Mary Lahammer, a Minnesota native with tight blond curls and an ebullient, rapid-fire way of speaking, is a political reporter for Twin Cities Public Television and co-host of “Almanac.” Chad Flynn, a Brit with tousled black hair graying at the temples, is a quiet antiques dealer with two spaces at the funky, eclectic Hunt and Gather Antiques in south Minneapolis. Opposites, it seems, do attract.
But this husband and wife both love sports, gardening, decorating and collecting antiques. Together they’ve created a daughter, Bayliss, and a home that celebrates their passion for collecting and interior design. “Blending the old and new is our whole philosophy of decorating,” Lahammer explains. “That’s how we achieve a high-end look without spending that much.”
When they custom-designed their builder home in the south metro, “the English manor feel is what we were going for,” Lahammer explains. From the formal gardens and cascading fountains out front, the heavy front door opens to a grand entry with high ceiling, dark woods and sweeping curved staircase watched over by oil portraits.
But while they were loving the Old English look of their home, both Lahammer and Flynn had second thoughts about their home style when they had a baby. “We thought, ‘Well, we have our aesthetic, which is pretty formal’,” says Lahammer. “So how do we bring a child and her toys into that?” They were nervous about having Bayliss grow up solely around antiques. “When I was a kid, I got so tired of all that old stuff,” Lahammer admits. “I craved new, contemporary, shiny.”
So Flynn and Lahammer decided to create an entirely different aesthetic in their basement: sleek, sexy, mid-century modern. That’s when they called in long-time friend/designer Jim Hanson, who had helped them create their front-yard landscape. Hanson, who typically works with clients as a broad-strokes consultant offering both half-day and full-day rates, helped Flynn and Lahammer sculpt the space and focus their finishing choices.
“I’m really good at seeing how a space should lay out,” says Hanson, “so I was able to help with their space planning, with the positioning of the walls. Then, when they had many of their flooring and wall color and fabric choices narrowed down, I helped direct the final palette. Unlike a lot of designers, who want to work every detail of a project from beginning to end, I prefer to work with homeowners who are actively involved; then I can come in and, as an affordable consultant, help them make decisions about the most effective materials and colors.”
The mod basement features “a high-low thing,” according to Flynn. “We paired vintage furniture with IKEA and Target finds, and added some key classics like the caramel leather Barcelona chair and the four ’60s Italian chrome director chairs.” On the walls, the couple created a family portrait gallery, mostly of the couple’s parents from the 1960s. “Here’s Chad’s mod mom in her mini-skirt next to her Mini Cooper,” Lahammer laughs. “That’s what this room is all about: hip, mid-century, modern.
“We knew we could do the old, so we challenged ourselves to do the new,” Flynn adds. “Upstairs is all about layers and collections. Downstairs we pulled back and really edited ourselves.”
“In spite of our love of European antiques, we did this because there’s a part of us that is modern,” Lahammer emphasizes. “We’re still a young vibrant couple with a child, and we love the modern things in life. We’re not old fuddy-duddies.” +
ABOVE: Mary Flynn and Chad Lahammer have no fear of 2-year-old daughter Bayliss “wrecking” the English antiques. “It will all survive her,” says Flynn.
ABOVE, RIGHT: Lahammer and Flynn, with Bayliss, swapped European antiques for a clean, mod aesthetic in their recent basement remodel. The couple worked with designer Jim Hanson to choose cork floors, a glass-tile fireplace surround, and a mix of vintage and IKEA furniture.
ABOVE, LEFT: The two-story red library holds the couple’s collections of English trophies and sporting goods.
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JIM HANSON Designer/Consultant 763.213.9903 Assists clients with space planning, landscaping and a range of interior choices on a half-day or full-day basis.
HUNT AND GATHER 4944 Xerxes Ave. S. Minneapolis 612.455.0250 An antiques store with 25 discrete booths jam-packed with barkcloth, rustic accessories, English antiques, cottage furnishings, ephemera and more. METRO TIP: Parking is typically available in the lot adjacent to the store.
JENNIFER HARTWIG 952.261.7681 Provides custom textile pieces for homes; her specialty is bedding and intricate pillows with button or frog closures.