Justin Tollefson
photo by gibeon photography
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would you live? This dream changes every time I travel…but right now it’d be on a Catamaran. The Bahamas, Greece, Baha is where you might find me. Calm seas, blue waters.
What are three words to describe your style?
· Neo-Rustic
· Efficient
· Friendly
Tell us about your childhood bedroom? It was in a dormer of an arts and craft house in Minneapolis. My father renovated the interior space and it was 70’s modern all the way…white on white, minimal, and sculptural. The contrast to the details in the main level and exteriors was vivid.
What’s the first investment piece you ever bought for your house? I think I’m still trying to find it honestly. I’m too frugal? My favorite pieces are things people I know have made for me…our dining room table fabricated by Wil Wilkins (FireSong Forge in Conner, MT) is among the most meaningful.
In the history of design, if you could hire any designer other than yourself, who would it be? My wife…literally hiring her to design our house would be amazing.
No room is complete without something old and something new.
People think of me as pragmatic, but I am really a romantic.
Things you omit from:
· A flower arrangement: Moisture. I like dry arrangements!
· An hors d’oeuvre platter: Norovirus.
· A bar cabinet: Too much light.
A song for:
· Dinner at home: “Mariella” by Khruangbin w/ Leon Bridges
· Working at your desk: “Marinade” by DOPE LEMON
· Going for a run: “Shoulda Known” by Atmosphere
Biggest Vice? Gummy Bears
If you were on an Ambien high and internet shopping, what would you buy? Probably a new hat from Brixton…so many hats, so little time. Brixton Headwear for Men and Women
Do your clothes reflect your design sensibility, if so, how? Yes, I think I’m equally casual in both. I like vernacular, context matters to my decisions, and I think clothing and buildings should both look and be warm.
Who is your star crush? Beyonce!
What is the thing you would never do on a project, but don’t detest when you see others do it? Go over the budget
If there were a fire, and you could only keep one design book, what would it be?
I have a Monograph on Tadao Ando, that Ando signed, sketched on, and gave to me when I met him back in the early 2000’s. A great book with ink on it from one of the ultimate architectural legends.
For posterity, what would you like your work to be known for? Being timeless. I’d hope that you can’t date it and that my clients’ children’s children enjoy it as much as they day we created it.
photo by audrey hall
A Few Favorites:
Movie: The Goonies.
Book: Probably one that I’ve never actually finished; Moby Dick. I like knowing the challenge is just waiting for me, and that I’ll need to start from the beginning (again).
Scent: The forest after it rains.
The fabric you always come back to: Flannel. I’m an architect living in the mountains, so I don’t really get to put a favorite fabric into projects…I just wear it.
Dream project: Ski Huts in Taos, NM.
Meal: Poke with an IPA on a beach.
Drink: Dark ‘n Stormy…preferably before the poke.
Travel Destination: The Bahamas
Artist: Right now…Damon Albarn. The musical span he’s stretched between Blur and Gorillaz is so fabulous. And I’m just in awe of collaborative construct that Gorillaz is.
A cause near and dear to me: Broadly speaking, land conservation. I’m surrounded by real estate development personally and professionally everyday which is very interesting and exciting to be involved with. But we need to do it right and protect wild spaces with more vigor.
Thing to collect obsessively: Trucker Hats
Era in the history of design: Next year
Museum: Castelvecchio Museum in Verona, Italy
Paint Color that always looks great: Antique White. I like “real color” to come from other elements in design.
Favorite person to follow on Instagram: Jimmy Chin. If not for Beyonce, he’d be my crush.
Dogs, Cats, or No Pets? Dogs…Swedish Vallhunds are my four legged besties.
