Sometimes, the fates do align, or at least that was the case when Ali O’Reilly was looking for her first home in Minneapolis. Writer and poet Ali is very detail-oriented, so she’d put together a spreadsheet to help with the house hunt. She’d also set aside a single weekend to look for homes.

Lucky for her, Ali’s mom, Lynne, is a real estate agent, so she was up for the challenge. On the fated weekend, after looking at house after house, it seemed the weekend was a bust.   

“Mom and I were driving around, kind of defeated. But by then, I really had to pee. And there was another house—not on my spreadsheet—for sale nearby,” says Ali.

The house didn’t look that great online, was close to the airport, and was a little farther south than Ali had hoped, but she really needed a bathroom. As a realtor, her mom had access to the property—and the bathroom—so they decided to check it out in person.

Ali’s dining room with some inherited and found antique pieces. Photo by Jon Carnes

“I was walking around, and all the rooms on the first floor form a kind of circle. And there was all this beautiful light flooding in,” says Ali. “I just thought, this place feels great.”

They were excited, and Ali’s mom called the listing agent immediately. Unfortunately, the house had just gone off the market because the owners had accepted an offer. Ali was disappointed because she was sure she’d found the one. 

But then, fate intervened again, and the buyers backed out. Within a day, Ali put her documents together and was approved by a lender. She had the home inspected, and the inspector said it was a really solid house. 

In the summer of 2022, Ali moved into the 1921 bungalow in South Minneapolis. Though the house is small, just 1200 square feet, she knew it was the right space for her.

“I felt so lucky. The house chose me, and I chose it,” says Ali.

The painting of the woman and the swan catchall are two of Ali’s favorite pieces. Photo by Jon Carnes

She likes the small rooms and the light that first drew her in, and the way the home seems to fit her personal style so well. Ali loves the neighborhood too. Her neighbors have been so welcoming. She enjoys the peace and quiet of the neighborhood, despite the occasional airplane noise. 

What Ali refers to as her sunroom. Photo by Jon Carnes

“I like that I can walk to the market on the corner, and they know my dog and give her treats,” says Ali. “There’s something empowering about walking around and saying hi to people I meet.”

Her style is curated with vintage pieces 

Ali now lives with her boyfriend, Kyle Pherson, who moved in with her in summer 2025. Her interior design style is curated and ever-evolving. 

Ali’s living room which is connected to the sunroom and dining room. Photo by Jon Carnes

“It’s curated aesthetically and also for the smallness of the space. I try to think in terms of layout and walkways, when I’m shopping,” says Ali. “I also like muted blues and dusty roses, so I look for pieces with those colors.”

One of the first piece’s Ali refinished. It’s an old radio cabinet. Photo by Jon Carnes

An old set of encyclopedias that were in Ali’s house growing up. Her grandma gave them to her mother. Photo by Jon Carnes

A vintage chair Ali inherited from her grandma. She added 3 similar chairs as part of her dining set. Photo by Jon Carnes

Ali and Kyle also share their home with Ali’s beloved, 7-year-old standard poodle, Lila Rose. 

“Lila adds so much literal character to the house, and every couch is her couch,” says Ali. 

Looking at Ali’s furniture in the living room and sunroom, it’s a little surprising Lila is given such free rein. Nearly all her pieces are vintage or antique. However, Ali says, many of her furniture pieces were found at the thrift store or Facebook Marketplace. So, there were (and are) nicks, scratches, chips, and other imperfections. 

A view from the sunroom into the living room. Photo by Jon Carnes

For example, the off-white settee in her sunroom looks fairly pristine. However, when Ali found it, there were tears in the fabric on the back. She’s done her best to repair it, but it’s still slightly undone and imperfect. So, when Lila leaps up onto the settee and barks out the window, Ali doesn’t worry. 

Lila Rose on the aforementioned settee. Photo by Ali

Also, as Ali points out, old pieces are often made of solid wood, something that has become a true luxury when furniture shopping these days. She also prefers to try furniture in person.

“I don’t like ordering stuff online. I like to see and touch it and see the colors in person,” says Ali. “I’ve ordered stuff online before that was a completely different color when it arrived. Or, I got it, and it was actually plastic and broke right away. I’d rather buy solid-wood-anything and give it a little TLC because it really stands the test of time.”

Another one of Ali’s fabulous antique settees in her sunroom. Photo by Jon Carnes

Another bonus about buying old furniture is that it’s typically smaller, which, for a 100+ year old house with a small footprint, is quite helpful. 

A crowbar and a little curiosity led to a full kitchen renovation

Clearly, the writer and homeowner isn’t afraid of a little DIY. In fact, a few months after she first moved in, she tore out most of her kitchen. The kitchen had been remodeled in the 1970s. The look wasn’t for her. She discovered the subway tile backsplash was peel-and-stick tile and pulled it off. The floors were also peel-and-stick tiles over two layers of laminate, and then, miraculously, hardwood underneath.

You can see a glimpse of the floors that Ali and Kyle refinished in the kitchen. Photo by Jon Carnes

“It was that classic renovation story. The eureka moment of discovering there were wood floors underneath all the layers,” says Ali.

With Kyle’s help and the use of his belt sander, they eventually got the original hardwood floors sanded and varnished in the kitchen.

The kitchen cabinets felt too big. So armed with a crowbar, Ali decided to rip those out too. It was only after the dumpster with cabinets had been taken away that she realized how challenging a 75 square-foot kitchen with 3 doors and a window could be.

The vintage Hoosier cabinet with a vintage cast-iron sink integrated into it. Photo by Jon Carnes

To maximize the space, she hired an Ikea expert to measure the kitchen for cabinets for just $75. Though she opted not to buy Ikea cabinets, she used the measurements to find other cabinets and fixtures. She also lived without a proper kitchen sink for some time. She washed dishes in the bathtub, and later, in a plastic utility sink temporarily mounted to the wall.

Ali’s home only has one bathroom, and after she tore out her kitchen sink, she washed dishes in her bathtub for some time. Photo by Jon Carnes

And then, another fateful day arrived when she found a gorgeous, cast-iron kitchen sink on Facebook Marketplace. It was listed for $50, appeared to be in great condition, and had a basin on the left, like Ali needed.

“The woman was so nice. I immediately messaged her; I think I saw it 17 minutes after the listing went up,” says Ali. “And I said, ‘Hi. I can be there today or tomorrow.’ I tried to make it so easy for her. And even after I got there, she said, so many people are messaging me about this.”

The beautiful, $50 cast-iron sink is in near perfect condition. Photo by Jon Carnes

It was outside in the woman’s backyard, and it was just Ali and a dolly, but she managed to get it into her SUV and back home. She immediately launched into a marathon cleaning session and quickly discovered the sink was in near-perfect condition.

The plate rack in the Hoosier cabinet. Photo by Jon Carnes

She soon realized the sink would fit perfectly in a vintage Hoosier cabinet she’d purchased. After about 3 weeks, Ali and Kyle figured out how to integrate the sink into the Hoosier cabinet and get it plumbed. Looking at it now, you would think it’s always been there. The sink is one of Ali’s favorite pieces in the house. 

A vintage stove in Ali’s kitchen. Photo by Jon Carnes

Another of Ali’s favorites is the armoire in her bedroom. When she bought it, it was an orangey pine. She stripped the finish, filled in some detailing with wood putty, and then whitewashed it, using a mixture of water and white paint. She also added painted details. 

The armoire in Ali’s bedroom that she refinished. Photo by Jon Carnes

Ali and Kyle’s bedroom is a simple and airy space. Photo by Jon Carnes

The rug that sits under her dining room table is another favorite and a bit of a rehabilitation piece. Ali found it in the basement of an old apartment, cut off the tattered edges, and rebound it by hand.

The beautiful vintage rug that Ali rescued. Photo by Jon Carnes

Ali’s guest bedroom. Photo by Jon Carnes

The basement is the perfect space to watch movies and drink beer

Lest you think the space is all Ali’s style, when you walk down to the basement, there’s a distinct vibe shift. This is Kyle’s primary hangout space. He’s a graphic designer and an artist, who’s into anime and science fiction. Like upstairs, the space is loaded with vintage pieces, like the mustard yellow couch, yellow chair, and the banquette, also in yellow. There’s a built-in bar which looks straight out of the 1970s, which it likely is. Kyle has a record player with a vinyl collection, gaming equipment, and the requisite basement flatscreen. 

A vintage yellow couch paired with two vintage movie posters. Photo by Jon Carnes

The banquette that faces the basement bar. Photo by Jon Carnes

The basement bar. Photo by Jon Carnes

A corner of the basement bar. Photo by Jon Carnes

A drawing of Ali with Lila by her feet that Kyle did. Photo by Jon Carnes

He also has a collection of ephemera, like a vintage TV, cameras, and anime figurines. Plus, there are old movie posters, 70s-style art, and a scattering of vintage statues, including a charming garden gnome. As much as the upstairs two floors are bright and airy, the basement is a much moodier, sleazier (in a good way) space. It feels like the place your dad and uncle used to drink beers and scream at the TV when the Vikings lost. 

Kyle’s gaming and record equipment. Photo by Jon Carnes

A vintage TV. Photo by Jon Carnes

Some vintage cameras along with a collection of books. Photo by Jon Carnes

The garden gnome is charming, perched in this corner by a speaker. Photo by Jon Carnes

The home and stairs are ever-evolving

Though her house is incredibly well put together, Ali says it’s rarely clean and pretty because “there’s always another project.”

“I get the itch to restore another piece of furniture or paint the staircase,” says Ali. At this, I interrupt and ask how many times she’s painted the staircase. She replies, “Four times.” 

Apparently, when Ali first moved in, the stairs to the second floor had carpeting, which she ripped off. The process was incredibly slow because she didn’t have good needle-nose pliers or a staple puller. After she got the carpet off, she was eager to finish the project. She’d been pining moody Victorian staircases on Pinterest and opted for an espresso stain on the steps. She hated it immediately and sanded it off, and soon found herself painting it again and again and then again.

The stairs are on their 4th color/incarnation since Ali moved in. Photo by Jon Carnes

“I keep thinking to myself that I’m not doing this again, but then I have extra paint…” says Ali.

The step’s current incarnation is a light blue called French Colony by BEHR.

Ali admits she doesn’t spend as much time thrifting because she doesn’t need many things for her home.

“But I do get excited to buy tools and improvement supplies. I feel very gratified about being able to find and restore old pieces,” says Ali. “I tend to gravitate toward pieces that need a little bit of care, rather than those that are new, shiny, and perfect. I also love cleaning projects, like getting the tarnish off copper. Nearly anything can be cleaned with vinegar.”