Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: West Coast Casual Meets Midwest Traditional
New and old, crisp and rustic, bright and subtle — this Minneapolis family's home balances contrasting elements beautifully
Everyone picks up design habits over the years. But this family of five found they had polar opposite tastes at the same time after a series of cross-country moves. They all loved the design of their former traditional Minneapolis home but had come around to a laid-back, contemporary style while living in California.
So after moving back to Minneapolis — this time to the trendy Edina neighborhood, where their new home sat among 1920s bungalows — they were torn between Midwest classic and West Coast modern. Andy Porter, a managing partner for Refined, stepped in to show them they could have both.
He struck a deft balance between old and new, using a crisp white modern palette to showcase a colorful art collection and distressed wood floors throughout the house for a rustic texture and character. “It’s a classic design without being fussy,” Porter says.
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Size: 4,500 square feet; 5 bedrooms, 5½ bathrooms
Date completed: 2013
So after moving back to Minneapolis — this time to the trendy Edina neighborhood, where their new home sat among 1920s bungalows — they were torn between Midwest classic and West Coast modern. Andy Porter, a managing partner for Refined, stepped in to show them they could have both.
He struck a deft balance between old and new, using a crisp white modern palette to showcase a colorful art collection and distressed wood floors throughout the house for a rustic texture and character. “It’s a classic design without being fussy,” Porter says.
Houzz at a Glance
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Size: 4,500 square feet; 5 bedrooms, 5½ bathrooms
Date completed: 2013
Porter used custom bulk flooring that he and his team distressed, sealed and stained.
The breakfast area dinette includes a custom piano bench that serves as both seating and storage. A screened porch just off the kitchen includes a wood-burning stove.
The breakfast area dinette includes a custom piano bench that serves as both seating and storage. A screened porch just off the kitchen includes a wood-burning stove.
Along the wall, classic white subway tiles blend with white cabinetry and black granite countertops. For the island Porter flipped the color scheme, using black cabinetry, black metallic fixtures and a white Caesarstone counter.
While life is fairly busy in this household, the family still wanted a place where they could relax and enjoy cooking at home. So they added high-end appliances, including a Thermador commercial-grade cooktop and oven.
Porter used black cabinetry with a stainless steel countertop on this bar station to create a clear transition from the kitchen area to the breakfast area. “It’s a way of creating spaces without creating walls,” he says.
Red light fixtures add a pop of contemporary color.
5 Ways to Define Spaces Without Walls
Red light fixtures add a pop of contemporary color.
5 Ways to Define Spaces Without Walls
Similarly, Porter used a large, dark gray sofa to define the living room. An off-white rug softens the room and draws in comfortable seating: the sofa, custom upholstered blue chairs and contemporary metal-framed cow-hide chairs.
The lack of window treatments allows plenty of light in while keeping the space casual.
The lack of window treatments allows plenty of light in while keeping the space casual.
Porter designed a multitiered staircase to create more surfaces on which to hang artwork.
On the house’s main floor, this powder room is an example of how Porter balanced old with new. The wainscoting and patterned wallpaper draw on a classic aesthetic, while black paint on the wainscoting and stainless embellishments play to a contemporary one.
The classic-leaning home blends seamlessly with the 1920s bungalows in the neighborhood.
More: Houzz Tour: Modern Plays Nice in a Historic Houston Neighborhood
More: Houzz Tour: Modern Plays Nice in a Historic Houston Neighborhood
Meanwhile, the bright rug expresses the classic-meets-contemporary theme from the moment you walk in the door.