Photo by Wing Ho/Canary Grey
Victoria Sass
Prospect Refuge owner Victoria Sass isn’t scared of a project—or a library visit. She takes the time to research the history, owners, and stories of the homes she works on.
We admit it: We have an Insta crush of the domestic persuasion. Victoria Sass, principal and design director of interior design studio Prospect Refuge, has developed quite a following with her discerning eye and creative approaches to the vision of home.
As a firm believer that there’s no replacement for an old house or time, Sass has built a studio rooted around the concept of creating “old homes for young families.” Even when it comes to her new builds, she believes they are best infused with old soul—an idea she refers to as “retro engineering.”
Her eye-candy projects are evidence that the all-women team thrives in creating layered environments that tell multiple stories. “That’s the art of what we do,” says Sass. What excites her most about original bones is they tend to be the most complicated. “The more difficult it appears on the surface is often a sign of how great we can make it in the end.”
In describing her approach, she often uses cooking analogies. “It’s like we’re trying to shape this composition made up of a surprising mix of ingredients—the home’s existing story, the new family’s, and our team’s expertise for bringing in new, unexpected things. At the end, the meal should feel cohesive, unified, and unlike anything else you’ve made.”
When asked about her most challenging project, Sass references her own home—a turn-of-the-century Craftsman-style triplex in Minneapolis’s East Isles neighborhood. It’s filled with a sprawling sea of rooms—Sass calls it a “mutt with a bizarre layout.” But it was the strong architectural features—original woodwork, archways, and 9-foot-tall windows—that she couldn’t wait to juxtapose with modern fixtures and an updated floorplan. “It’s a complicated property, and I think of it like a family member—it knows how to push your buttons the fastest, but it’s also who you love the most.”
The Minnesota native wants to bring awareness to the Midwest’s impressive interior design, maker, and artist communities. “I’d love to see us celebrated on a national scale—like our food scene is,” says Sass, who makes a point to shine a light on local talent whenever she sees an opportunity. “No matter the medium, people are really free to go deep in their craft here because they aren’t being heavily influenced by competition on the coasts.”
Another one of Sass’s goals? To someday dream up a cutting-edge design for a local boutique hotel.
As far as her part in drawing attention to the Twin Cities, Sass has an enviable portfolio of press, including Architectural Digest (who just named her a New American Voice of 2022), Forbes, Vogue, Homes & Gardens, Domino, The Zoe Report, and more, proving we’re certainly not flyover country. prospectrefugestudio.com, @prospectrefuge
