8th Street Geometric Charm

[House #1 of Tour]

Story by Jon Bennett
Photography by Dan Francis Photography

If you’re like me, you love driving down historic South 8th Street under a canopy of trees admiring how unique each home is. This month we start out by inviting you inside a 1939 Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home that was built with only three materials - brick, stucco, and wood.

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Years Ahead of it's Time

This eye-catching exterior is composed of mostly straight lines and squares, complete with a flat roof which is not very common for this area. Once you acquaint yourself with this home, you may notice a few circles, mainly in the portal style window in the original front door. To continue the style, the homeowner has added a circular shaped firewood holder next to the front door. Continuing our tour of the exterior, a glass block wall was added around the front patio to mimic the original windows in the living room. What was once a garage in the front of the home, has been converted into a large dining space with patio doors, and a larger garage added in the back of the home in the 1980s, as cars and families have gotten larger.

​Main Floor Layout

Upon entering the home, you are greeted by the art deco style stairway with a unique railing made of curved teak wood supported by hand carved teak details. For those of you who have wondered what the tall, square corner windows on the exterior bring light to, its the bright and open staircase. Bringing the geometric exterior inside, these floor-to-ceiling windows flood the stairwell with gorgeous sunlight during the day and showcase the pops of color from the fun and whimsical artwork. The majority of the interior is white molded plaster and pine wood with color added from bright furniture, artwork and fun accessories. The living room has a wood-burning fireplace with built-in shelving and storage, adding to the charm and complimenting the south facing windows flanked with original glass block. Off the living room is a unique curved window wall, perfect for a sitting area for added space to enjoy morning coffee, or after dinner cocktails. The kitchen, like the rest of the home, is mostly white with a textured stainless steel backsplash and a mid century modern-inspired table and chairs, which was inspired by the movie The Bridges Of Madison County.

Moving Up

This staircase is a must see! I could spend countless hours on the landing looking out to the yard and the beautiful canopy of trees. Each year, red geraniums fill the window box at the bottom of the windows, giving the simple, clean exterior a pop of color. The upper level hosts a large master suite, a bedroom turned bathroom with a walk-in style shower with Caribbean blue tile, and my favorite part, the round soaking tub. With so much creativity, another bedroom was turned into a walk-in closet. This isn’t your ordinary closet - it's actually set up like a boutique, giving ample space to get ready and feel like you’re shopping each time you get ready for the day. Remember those portal windows I mentioned before? There is another one in the boutique style closet, including one used as a one-of-a-kind laundry chute. 

Laundry Chutes should make a Comeback! 

I mean, who really likes carrying so much laundry from the second floor to the basement? In today's busy lifestyle, why not save some time and reinvent the laundry chute. This beauty ends up in the basement, which you may have guessed, is just as much fun as the rest of the home. Covered in black and white tile and some graffiti style artwork, this space is also showcases fun clothing from her former downtown boutique, SHANNALEE. 

When Life gets Busy, take a Break.

Many of you likely did some shopping at SHANNALEE in downtown Fargo when it was a popular boutique filled with unique, designer clothing for men and women, sassy greeting cards, and great smelling candles.  Shanna decided to pivot in 2019 and now uses her downtown space at 313 Broadway for monthly pop ups, a forum for speakers, and a space that anyone can rent out for events such, as dinner parties, business meetings, family gatherings, and art events. For more details on this space in a prime downtown location on Broadway, right across from The Fargo Theatre, please visit www.shannalee.com ​

Rent SHANNALEE boutique by day or week to:

• make money
• entertain
• market your business
• educate 
• or celebrate! 

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