The owners of this Minnesota home bought it for its great location and large lot, not for the aesthetics of the 1940s-era ranch house itself. But, together with architect Meriwether Felt, they worked on it for nearly a decade to bring the house in line with its more desirable features. The most recent remodel involved a new kitchen, dining room, sleeping porch and mudroom. That’s not a full-house remodel by any means, but the additions and shifts to the floor plan made a big impact.
Photos by Corey GafferHouzz at a GlanceWho lives here: A couple, their 2 daughters and 2 dogsLocation: Golden Valley, MinnesotaSize: Before the remodel, 2,200 square feet (204.3 square meters); after the remodel, 2,800 square feet (260 square meters); 4 bedrooms, 3 bathroomsArchitect: Meriwether Felt
BEFORE: The original house was likely built in the 1940s and was a typical rancher on an atypically large lot.
AFTER: The new house is larger and filled with touches that make it special and personal. On the outside: A blue-gray exterior and a red roof speak to the owners’ appreciation for Scandinavian design. A small, covered porch makes the entry more gracious and comfortable. (After all, who likes to wait for the door to open in the pouring rain?) At first a red door was considered, but the architect suggested yellow for a pleasing contrast. “It picks up the ocher tones in the flagstone,” she says.
What you can’t see is the work that’s behind the walls. “The owners are very energy conscious, and they re-insulated the house and redid the siding some years ago,” Felt says.
What you can see, when you compare the photos closely, is that the gable of the roofline has been extended. It encloses a sleeping porch off the master bedroom.
Exterior gray paint: Stonecutter, Benjamin Moore
There’s a new kitchen where an enclosed porch used to stand. “The porch was on the south side of the house. They loved the light there, but it was very narrow, and it was hard to furnish and use,” Felt says. “They also had the kitchen on this side of the house, and the owners liked looking at the backyard from the kitchen. We went round and around on how to remodel everything — but when we landed on the idea of making the porch the new kitchen, everything fell into place and it opened up the whole house.”
The new kitchen is full of things dear to one of the homeowners’ hearts. “She grew up in a turn-of-the-century home in Minneapolis,” Felt says. “It was full of charming details. We wanted to bring some of that feeling to this house.”
To start with, the cabinets are a brilliant blue, the client’s favorite color. Then there’s a backsplash that’s partially crafted with tiles showing birds in flight, another thing the client loves. Add the trio of silver Moroccan-style light fixtures, and you have a kitchen that’s decidedly one of a kind.
But it’s not all looks here; function is foremost. The kitchen is divided into zones: Prep happens around the range and island, eating happens in the adjacent seating area, and the space they call the scullery is at the far end by the sink. “Breaking down the long, narrow space into zones makes it work better for them,” Felt says.
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