page 4 of 9 The Duluth Living Room
These carved dragons decorate the living room designed by John Bradstreet. So why is there so much Japanese stuff? Fashionable society of the 1880s and 1890s loved the styles of faraway cultures. Mina Prindle did, too. William Hunt, a Duluth architect, designed the house with a red tile roof and North African windows. Outside was a Japanese garden, complete with Japanese plants, lanterns, and an arched footbridge. There was an even greater mixture of styles inside. Mina Prindle hired several interior designers to decorate the rooms. They planned how each room would look, often right down to the furniture. Mina Prindle, like many wealthy homeowners of the time, liked having each room of her house decorated in the style of a different country. John Bradstreet, a popular designer from Minneapolis, designed several of her rooms, including the living room.
page 4 of 9 Designing Spaces and Places | Inner Worlds | Environment | What is Art | Identity