1909 built two story Craftsman Style home in Minneapolis highly sought after Kenwood area with all the amenities one might expect, but with a very cramped and poorly functioning kitchen, is the home for a younger growing family.

The owners loved the area and they also enjoy the appeal of the historic architecture and all the charms and character one would expect from many homes in the area, with brick and stucco exterior and ornate interior trim, woodwork built-ins and stained glass window details.

However the existing 3-season porch with its flat roof, obviously added a later point to the home, did little to enhance the architectural integrity or functionality of the home. The home also lacked a guest bath on the main floor. The design concept then was to address these issues and to tie the entire main floor via a new mudroom addition. The idea was to create new spaces and modify certain existing spaces by seamlessly integrating the new with old.

For example two small and redundant rooms; sunroom and sitting room were combined to provide much needed family space on the main floor. The 100 year old original stained glass window at the stair landing was preserved by relocating to the new dinette area, creating attraction and privacy from the next door neighbor. The steep and narrow stair access to the attic floor which housed the master suite was replaced by extending the existing staircase, replicating exact details. The vaulted ceiling at the top of stair with operable skylights introduced natural light and ventilation. The mudroom with its handmade tile also reflected the existing tile work at the front entry.

The exterior architecture was inspired by the existing detailing and material and designed to appropriately reflect this home’s sense of style and massing.