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Home Sweet Studio

Studio with futons and a coffee table.
We were able to partner with AllModern to help us furnish the space, so pretty much anything cool you see in these pictures is probably from them. ✨

TWO YEARS. This post has been almost two years in the making.

On November 1st, 2015, we got the keys to a stunning studio space in Minneapolis with 12 large windows and 3,000 square feet of original hardwood floor, brick, and exposed beam ceilings. It was incredible.

Dog laying on the floor in an empty office space.

Also: incredibly overwhelming.

This studio is literally three times bigger than the livable square feet in our small 1940’s house, and we moved in with exactly zero pieces of furniture to get us started. Bjork and I had never had a physical office before besides our kitchen table at home. It was a dream – but a dream that didn’t quit, considering we needed to reconfigure the space for new light fixtures, “walls”, and electrical stuff in the kitchen.

And the process still hasn’t ended even after six months, twelve months, and now almost two years of set-up.

I have been waiting to do this “reveal” until we were totally ready – you know, the day when you finally feel like everything is just perfect and your ultimate vision is finally achieved. But – surprise, surprise – we’re two years into our lease and that day has yet to come. I look around at this industrial-meets-modern-meets-practical space and I feel a huge sense of pride, and I can also easily spot anywhere from 750-1,000 outstanding projects that still need to be both started and finished. It’s beautiful and I love it AND I still have so much more I’d like to get just right. Gah. Is it just perfectionists that struggle with this?

There’s probably a lesson in there somewhere – something about how it’s the journey and not the destination? even in interiors, design, and the creation of a space? But that sounds too serious. This post is not to talk about lessons.

This post is to throw open the doors and say (finally, after two years), GET YOUR BUTT IN HERE AND HAVE A LOOK AROUND, FRIENDS!


Kitchen

Industrial kitchen space.

Obviously the most important place in the studio.

This is a hard-working kitchen that puts out at least 3 if not more like 4-5 recipes per week. There is recipe testing for blog posts, ingredient prep for videos, and lots and lots and lots of eating. The kitchen is probably the most locked in in terms of style – all credit to the chalkboard sign with the handwritten recipe for Magic Green Sauce (thanks, Heidi!) and the moose head on the doors which we still haven’t named yet.

I really, really love this studio kitchen.

Kitchen Style/Decor Favorites:

Lindsay holds a frozen chocolate popcicle in one hand.
Industrial kitchen.
Kitchen space.
Wooden spoons and kitchen items on a white shelf.
Industrial kitchen.
Woman chopping produce on a cutting board.
Chemex coffee maker on a counter.
Industrial kitchen.
Lentils in a jar.
Industrial kitchen.

Offices

Two women working in an office.

Our offices are all super open-concept, meaning that we’re tucked up into corners or against walls but no one really has a walled-in OFFICE office. So when I say “offices,” I guess I just mean the desks that people work at. It’s nice because we’re a small and friendly team, but it’s also not nice when you need something to be quiet or you don’t want people to hear you recording a podcast (Bjork), and tutorial video (Alana), or a nerdy Instagram story (Lindsay). Maybe someday we’ll build out real walls so people can have some alone time when they need to get right down to work, but for now, we’re making it work.

Speaking of offices. If you’re wondering if Sage has a little “office” next to my desk where she works as Chief Lazy Girl of the office, the answer is yes. If you’re wondering if she ever just kinda leans her head out of her ACTUAL HEATED DOG BED to get a drink of water without even standing up, the answer is omg yes and you would die laughing if you could see it. What a gem, that girl.

Office Style/Decor Favorites:

Woman sitting on a desk with a dog in her lap.
Industrial desk.
Cookbooks.
Woman taking photos in an office space.
Dog drinking from a metal bowl.
Woman sitting in a chair in an office.
Industrial office space.
Painted jar with markers.
Women working at desks.

Common Areas

Metal carts filled with cooking and baking supplies and containers.

Common areas is what I’m term-ing the remaining 2,000 square feet that is divided into either more desks, more meeting tables and chairs, workshop space, lounge areas, or video and photo shoot spaces. If you could see the whole thing you’d know that there is some division between these spaces (i.e. the doors hanging up behind my desk area, or large shelves acting as walls) but a lot of it just flows openly from one area into the next.

The downside of this is that sometimes it’s nice to have things formally divided.

The upside is that we can be and have been super flexible in our use of space. For example, when we host events – a branded dinner, a Christmas party, a workshop – we move tables and chairs and couches and use the space differently.

Other Favorite Style/Decor Favorites:

Women looking at a computer.
Camera taking a video of food.
Sitting area in an industrial space.
Women working to make a recipe video.
Kitchen utensils.
Women sitting at a table working together.

The Team

Of course, the studio tour isn’t complete without a shout-out to the people who fill it.

There’s Jenna, Office Manager and Organizer of All Things:

Woman sitting in a chair smiling.

And Alana, Video Specialist and Teacher of Video Stuff on Food Blogger Pro:

Woman taking a video with a camera.

And Krista, Shoot Assistant and Resident Hand Model Babe:

Woman cooking in a kitchen.

And Bjork, Ultimate Tech/Biz Nerd Who I Am Perpetually Crushing On:

Man smiling in a kitchen.

And me! Semi-Awkward Lover of Food and Stories and Photos and YOU.

Woman with her hand on her hip in a kitchen.

And duh. Sage – Chief Napper and Security Guard of Studio. (Answers to Sagerooney, Roontoons, Tooney, and Toons-Balloons).

Dog closing her eyes.

That’s it! Studio tour complete!

Thank you so much for checking in and now may I offer you a chocolate chip cookie or some chips + magic green sauce? You know how we like that sort of thing around here.

Huge thank you to AllModern for helping us furnish and transform this wide open industrial space into something usable and beautiful and all-around awesome.


P.S. If you want to come hang out at the studio with us and practice food photography, sign up for our workshop email notification list!

Filed Under: Life

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55 Comments

  1. Pinch of Yum Logo

    If I could work in a beautiful space like that, I would never want to go home. Wow!!! It is a dream come true. I’m a whiz with data entry so if you ever need help I’ll do it for free!! I’m just 45 min away.

  2. Pinch of Yum Logo

    What a dream! I wish I could take all my foodie pictures in there! I mean…I’m with Jo…I’ll come work for free any day!! Haha. 🙂

  3. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Ummm #1 this is gorgeous. #2 I’m gonna need a link to that heated dog bed. Shout out to people who spoil their pets in a weird way; you are my people. 🙂

  4. Pinch of Yum Logo

    awww <3 this literally makes my day, feel like it has been FOREVER that we have been teased with little amazing glimpses of you gorgeous space! Happy to see the final (even if not so final) touches 🙂 Definitely need to check out All Modern, since I am digging ALL THE PIECES.

  5. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Absolutely beautiful! What a warm and yet functional place. I love All Modern. And, that fridge! Is it vintage? Very, very cool. Thanks for sharing! I think Sage deserves a raise!

  6. Pinch of Yum Logo

    absolutely stunning! You have a great eye for creating a warm, inviting place! I’m glad you remembered the MOST important spot – for the Chief Pooch Sage!

  7. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Um, can I come work with you?? What a BEAUTIFUL space!!! Love the mix of modern and textures and organization 🙂

    And I love that Sage really runs the roost! If I’m ever in MN/STP I’m coming to visit!

  8. Pinch of Yum Logo

    What a gorgeous space! I would feel totally overwhelmed decorating a space that large but you did an awesome job! Looks like such a fun place to work 🙂

  9. Pinch of Yum Logo

    What a beautiful space you’ve created there! Totally reflects the blog’s fun personality. Lots of ideas and inspirations for a cool office space.

  10. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Wow Lindsay! The studio looks incredible! I remember walking into the studio for the first time on November 1st 2015 when it was just empty space! Congrats on making those dreams come true. I gotta come back one day to experience the studio in all its glory!

  11. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This is such a fun post! I love everything about it, but I laughed out loud for joy at that picture of Sage at the end! It’s a PERFECT summary of her job description! Thanks for giving a serious burst of happiness to this Monday!

  12. Pinch of Yum Logo

    SO beautiful! You’ve done a fantastic job! I’m in love with the couches – AllModern I assume? Do you remember the specific style?

  13. Pinch of Yum Logo

    It’s a beautiful renovation. Congratulations! But the best part are the pictures of you two smiling.

  14. Pinch of Yum Logo

    As your studio neighbor, it’s been awesome watching your space come together! What a beautiful space. I definitely have office envy. 🙂 Thanks for being great neighbors!!

  15. Pinch of Yum Logo

    So very happy for you guys! The space looks amazing! Ok, you’re probably getting tired of reading that but it’s still true.

  16. Pinch of Yum Logo

    This was wonderful to read and view Lindsay. In Hong Kong, space is limited and you really need to shed out the $,$$$,$$$,$$$ for decent accommodation/office space, let alone a gorgeous studio for all the purposes you are using yours for! Very inspirational and a great motivator for me because I’m currently where you were when you started POY (possibly slightly a bit ahead thanks to Food Blogger Pro & Team! 😉 ), but I’m even MORE motivated now to keep charging on after viewing/reading (aka drooling in front of my laptop!) this post!

    Gorgeous photos of the furniture/set up and the awesome team!

    PS: I ABSOLUTELY 100% ADORE the rug under the Harvest Coffee Table! 😉 xx

  17. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Lindsay, I am coming to see you in a few short weeks for a photography workshop and I can’t wait!!! I am on a roll now to declutter!!! Thanks for the motivation!!!

  18. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Question – are the plants real or fake? Loving the tulips and bunches of greens.

  19. Pinch of Yum Logo

    What an awesome studio, wonderful place to go to work, I’d say! And may I add that I love your writing. So full of humor and style. Not to mention wonderful recipes. I’m a big fan.