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Esther’s Table: Restaurant Interior Design, Minneapolis

Sheraton Minneapolis Downtown
1313 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55403

Esther’s Table restaurant design by Tiffany Hanken Design turns the restaurant inside the historic Capp Towers into the home of the woman it’s named for. Esther Capp was the Capp family matriarch, a celebrated hostess, and the free spirit behind the 1963 Capp Towers Motor Hotel she and her husband Martin created on Nicollet Mall. Working with the Capp family’s personal photographs and pieces from Esther’s own home, our team sourced vintage frames, antiques and décor across Minneapolis, Boston and France to recreate the well-traveled home where she entertained. The result is salon-style gallery walls of family photos, a portrait above a hand-carved antique sideboard, a vintage brass bar cart and a velvet private lounge. Guests don’t just dine at Esther’s Table; they’re hosted by her. This is the heart of our approach to restaurant interior design: we don’t change a restaurant’s story, we help people feel it. Read the full story of Capp Towers and Esther’s Table →

Professional images by by Russell Heeter Photography.

Gilt convex mirror, ceramic bird, brass rosette and pearl starburst brooch on dark geometric wallcovering
Private dining room with a collage of vintage and contemporary artwork, cascading brass pendant lights and a dessert service on the oak table
Eclectic gallery column of framed family photos with Esther’s Table signage, brick arches and live topiaries beyond
Column wrapped in vintage-framed Capp family photographs, a bee medallion and antique art beside brick arches and topiaries
Dining room columns wrapped in eclectic framed art and mirrors, flanking a portrait of Esther Capp above an antique sideboard
Wide view of the Esther’s Table dining room with checkerboard marble floor, bar, gallery-wall columns and Esther Capp’s portrait
Private dining room at Esther's Table with an oak table, exposed brick wall, cascading brass pendant lighting and framed Paris artwork
Gallery wall in the private dining room with framed contemporary art, a vintage still life and brass pendant lighting
Overhead view of a marble table at Esther's Table with braised pasta, seared salmon, grilled bread and wine
Table set for two with wine and entrées beneath a portrait of Esther Capp and an antique sideboard at Esther's Table
Round cafe table with leather and woven barrel chairs beside original brick arches and a potted tree
Portrait of Esther Capp above an antique carved sideboard with brass lamps, family photographs and layered greenery
Esther's Table signage beside layered live greenery and a cognac leather banquette
Esther's Table bar with styled brass shelving, globe lighting, marble back bar and skyway access beyond
Wide view of the Esther's Table bar with brass globe lights, cognac stools and the adjoining lounge seating
Esther's Table dining room with teal chairs, checkerboard marble floor, arched brick windows and a portrait of Esther Capp
Esther's Table Kitchen & Cocktails signage above a cognac leather banquette and set marble table
Esther's Table dining room with teal chairs facing a portrait of Esther Capp above an antique sideboard flanked by lamps
Brass bar canopy at Esther's Table styled with trailing greenery, vintage books, a bronze horse sculpture and globe lights
Curved marble bar counter with cognac leather and brass stools, blue tile walls and a backlit marble back bar
Esther's Table cocktail bar in Minneapolis with a brass globe-light canopy, sage tile, marble back bar and cognac leather stools
Esther's Table dining room in Minneapolis with a portrait of Esther Capp above an antique sideboard, arched brick windows and a checkerboard marble floor
Private lounge with teal velvet chairs, stone coffee table and gilt-framed oil painting
Brass bar cart with vintage hammered-metal decanter, lavender and bone inlay box
Group dining table beneath original arched brick windows over Nicollet Mall
Mustard barrel chairs and round tables beside tall arched brick windows
Mustard leather barrel chairs with woven backs on black-and-white marble floor
Lounge with green channel-tufted leather sofas, sculptural coffee tables and framed vintage art

Before & After: Seeing the Transformation

The finished space tells Esther’s story — but the transformation behind it is its own. What was once a dated hotel restaurant became a layered, personal world built from vintage frames sourced across Minneapolis, Boston, and France, antiques pulled from estate sales, and pieces from Esther Capp’s own home. These before-and-after images show what it looks like when a space stops being generic and starts being somewhere.

Private Dining Room

A before and after example of the private dining room at Esther’s Table showing the transformation from minimalist, modern design to warm and inviting “lived in” design.

Lobby Elevator

A before and after example of the lobby elevator that opens into Esther’s Table. A transformation from a simple grey elevator and stainless steel trash receptacle to a vintage graphic-wrapped inviting portal into and out of Esther’s world, complete with a matching trash receptacle.

The Gallery Wall

A look into the design concept behind the gallery wall at Esther’s Table. Left image is our concept. The right image shows it brought to life.Â