Photographs by Chad Holder
sofa coffee table
Curate the Chaos: Key to homeowner Rachel Egeberg’s airy and artful rooms is rotating a small assortment of books, puzzles, and games stored in baskets and on shelves outside of the playroom. “One of my jobs as a parent is to be a bit of a curator,” she says. “We live in a time of such overwhelm; the options can be exhausting for kids.” Another tip? Slipcovers. “People ask how we can have white couches with kids,” Rachel says of the IKEA sofas. “I have had two sets of slipcovers in the past 10 years, and they just need to be washed.”
On a breezy summer afternoon, Rachel Egeberg’s house swells with chatter and giggles from four young girls running barefoot in and out of the front door. Only two of the girls are Rachel’s daughters, but that’s pretty typical—her airy Northfield home often fills up with visiting friends and family, which suits the ebb and flow of the house, too. A neutral backdrop highlights earthy colors and natural textures through cotton, linen, and woolen pillows and throws and through pieces that withstand (or are mended after) spilled nail polish remover and fort-making.
“I usually just let things go, then when the kids are off to school, I do a quick half hour and put it all back together,” Rachel says.
In a way, she says, the home’s breathability is like her work as a massage therapist and abstract artist. “I like having a blank slate so that all of life and creativity can happen all around and it feels like you can start each day fresh,” she says. It also helps, she adds, that her daughters, Sonja, 10, and Kate, 5, have a playroom upstairs and a closet full of art supplies in the den. “I’m a big compartmentalizer. Our art cupboard right now is crazy, and I need to go through the girls’ dresser drawers and playroom, but you can’t ever have all of the spaces perfect,” she says.
“I like a calm, quiet, blank slate so that life and creativity can happen around it.”
—Rachel Egeberg
Living in Northfield, just blocks from the St. Olaf campus, also helps keep things simple for Rachel and her husband, Adam Hoffmann. The couple have been living in the college town for about 15 years, having moved there from St. Paul for Adam’s work at Carlson Capital Management. They bought their 1880 cedar shake home several years ago after writing a letter to the previous owner, who finally called the couple when she was ready to sell.
“I don’t think this town could exist without the colleges—there’s an element of worldliness that the schools bring to town, but there’s also so many farmers and families who have lived here forever, and the town draws so many creatives,” Rachel says. Still, special outings to the Twin Cities are a must for date nights and shopping trips. “It makes you live a little more creatively when there’s not stuff to consume all the time.”
Other nights out happen on Fridays, right in the family’s neighborhood, when they go across the street for dinner at The Ole Store Restaurant before cuddling up in their den to watch a movie. “I’ve always wanted to have life be simple and to not be stressed out about trying to do it all,” Rachel says. “I haven’t wanted to make life too complicated.”
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sofa coffee table
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family in doorway
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bed and beams
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two girls
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candle books
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piano
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table flower vases
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bench coat hooks
Mend and Fix: Most of the wood furniture, including the bench in the front entry, is either salvaged or refinished by Rachel. “It’s why I don’t worry about pieces being precious; I can fix things,” she adds.
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bathroom door
Dual Purpose: The adjoining bathroom is original to the 1880 house. “I love that reminder of how old the house is,” Rachel says of its short and narrow door.
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couch and accessories
Ground Elements: “I always try to have little bits of black to ground a space,” Rachel says. Contrasting colors come in via a painting by Wendell Arneson and accessories.
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Rachel painting
The Artist’s Way: For the past 15 years, Rachel has been a massage therapist, but she also spends a couple of days a week in her art studio. “I love the balance of making art with the bodywork. The movements in massage and painting are similar with a combination of long, smooth and harder movements,” she says.
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paints and brushes
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cottage garden
Nature’s Palette: A patch of colorful cosmos erupts from the cutting garden near the detached garage/art studio. Rachel credits her mother, Karen Egeberg, a garden designer, for helping shape the landscape, which also features hydrangeas, hostas, and a pear tree.
