Urban Light

Designed to gracefully settle into an established Minneapolis streetscape, this new home’s simple forms match the scale of its next-door neighbors. Once inside, the floorplan reverses the expected, placing the primary suite in the front of the house and public spaces at the rear — this urban lot backs up to a natural area, and along with one-floor living, the homeowners wanted views and connections to this green space in their calm, warm main living spaces. The kitchen, dining, living room and three-season porch flow together and cluster around an outdoor patio and garden space. The kitchen space expands into the porch with folding doors that open wide and let the house breathe, and ceiling heaters extend porch season into the spring and fall. A vibrant blue enlivens the kitchen and porch, complemented by icy-blue hand-crafted backsplash tiles, red birch floors, and hemlock living room ceiling. A bluestone fireplace anchors the vaulted living room, ample windows allow the space to flood with natural light, and solar panels up top capture sunlight from above. This new home with main floor living allows for ease of aging in place on an urban lot in an established neighborhood.