Concrete floors and 26-foot ceilings. A spiral staircase up to the loft where Stephanie Francois has made her “comfy-couch room.” Vast windows. A huge balcony with an honest-to-God cabana, drapey white curtains billowing from the canopy over the outdoor sofa.
Francois’ travels have inspired the exotic décor. She loves Asia—her favorite place is Bali. Drawn to the culture and the food (her favorite to eat and to cook), she felt immediately at peace and at home there. That same feel is what she wants to bring to her apartment in the Residences at the Slowdown near 14th and Cuming streets. Francois is well on her way to capturing the simple, open, clean-line look of her Bali dreams. “I want it to be almost like a boutique hotel,” she says.
She’s only lived in her place since mid-January. She sold the house she bought two and a half years ago, when she felt she’d reached that time in life where she was supposed to buy a house. A little farther west (near 78th and Pacific), it had an in-ground pool and five bedrooms.
Soon, Francois realized that it was all a lot of maintenance, especially since she travels so much and spends a lot of time at work.
Plus, she wanted to be back in the action. She chose her location in the North Downtown district because it’s close to a lot of things, but far enough that she wouldn’t find herself out too often. (She does spend quite a bit of time at House of Loom and the conveniently close Blatt Beer & Table.)
Francois also keeps herself busy with her restaurant, Stella’s Bar & Grill in Bellevue. Her great-great-aunt was Stella, and Francois bought the place from Stella’s son six years ago. A Bellevue native, Francois says that even though running a restaurant can at times be stressful, “to have a tradition—I mean, it’s 76 years old—it’s worth it to keep a staple in the area.”
In the summer, she loves to ride her moped scooter to Bellevue (and everywhere else). During previous colder months, the red, shiny beauty sat in the middle of her main room, calling her name. Francois also owns an older yellow moped—a 1973, she thinks—but so far it’s been another cool decoration.
The rest of her décor has been recently picked up from CB2, West Elm, Crate and Barrel, online boutiques, Amazon, and, of course, Nebraska Furniture Mart. When she sold her house, Francois also sold all of her furniture.
“My house was so big, I just kept buying stuff to fill it,” Francois says. “That’s why I decided, ‘I’m just gonna sell everything.’ You collect that much stuff, and then it just drowns you.”
The fresh start has allowed her a more minimal style, closer to the Bali feel she wants. “It’s not where I want it yet,” Francois says. “But it’s getting there.”
