Home & Design | Inside Her Comfort Zone

Just about anywhere your eyes land in Sapphire and Tyler Anderson’s Victorian cottage, there’s a story to be told. From the statement-making crystal chandelier in the dining room right down to the smallest details, including the brass knobs on the cabinets in the kitchen, Sapphire’s face lights up as she retells how and where she found the objects. For example, she picked up an $8 bag full of brass knobs at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore in the Twin Cities, not knowing at the time how she would use them. “I had them sitting around for so long, and then when we painted the cabinets gray, I thought, Those round knobs would look perfect,” she says.

Details matter, Sapphire says, to ground her 1890s home. Originally from Trinidad, Sapphire moved to the States when she was 7. She developed a taste for décor while rearranging her childhood bedroom in Idaho and later outfitting her Chicago apartment on a budget. After she and Tyler moved to Red Wing during the pandemic, the couple had twin sons, who are now busy toddlers and occupy much of their free time. “I’m here all day,” Sapphire says. “I have a lot of anxiety being in other places, and I just feel safer here. I feel at peace and am comforted.”

Through design books, Sapphire discovered a kinship with British decorators, especially ones whose English country style leans toward layers of collected objects with history. “I like that they appreciate where things have come from,” she says.

The furnishings that Sapphire is drawn to are a mix of some new pieces—like the Lulu and Georgia slipcovered sofa in the living room— with vintage and antique items that she largely sources from Facebook Marketplace. Her collections include white serveware displayed in an antique Swedish cupboard, and she’s always on the lookout for weathered wooden furniture and wrought-iron lamps.

The Andersons’ historic home  is also a source of inspiration, with its original wood floors, stained glass windows, plaster walls, and ornate millwork. “Tyler and I didn’t want a cookie-cutter house,” she says. Structurally, the house was in good shape when they bought it, so they concentrated their efforts on renovating the kitchen (with the help of local contractor Bjorn Bang) and continue making upgrades as they have time.

Their front garden is now a focal point with a white picket fence that Tyler and a neighbor restored last year. Sheer curtains on the front porch provide privacy for afternoons with a book. “I’m always out there in the summer,” she says. “That’s my space.”

Sapphire’s gems

“If it doesn’t tell a story or add any character, I’m not going to have it,” Sapphire Anderson says. “I love a good maximalist home and feel that’s where ours is headed, but I want to make sure the things I’m bringing home are well thought out and will last.” Here, she shares some objects that define her style.