Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: 3 Design Styles, 1 Minnesota Tudor
Color, tradition and playful design meet in a Tudor family home near Minneapolis, and everyone is happy
Defining a personal style can be the hardest part of home design. Style changes and evolves over time, and often it's hard to figure out what it actually was in the first place. Some designers have a knack for expressing a client's style perfectly. For others, the evolution of a client's style help make the house a home.
Lucy Penfield of Lucy Interior Design worked on this Tudor in Edina, in a suburb of Minneapolis, for 12 years. Over that time, the client's style changed drastically. While the West Coast wife loves art and color, the East Coast husband has a more traditional style, and their 12-year-old daughter loves playful designs. Penfield designed a more traditional main floor incorporating neutrals and rich colors, and then created a colorful modern Moroccan teen lounge downstairs, successfully combining all the clients' styles into one beautiful home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple and their 12-year-old daughter
Location: Edina, Minnesota
Size: 5,000 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 5 baths
That's interesting: Penfield had the floor of the basement dug down by a foot to increase the height of the room.
Lucy Penfield of Lucy Interior Design worked on this Tudor in Edina, in a suburb of Minneapolis, for 12 years. Over that time, the client's style changed drastically. While the West Coast wife loves art and color, the East Coast husband has a more traditional style, and their 12-year-old daughter loves playful designs. Penfield designed a more traditional main floor incorporating neutrals and rich colors, and then created a colorful modern Moroccan teen lounge downstairs, successfully combining all the clients' styles into one beautiful home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A young couple and their 12-year-old daughter
Location: Edina, Minnesota
Size: 5,000 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 5 baths
That's interesting: Penfield had the floor of the basement dug down by a foot to increase the height of the room.
The basement had only southern- and western-facing windows, so natural light was limited. Penfield made every color stand out and enhanced each little bit of light by painting all the walls and trim in Benjamin Moore's Super White.
Paint color on built-in: Dark Salmon, Benjamin Moore
Paint color on built-in: Dark Salmon, Benjamin Moore
A small kitchen and bar area was installed for late-night snacks and entertaining. A pint-size refrigerator holds all the necessities, and a stainless steel counter and backsplash make for easy cleanup.
The original basement was a dingy and dark space with unfinished concrete floors and a 7-foot-high ceiling. Windows were installed at every available angle to increase the light and the view.
The white walls and cabinetry in the lounge area are punctuated with cheerful accessories and trim in colorful hues. The white shades allow plenty of light in, while their contrasting trim provides definition.
The white walls and cabinetry in the lounge area are punctuated with cheerful accessories and trim in colorful hues. The white shades allow plenty of light in, while their contrasting trim provides definition.
The blue Moroccan bathroom downstairs is one of Penfield's favorite spaces in the house; it was inspired by a recent trip to Marrakech. "The hunt-and-gather process for furniture is my favorite," she says. "I love to pull from travels — hence the Moroccan-inspired tile wall. I had just returned from a two-week culinary adventure in Morocco, and the colbalt blue was everywhere"
Accent wall: Waterworks; vanity: custom, painted Super White, Benjamin Moore; floor tile: Waterworks concrete, Blue Note; wall sconces: custom
Accent wall: Waterworks; vanity: custom, painted Super White, Benjamin Moore; floor tile: Waterworks concrete, Blue Note; wall sconces: custom
The cheerful laundry room was the first room to be redesigned, and it inspired all of other rooms on the basement level. New countertops and cabinetry, colorful built-ins and a painted concrete floor transformed this space. A cute set of curtains hides drying laundry when guests come over. "She loves doing laundry now," says Penfield of the client. "Who wouldn't?"
Paint color on built-in shelves: Raspberry Pudding, Benjamin Moore and Cocktail Hour, Hirshfield's
Paint color on built-in shelves: Raspberry Pudding, Benjamin Moore and Cocktail Hour, Hirshfield's
Upstairs, the home has a very different vibe. The main living spaces fall closer in line with the home's traditional Tudor structure. Limestone countertops, a copper hood and dark wood cabinetry lend a more sophisticated style to the upstairs kitchen. The antique maps on the wall were chosen to commemorate important locations in the clients' lives — colleges, grandparents' homes and hometowns are all represented. "We wanted to weave a story," says Penfield. "I love how it shows a cross-country history."
Backsplash: Waterworks marble mosaic; hood: custom copper; chandelier: iron, Dennis + Leen; countertops: Cambria limestone
Backsplash: Waterworks marble mosaic; hood: custom copper; chandelier: iron, Dennis + Leen; countertops: Cambria limestone
The decor evolved to reflect the couple's different styles and backgrounds. "I think as a newly married couple, we're safer — perhaps pleasing each other and compromising," says Penfield. "I think the East Coast conservative side spoke louder in earlier years."
Hand-crafted accessories, high-quality textiles and a more subtle palette fall in line with the home's traditional architecture. The home's original small windows didn't let enough light into the main living spaces, so Penfield helped design an addition on the south side, which accommodates the family room and wraparound windows.
Area rug: custom hand-knotted wool, Nepal; ottomans: custom with raffia and jute fringe, Samuel + Sons; coffee table: Woodland paint and glaze
Hand-crafted accessories, high-quality textiles and a more subtle palette fall in line with the home's traditional architecture. The home's original small windows didn't let enough light into the main living spaces, so Penfield helped design an addition on the south side, which accommodates the family room and wraparound windows.
Area rug: custom hand-knotted wool, Nepal; ottomans: custom with raffia and jute fringe, Samuel + Sons; coffee table: Woodland paint and glaze
The family is active and loves to entertain, so Penfield used practical materials, all-weather fabrics and durable finishes for all the main living spaces. Halfway through the home's renovation, the family decided to get two cats, so Penfield integrated cat-friendly fabrics into the space as well.
Table and chairs: McGuire; walls: textured plaster, Otto Painting Design; couch: A. Rudin, Clarence House fabric
Table and chairs: McGuire; walls: textured plaster, Otto Painting Design; couch: A. Rudin, Clarence House fabric
Since it took over a decade to complete this home's design, the look in each room evolved over time. A new love for color was eventually expressed, and Penfield integrated subtle punches into more neutral settings. Red fabrics in the living room and kitchen add visual interest, while the chocolate and turquoise toile bedspread balances feminine and masculine influences. "I love the balance of yin and yang, which is shown in color and pattern," Penfield says.
Bedding: China Seas Pagoda toile; bed frame: custom; table lamps: Hwang Bishop; bench: antique
Bedding: China Seas Pagoda toile; bed frame: custom; table lamps: Hwang Bishop; bench: antique
The master bath has a balance of new and old, sticking with traditional fixtures and patterns but playing with more modern color palettes. "Embrace the architecture, but don't let it choke you," says Penfield. "We were always respectful of the architecture but then had some fun to let our personality shine."
Roman shade: Conrad Shades, Clarence House fabric; side table: Waterworks wicker drum; floor: limestone planks
Roman shade: Conrad Shades, Clarence House fabric; side table: Waterworks wicker drum; floor: limestone planks
The client loved the idea of the napping window seat, so Penfield enlarged the window and added remote-operated window shades.
Window seat paint: Whales Green, Benjamin Moore; ottomans: from Morocco; sectional: custom, A. Rudin, Romo fabric; side tables: House Eclectic