Center of the Holidays: Dining Room Styles

It's the time of year for warm gatherings, holiday cheer, delicious meals, and making memories with family and friends. At the center of all this joyful merrymaking is the dining room. No matter what different traditions each family celebrates with, almost all of them culminate in sitting down together for a beautiful dinner.

While dining room styles have evolved a lot throughout each era, they will always be a mainstay of most floorplans. It doesn't matter if you prefer a traditional and formal space or an open and relaxed atmosphere; we all need a place to eat each day.

The diversity of lifestyles and preferences that we see among our clients is one of the fascinating parts of what we do. We've created elegant classic dining rooms, kid-friendly eat-in kitchens, and everything in-between! The bottom line is, much like there's no right or wrong way to celebrate the holidays, there's no one ideal dining room design. It's all about what works for you

.In honor of the holiday season, we've pulled together a bunch of our favorite spaces for celebrating. Take a look, and comment below on your most beloved festive foods and family traditions!

The Power of Art in Home Decor

Building a custom home is about expressing your lifestyle through design. One phase of the process that especially allows our clients to discover their distinct taste is when they begin choosing their home's decor. This last layer of furniture, textiles, pillows, lamps, accent pieces, and artwork is where a house starts to feel lived-in. Our vacation souvenirs, family photos, treasured heirlooms, and quirky collections tell the stories of who we are and how we spend our time.

We love when our clients find pieces that spark their imaginations and speak their values. One of our favorite ways to bring character to any space is with original artwork. No matter your level of investment or style preference, there's an artist out there somewhere that will fit the bill. If you're just starting to build your art collection, we highly suggest browsing local galleries, college shows, maker markets, or studio spaces. Minneapolis, in particular, has a thriving creative community. You never know, you might find the next Ansel Adams at your neighborhood art crawl!

Above all, when it comes to finding artwork for their spaces, we encourage our clients to have fun. Art's greatest power is its personal and subjective nature. Focus on selecting pieces that interest you, challenge you, make a statement, awaken strong feelings, or reflect your idea of beauty. An eye-catching painting or print can also supply a color, pattern, or another design element that's missing from your space; artwork provides visual balance.

Ready to begin curating your own art collection? Explore the many ways our clients feature artwork in their homes below!

Faces of Pamela Park: Jill Emmer

One of the best parts of gathering ideas for our Faces of Pamela Park series is discovering all of the fantastic people who call the neighborhood home. This month, we're thrilled to showcase the work of talented local photographer, Jill Emmer! Jill's journey as a creative professional is unique and inspiring; she uncovered her passion for photography while documenting her family's life on Instagram.

As a mother to two young sons, Jill felt sentimental about savoring and remembering her boys' childhood. However, she also found herself drawn to photography as a creative outlet as well. After starting her Instagram account, Jill quickly saw her followers increase (as in from 6,000 to 100,000 in just a year!) and from there, different partnerships began trickling in. She purchased her first DSLR camera, taught herself how to use it, and launched her career as a professional photographer!

Jill's beautiful photographs are incredibly playful, heartfelt, joyful, and even a little magical at times. She's inspired by bright colors, humor, and the tender moments in life that we all want to hold onto a bit longer. Her work has led to collaborations with major brands like Chaco Footwear, Leinenkugels, Explore Minnesota, and the State of South Dakota tourism. Additionally, Jill does family and senior portrait sessions, documents local events like the annual Art Shanty Project, and is the Progam Director for Art of Edina. She founded Art of Edina to bring more community art into public spaces - keep an eye peeled for their projects the next time you're visiting Southdale, the Galleria, or Braemar Arena!

Jill's favorite funny story about the lengths she'll go to for a fantastic photo was right before her family's week-long South Dakota road trip. To capture the fun drone image below, she laid out all manner of travel paraphernalia in her front yard and drove her minivan right up on the grass to get it in the shot. Everyone was ready and in position except for her older son, who then arrived home on the school bus and looked slightly mortified at the strange scene. She'll never forget his expression when he stepped off that bus and saw her van, the stuff, and his family all in the yard with a drone buzzing around overhead!

When she isn't traveling or taking killer photos, Jill and her family make the most of life in Pamela Park. They moved to the area almost five years ago when her oldest son was about to start kindergarten, Jill Googled "Best School in Minnesota, " and Edina was where they went! Besides the top-notch schools, Jill and her husband enjoy the mix of urban and suburban life in Pamela Park. They love having a big yard for their sons and the proximity to shopping and parks, while only being a ten-minute drive from an event or dinner downtown.

On Saturday mornings Jill can often be found cheering on her boys at their different games, and grabbing a quick celebratory donut at Jerry's afterward! As a family, they're all about long walks around the lake at Rosland Park, golfing at Centennial Lakes, and bowling at Pinstripes.

We want to thank Jill for chatting with us about her work and the neighborhood; it was so fascinating to learn more about what goes into her amazing photos! If you want to be swept away by more of Jill's whimsical art, be sure to check out her website and follow her on Instagram.

Fall Festivities: Family Events in Edina

Sweater, scarf, and pumpkin spice latte season has arrived in the Twin Cities! Once the leaves begin changing and crisp temps follow, many of us start itching to get outside and enjoy some festive fall fun. If you're looking to sip hot cider, visit a pumpkin patch, or just enjoy fall family time in the neighborhood, we've compiled a list of activities and events below!

Farmer Ken and Jan's Pumpkin Patch
Technically this event takes place in Linden Hills, but Lake Harriet is only minutes from Edina, right? Bring the whole family to take a ride on the historical Minneapolis trolley car, and head home with a Halloween pumpkin! This event is ideal for young families, the trip isn't too long, and kids get to see a real train up close in person! Details: October 14 &15 starting at 12:30 pm

50th and Frace Pumpkin Fest
This year is the 35th anniversary of our annual Edina tradition! Bring your little ones for a day of trick-or-treating, face painting, bouncy houses, petting zoo animals, and carnival games. And don't forget to stay through the end of the event for the costume contest, which is open to kiddos and four-legged friends! Details: October 21st starting at 10:00 am

'Not So Scary Halloween Party'
Kickoff Halloween as a family with this kid-friendly party at Edinborough Park! Little ones up through kids age twelve are welcome to trick or treat, play games, and make masks with Edina Art Center staff. Event admission fees include access to Edinborough's indoor play areas. Bring the kids to run off their energy and have fall fun without worrying about any spooky surprises. Details: October 27th at 6:30 pm

Terror Trot Halloween Race
Come as a family to break a sweat for a good cause! This 5K, 10K, and Kid-K race takes place at Lake Harriet and will raise money for Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota. The event is Halloween themed, so bring your most clever costume for a shot at winning a prize! Details: October 28th beginning at 9:00 am

Braemar Field Family Nights
Every Saturday evening through April 2nd, Edina's Braemar field/dome is open to families in need of some active and athletic fun! Bring your balls or sports equipment and stage a family football playoff game, walk or run laps around the track, or hit some home runs in the batting cages. Details: Saturday Evenings at 6:30 pm