The Sassy Pig is a barbecue restaurant in Blaine, Minnesota. The owners had a demanding schedule, and a need to transform their existing restaurant space with incredible speed. Furthermore, they desired a unique brand identity for future restaurants. Within weeks, Conrad + Nutt Studio developed the concept to transform this former Italian restaurant into a place for BBQ. Both principals of Conrad + Nutt grew up in the South and had frequented their share of BBQ joints. They were well versed in the default cliche of roadside nostalgia and red checkerboard. The owners and the design team desired a reinterpretation of the BBQ restaurant that was a bit...well...sassy. The materials typically found in old Southern BBQ joints, such as weathered steel, knotty pine, and wire mesh, have been amplified here in a fresh, fun, and deliberate manner. The colors are bright and warm, and the furnishings remain eclectic, evoking a summer picnic. The Sassy Pig is a modern, vibrant twist to a deeply historic, well-known restaurant typology.

Our client approached us with a vision and a poem. He desired an unique cafe experience that promoted civic and community engagement through impromptu conversations with neighbor, barista, invited political speakers, and community meetings. The place is called Cafe Republic. The heart of the space is a wood box created from strips of salvaged oak from damaged or diseased local trees. The box forms the ceiling, booth seating, community bookshelf, floor, and espresso bar. The entrance is covered in salvaged slate chalk boards. Some smaller boards of slate can be removed and used during conversations or presentations. Current materials under consideration: galvanized, corrugated steel at the exterior of the counter, a durable countertop made from recycled paper, and salvaged steel pipes used as a screening element for more private seating in the back. Windows in the back overlook a small, urban food garden.

Old and New in Harmony. The original kitchen was finished with yellow plastic wall tiles, yellow laminated countertops, and white laminate flooring. The small 9x10 space had limited and inefficient cabinetry that left little storage options for the homeowners. However, instead of starting from scratch, the design team was inspired by the unique, original green tinted woodwork. The upper cabinets and trim were saved, a new opening to the dining room was created out of salvaged trim, and the kitchen was revitalized with a new palette of rich materials and color. A new buffet with framed shelves and a burst of color on the ceiling was added to the dining room. The result was a harmonious joining of old and new, respectful of the 1939 era home.

Brokers CBRE desired a high-profile conference center amenity for their property Accenture Tower in downtown Minneapolis. Carving space from an abandoned office and part of the skyway, a rich lobby was created within tight quarters. Instead of removing the skyway finishes of marble and granite, the path of existing stone and coffered ceilings was incorporated into the new lobby. The old materials were given new life with high-quality lighting and proximity to a new walnut and glass enclosed conference room beyond. The wood walls and glass appear again in the training room and boardroom down the hall.

Principal of Conrad + Nutt Studio, Marcy Conrad Nutt, was the project manager/designer of the Accenture Conference Center project while at SmithGroup.

The 701 Center is an office tower constructed by the architect Helmut Jahn, in the 1980s. It had deteriorated to a Class C building, and had one of the highest vacancy rates in downtown Minneapolis. Creative and budget-conscious solutions were necessary to meet the challenge of the broker, CBRE. The circulation of the skyway had to be improved and a new conference center was to be added, all while leaving the powerful orange and gray stone lobby and skyway floor alone. The solution was to reconfigure the skyway on the higher traffic end and add new glass storefronts. An elegant conference center was created in the center of the building with walls of glass that bring light deep into the core of the building. The skyway level is now filling with new tenants. The 701 Center has been transformed into an elegant business center the tenants can be proud to call home.

Principal of Conrad + Nutt Studio, Marcy Conrad Nutt, was the project manager/designer of the 701 Center project while at SmithGroup.

A complete gut of circa 1900s worker housing in the Seward neighborhood, Minneapolis: Initially considered for complete demolition, this small working family home was in disastrous shape. Saved by three investors, the project was managed by Fulcrum Group and the design concept and layout transformation executed by C+N. The entire interior was gutted down to the studs. The stairs, kitchen, bath, and laundry were reworked within the confines of the existing 1,080 sf two-story home. A new code compliant stairway was designed, and the stair landing was used as an opportunity to create an elevated floor for the new modern bath and laundry rooms. This change moved the bathroom access out of the kitchen and brought these rooms within comfortable proximity to the two upstairs bedrooms. The result is an unrecognizable transformation of the interior. Here’s to new beginnings!

The nationally renowned and respected MacPhail Center for Music was nearing it’s 100th birthday, and desperately needed a new home. Housed in an early twentith century department store building, the previous facility was beyond repair, did not have proper humidity control, and the instructors had difficulty teaching in some of the acoustically poor classrooms. With a new building in the revitalized Mill District, next to the Mississippi River, MacPhail wanted a building that met all their functional and budget considerations, yet expressed who they were as an organization. A rusted, Cor-ten steel box houses the superb acoustics and dancing wood forms of the new Antenello performance hall. The glass below and at the two entries gives passersby a glimpse into the music classes, and welcomes them to step inside and explore. Fifty six music studios and nine classrooms fill the tower and glass beneath the box. The new home is an instrument itself, with superior acoustics, light filled studios and classrooms, and a vibrant building that announces MacPhail as a cultural institution and destination in the city.

Principal of Conrad + Nutt Studio, Marcy Conrad Nutt, was one of the two lead Project Managers and Project Designer of the MacPhail Center for Music building while at James Dayton Design.

The owner of this Minneapolis condo was ready to ditch the standard bathroom aesthetic of her building to make the room a statement that was uniquely her own. With a small budget, Conrad + Nutt Studio focused on making a few prime changes that would maximize the impact of every dollar, and transform the character of the room. The showpiece is the stunning, custom artisan concrete work for the one-piece vanity and sink, designed by C+N and executed by Becker Concrete.

At C+N no project is too small, and some fantastic detailing can be created in interior remodels that boarder on furniture creation. C+N designed a new cherry bar-height table and island in an existing kitchen. The island functionally houses a wine refrigerator, trash and recycling, additional storage, and display shelves. The rich brown Silestone and beautiful cherry table provide plenty of surface for in-kitchen eating and entertaining. Extraordinary craftsmanship by Peter Allen Co.

St Paul's Union Depot building is a mammoth building and housed an almost completely abandoned upper level office area. The owner wished to revitalize the real estate by developing affordable lofts. The halls of 1980s era carpet, partitions, and hanging acoustical tile ceilings were removed, revealing the tall clay tile ceilings. The new lofts are clean, modern units bridging the divide in years between clean-lined ply cabinets and contemporary fixtures, while using terrazzo tile floors, historic replacement windows, and the exposed ceiling. The handrail tells the tale...the design takes ques from the historic building, but creates an aesthetic for today.

Principal of Conrad + Nutt Studio, Marcy Conrad Nutt, was Project Designer of the Union Depot lofts while at James Dayton Design.

This condominium is in a superb location on the edge of downtown Minneapolis, and next to the Walker Art Center in the Lowry Hill neighborhood. Two-thirds of the sixth floor of a new condo building was converted into a luxurious retreat for a bachelor. Walls of birds eye maple, walnut, and plaster create a rich and warm interior. The dividing walls sit below the ceiling, to create a feeling of furniture.

Principal of Conrad + Nutt Studio, Marcy Conrad Nutt, was Project Manager of the Union Depot lofts while at James Dayton Design.

The owners of this St Paul bungalow were expecting their second child, and needed a solution for a dangerous stair leading up to the attic bedroom. In addition, their partial upstairs bath consisted of a toilet in a closet. Conrad + Nutt Studio reconfigured the top of the stairway, carefully preserving the ceiling height below the stair, and added a true half bath. The master bedroom and new bath has been transformed from spare bedroom/storage space to elegant rooms fitting the style of the historic home.