TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY CRAFTSMAN
Photography:
Half Acre House
Contractor:
Smith Design Build
Featured in the 2020 AIA MN Home Tour as Home 3
SMALL DETAILS — MASSIVE IMPACT
While searching for a retirement home, these homeowners fell in love with the exquisite original millwork that had survived the last century intact. An 80s kitchen renovation was the outlier that detracted from the beauty of the rest of the home. Rehabilitation in architecture “acknowledges the need to alter or add to a historic property to meet continuing or changing uses while retaining the property's historic character.”
The goal of the project was to imagine a period-style kitchen while creating spaces that work for this century’s lifestyle.
DESIGNED FOR EFFICIENCY
With careful attention to scale and economy, a precisely placed addition expanded the home just enough to allow for the desired program (kitchen, mudroom, laundry, and powder room) without overpowering the original foursquare footprint from the exterior. Efficiency in space was a focus, utilizing a small footprint to serve a multitude of tasks.
We gave a lot of consideration to seamlessly blending the new and old. To do so, we matched existing millwork and casework by recreating it in the new remodel to tie the spaces together and “retain the property’s historic character.” This included the existing exterior stained-glass window above the dining room buffet, where the surrounding trim work was hand-crafted on the opposite side as a focal point above the mudroom bench.
RECLAIMING GEMS
Using items like the reclaimed sink in the powder room was not only a sustainable choice but also felt authentic to the space. The handmade prairie-style tile backsplash becomes just another piece of art in the homeowner’s collection.
This project celebrates the massive impact of small details when designed well.
