By Erica Finamore / Photographs by Clettis Wright / Styling by Alison Hoekstra
YOU’D NEVER KNOW it from looking at these pics of her home, but Patti Wagner didn’t grow up decking the halls. The designer was born in Laos and left the war-torn country with her family when she was very young, staying in refugee camps in Thailand and the Philippines before eventually settling in the U.S. when she was about 7. Once here, they lived in rentals, which her parents didn’t think of as theirs to decorate. “I remember always looking around and wanting to put stuff on the walls,” Patti says. That desire (and a love for the beautiful rooms she’d see in magazines) inspired her to study interior design, which led her to a job as a product designer for Target. When she and her husband, Brian, bought their 1927 Tudor in Minneapolis in 2011, she was more than ready to make her mark on the house, filling each room with clean midcentury pieces, textured neutrals, and vintage artwork (see more on Instagram at @patticakewagner). At Christmastime, she enlists the help of their three children—Ava, 9; Olivia, 7; and Jack, 5—and amps up the cozy by incorporating garlands, fresh wreaths, and lots of little touches. “It’s been this amazing tradition that grows more and more every year,” she says, welcoming us in for a tour.
The door is original to the nearly 100-year-old home and one of Patti’s favorite features. With a rounded top and hammered-iron hardware, it doesn’t need much to make it feel special. A simple twinkly wreath does the job.
Outdoor Winter Evergreen Foliage Wreath, from $129; balsamhill.com
Just off to the right of the entryway sits the dining room, with a classic walnut table and comfortable—and very wipeable—leather seats. For the holidays, the table gets set with mixed-and-matched gold-colored candlesticks, pink glassware, and a vase overflowing with berries and pine. Side note: Can we talk about those arched doorways?!
Tate Mid Century Dining Table, from $1,499, and Cullen Shitake Sand Round Back Dining Chairs, $499 each; crateand barrel.com Loloi Rumi Berry Rug (similar to shown), from $248; houzz.com Mimi Thorisson Italian Hours Glass Pitcher, $48, Aurora Candlesticks, from $20, Ramona Coupe Glasses, $56 for 4, and Mimi Thorisson Italian Hours Wine Glasses, $56 for 4; anthropologie.com Classic Blue Spruce, from $299; balsamhill.com
When the Wagners moved in, the house had a tiny galley kitchen, so they converted the garage into this open, light-filled cooking and gathering space. It features durable terra-cotta tile, polished granite and Carrara marble counters, and cupboards that mimic the original built-ins, which appear throughout the house. The Christmas spirit appears in big ways (the giant fir-and-eucalyptus bouquet) and small ones (the bottle brush forest on the counter).
Left: Vito Industrial Loft Hand Wrought Antique Brass Iron Counter Stools, $349 each; kathykuohome.com Perrin & Rowe Georgian Era Bridge Faucet with Sidespray, $3,032; perigold.com Above: 28" Whitney Rug Runner (similar to shown), $69; rugs.com Wondershop Sisal Bottle Brush Tree Set, $10 for 6, and Mixed Greenery and Cedar Wreath, $30; target.com
In Minnesota, winter hits hard, so the must list includes boots, snowpants, layers upon layers, and mudrooms! Patti outfitted hers with a bench (for removing those boots), an absorbent floor runner, and woven bins to hold hats and mittens. Seasonal elements include pretty and functional red-accented velvet throw pillows and a slim garland and wreath—nonintrusive, so kids and grown-ups have plenty of room to shimmy in and out of snow gear.
Wondershop 22" Mixed Greenery, Pinecones & Red Berries Wreath, $20, Hearth and Hand with Magnolia Decorative Metal Entryway Boot Tray, $50, and Brightroom 13" Decorative Coiled Basket (white), $16; target.com Everyspace Recycled Waterhog Runner, from $99; llbean.com Eastern Accents Uma Velvet Colorblock Pillows (similar to shown), $130 each; wayfair.com Real Touch Norfolk Pine Garland (similar to shown), $62; afloral.com
What do you do when you have an awesome fireplace but no mantel? If you’re Patti, you turn to Etsy! This cedar ledge was custom-made and is now home to a brass mirror year-round, and to a berry garland and crimson tapers in December. The neutral sofas are dressed up for the holidays with velvet pillows and thick mohair throws.
Outdoor Eucalyptus and Berry Foliage Garland, from $259, and Classic Blue Spruce, from $299; balsamhill.com Christenia Velvet Pillow Covers (similar to shown), $32 for 2; wayfair.com Fern Brushed Mohair Throw (similar to shown), $425; landsdownunder.com Antique Log Holder, $59; etsy.com for similar
Every year, Ava and Olivia’s room gets a holiday makeover with a mini faux tree and seasonal bedding (both of which pop against the sophisticated blush paint color the girls picked out). The iron spindle beds look vintage but are actually new. Of course, they’re empty at first light on Christmas morning.
Dakota Alpine Tree (similar to shown), $199; arhaus.com Pink Ground No. 202 Paint, $130 per gallon; farrow-ball.com August Grove Cliffrose Metal Beds, $157 each; wayfair.com Comfort Spaces Cotton Flannel Twin Sheets, $28; amazon.com