Well preserved 1900 Gedney 'pickle house' in Minneapolis lists for $869,000

After moving into their Lowry Hill home, Antonio Lee and Boyu Huang learned that they were living in a briny piece of state history.

Their Minneapolis house was lovingly referred to as "the pickle house," their neighbors told them. It was built for the plant manager of Gedney, the company founded in Minneapolis in 1881 and maker of "the Minnesota pickle." The house's original color (which has since been painted blue) was a pickle green.

The couple fell in love with the 1900 house, which has Victorian and American foursquare influences, at first sight. They appreciated craftsman details, such as inlaid flooring, ornate woodwork and the original stained glass in the stairwell in striking yellow, red, blue and, of course, green hues.

The house also had modern amenities, including a contemporary kitchen remodel and addition off the back.

Lee and Huang were careful to preserve the historic charm while making updates. But Lee admits more than one of the home improvement projects took longer than planned, making the Arkansas transplants wonder if by buying the house they had gotten themselves into a pickle.

"You always find surprises with old houses. You touch one thing thinking you just need to patch it up and then the next thing you know, there's another thing," Lee said. "But I think with older homes we come to expect that."

As it turned out, the extra time they took was worth it.

And Lee and Huang found joy in the hunt, scouring salvage and antique stores. They found perfect matches for the missing green tiles in the original fireplace surround at Architectural Antiques in northeast Minneapolis.

In the contemporary kitchen, Lee and Huang wove in period pieces, including a hand-carved wood mantel they scored from Guilded Salvage Antiques in north Minneapolis. They swapped three small windows with glass ones sourced from Wescott Station Antiques in St. Paul. And the original arched kitchen doorway was restored with vintage hardware via Art + Architecture in southeast Minneapolis.

"We tried to connect the kitchen to the rest of the house," Lee said. "We wanted to update things while integrating the era and the aesthetic of the house. We thought that was really important."

Their own stamp

The two, who have lived in different parts of the country and the world, love art and interior design. They added light fixtures from international designers, each one a statement piece.

"I studied sculpture," Lee said. "But my love for art and design probably goes back to my mother. She loved interior decorating. Growing up, our wallpaper was this really funky bright orange and we had a white leather sofa, even though my grandmother wondered how practical that was when raising two young boys."

Lee and Huang also put their own stamp on the house, such as turning the unfinished attic into a usable living space with wood flooring, built-ins and designer light fixtures.

The duo also updated the exterior and the yard, repainting the garage, adding a fence and landscaping. One of their favorite additions is the Korean maple tree they planted in the front yard.

"I love this tree. It has the most amazing colors in the spring and fall," Lee said.

On the move

After two years in the house, the couple are moving because of a job relocation. Lee is a language teacher, while Huang is a contemporary dancer.

"We're moving to New York City for my spouse's dance career," Lee said.

They've listed their four-bedroom, two-bathroom, 3,300-square-foot house.

Listing agent Rick Chen said the house is as well preserved and polished as can be. Between remodeling projects by Lee and Huang as well as previous owners, the home is completely updated.

"From far away, it looks like a traditional historic home. But with the addition in the back it has this great open concept," Chen said. "They did a great job preserving the original home while making some modern additions to it."

Chen added that while the newly finished attic has been used as an art studio, it could easily be transformed into a loft space, office or owners' suite.

The house's location — near Lake of the Isles and downtown Minneapolis — also makes it desirable. "It's close to the Walker [Art Center] and a lot of dining and entertainment," Chen said.

Lee and Huang said they'll miss the neighbors and living in Minnesota just as much as they'll miss the house.

"When we first moved here, our family and friends were asking why and that it was so cold. What we learned about St. Paul and Minneapolis is we really love it here," Lee said. "It offers a really balanced life. You have all these great urban services, then you have access to nature with all these lakes and trails right outside your door."

Rick Chen (651-246-8940; rick.chen@lakesmn.com) of Lakes Sotheby's International Realty has the $869,000 listing.