose pine over plastic, December 26 marks the first day of tree-disposal season. If you’re not sure what to do with your post-season tannenbaum, here are a few tips:

We all know someone who likes to “go big or go home” with their holiday decorations each December: blindingly sparkly trees, oodles of jelly bean-colored lights, and a menagerie of knick-knacks.

Say the name “Abbott” in Saint Paul, and a likely response is, “Oh, the paint store Abbotts? Those guys know what they’re doing!”

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