Julia Moss Blends Bold With Beautiful in Her High-End Wayzata Shop

“I’m always exploring and trying out new looks, colors, and styles,” Julia Moss says. “It’s so fun to see how things will play together.”

Photos provided by Julia Moss

New to Julia Moss Designs, these hand-cut crystal goods from Reflections Copenhagen are nothing short of stunning

“It’s always 70 degrees and sunny here!” exclaims Julia Moss of her Wayzata shop, Julia Moss Designs. That’s, in part, because of the exuberant color palette of Moss’ curated items—from bright cranberry and lapis blue to spring green and honey gold. (But it’s because of her customers’ love of turquoise, orange, and pink, she says.)

Large deep glass bowls, $440

Then, there are the items themselves. Glorious tableware, home décor, bed and bath objects, vintage selections, and accessories from around the globe. “My aesthetic is old-world glamour,” Moss explains. “I love heavy baroque items with lots of embellishments; bold statement pieces that can be used in several ways.” Like, for example, the large and deep glass bowls Moss carries from Sugaar & Sugaar, which function as “a beautiful serving bowl on a stand, or you turn it in upside down and it’s a vase.”

Moss also says she loves “the 1920s style, anything Gatsby-esque and over the top. And Art Deco, with soft lines and circular shapes, which contrasts with the heavy baroque feel and is such a sexy look.” Customers can even expect a “super contemporary” line of glass objects from Reflections Copenhagen. “These are all about the color and the shapes,” she says. “They’re so feminine.”

Long Island Flacon, $350

Moss has always had a love of fine things. “I was very fortunate, when growing up and as an adult, to travel to Europe with my family. I loved exploring the London and Paris flea markets during the 1980s.” Some of the accessories she found and has loved can be found in her online stores JMD Vintage and the JMD Vintage Vault.

A former design student at the University of Minnesota, Moss says she’s “always been interested in design, style, fashion, and color. I did retail sales for a while, then met my husband, got married, and had babies.” Once the kids were older, Moss cofounded Dress for Success. Then, she stumbled on a way to repurpose antique silver in vivid colors, and her business (now a part of Julia Moss Designs) The Next Generation of Silver was born.

“That struck a chord in so many ways with people,” she says, and the rest of the business—first, a store in Minneapolis for five years, and now the Wayzata shop—fell into place.

Curating her selections is Moss’ biggest challenge. “It’s all about the edits, the proportions. You have to have a road map: What’s your focus? What are you highlighting? What are you accenting with? Start with larger pieces, and the items don’t have to be expensive. With me, it’s about the high-low. You can do that and have it look fantastic.”

Among her favorite items currently are the lacquered Graziani Sphere Ball Candles from Meloria, “which are unscented, so it’s all about the color. I love using them to style a shelf.” Scented candles from the Baobab Collection are also at the top of her list. “We have these in large sizes to pair with coffee table books or to accessorize with the Meloria candles. It’s all about color and pairings.”

Graziani sphere ball candles, $45-75
Baccarat Lucky Papillon crystal butterfly, $140

The Baccarat butterflies add pops of sumptuous color and crystal elegance to any mix, she adds, while the heavy organic shapes of the bowls, vases, and platters by Dinosaur Designs bring any table display back down to earth.

“I gravitate toward bold looks while always putting my own twist on things,” Moss says. “I’m always exploring and trying out new looks, colors, and styles. It’s so fun to see how things will play together.”

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