March 2018
Dining Room Floor. The couple saw a brick floor like this in the inspiration house they had admired and wanted to use it in their home. “Laying this flush with the wood floors was a labor of love because the brick veneers were thicker than the three-quarters-inch floorboards,” Horstman says. “But it was definitely worth it because it turned out awesome.” The brick floor delineates the dining area and adds unexpected textures.
Entry From the entrance, you can view most of the first floor and straight out to the lake thanks to the wide-open floor plan. Farmhouse elements include shiplap on the walls and reclaimed barn wood on the floors, ceiling beams and mantel. Those doors across the lake-facing side of the house that lead to the patio make indoor-outdoor living easy. “This house feels really special because it’s a very nice scale,” Horstman says. “It feels human scale and doesn’t overwhelm.” Wall paint in most of the house: White Dove, Benjamin Moore; lighting: Visual Comfort
Front of the HouseThe couple had fallen in love with a home they toured that had fresh modern farmhouse style, and they wanted to use a lot of reclaimed barn wood. Blue and orange accents on the porch hint at the interior’s color palette. The street-facing side of the house is marked by two peaks and a welcoming front porch. While many modern farmhouses use board-and batten-siding these days, the shingles provide a lake cottage element that suits the location. Crisp white walls contrasted by black accents on the windows, doors and lighting bring in the modern part of modern farmhouse.Find an architect or a building designerWindows: Marvin; siding: James Hardie
Photos by Spacecrafting House at a GlanceWho lives here: A couple who love lake life and, with two kids away in college, are transitioning into the empty-nest phase, plus a dog and a cat Location: Excelsior, MinnesotaSize: 2,877 square feet (267 square meters), not including a large finished basement; four bedrooms, four bathroomsDesigners: Jennifer Horstman of Lenox House Design in concert with Todd Simning of Kroiss DevelopmentThis couple had a home on the opposite side of Minnesota’s Lake Minnewashta, but it was up a hill from the lakefront. “They wanted something that was walk-out, so when this lot became available, they jumped on it,” says interior designer Jennifer Horstman. As big entertainers who also love to host their children’s friends, they wanted the newly constructed house to have an open floor plan that would make entertaining and indoor-outdoor living easy. They also wanted the house to facilitate the transition into a new phase of their lives — becoming empty nesters. Specifically, empty nesters who live full time in a lake house that entices their children to visit often.
Valsten has always lived in old apartments and buildings, so it’s hard for her to imagine moving into a newer structure. “Of course, it’s a little annoying that the floors creak, but it also has its charm. I like old apartments and the style that comes with them. It’s also nice to think about how the previous residents lived here,” she says.More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
From magic and pipes to bones and skeletons: Six-year-old Sander’s room has more than a few pieces of scientific decor.“Honestly, I cannot remember how it started, but Sander is very interested in where bones and other such things originate, and he wants to be an archaeologist,” Valsten says, adding that some of the bones were gifts, while others were found outdoors by Sander himself.
Like the rest of the home, Villum’s room demonstrates the family’s interest in old things, good stories and creativity. “They are both really fond of flea markets, just like me. For example, Villum is really into pipes. When he finds pipes at flea markets, he buys them, and he also makes pipes himself. He actually thinks it’s a bit silly to make pipes since he’s not allowed to smoke them. But he still sits there polishing them anyway,” Valsten says with a smile.
“The kitchen is quite small, so a lot of other people in the building have merged their kitchens with the little adjacent room. But Sander was on the way when we started considering this, so we needed that children’s room. We like it in here; it’s actually a pretty cozy room,” Valsten says.The kitchen is full of stuff, which Valsten says adds charm. “There are also things that are not necessarily nice, and we have kept some things in here that the children made because they were made by them. There are new things, old things and there is room for everything.”
A long, narrow hallway divides the apartment lengthwise. The two living rooms and master bedroom are on one side, and the kitchen, bathroom and two children’s rooms are on the other.
“The bed is quite small, but we think it is nice to have floor space,” Valsten says.The big painting over the bed is by artist Joanna Hanne Wermund, Valsten’s father’s girlfriend. A friend and neighbor made the painting next to the window. “Once I went downstairs to see her and I saw the picture and said, ‘God, it looks like me.’ She told me that she hadn’t intended that, but still she may have had me in mind when she painted it. In any case, she gave it to me later, and I was very pleased,” she says.
Front yard landscapes
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