Sleek Open-Plan Design for a ‘Brady Bunch Modern’ House
A remodel gives these Minnesota empty nesters a longed-for great room in their 1970s home
“It always was a nice house,” says architect Carl Olson. But the 1974 Minneapolis-area home whose style he describes as “Brady Bunch modern” was full of small rooms. As soon as their last child left for college, the homeowners decided they wanted one open area on the first floor for living, dining, relaxing, cooking and entertaining. The challenge was to open up the core of the house without the structure falling down. They succeeded by integrating a fireplace at the room’s center. The aesthetic? “Simple, distilled modern — as clean as we could make it — with a classic subdued palette of mostly natural materials,” Olson says.
“One of the big moves was the fireplace,” placed where there had been a structural support wall, Olson says. A steel column inside the fireplace “holds up the whole house. Some impressive structural work made that possible.”
The design team also had to ensure the fireplace was tall enough to separate the living and dining areas, to give these rooms within the large open first floor some definition, but low enough to keep light coming in from an existing clerestory window.
Because of city codes, the fireplace had to be designed to convert easily to wood-burning should a future owner choose that option. “To do a fireplace like this took some real commitment from the homeowners,” Olson says.
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The design team also had to ensure the fireplace was tall enough to separate the living and dining areas, to give these rooms within the large open first floor some definition, but low enough to keep light coming in from an existing clerestory window.
Because of city codes, the fireplace had to be designed to convert easily to wood-burning should a future owner choose that option. “To do a fireplace like this took some real commitment from the homeowners,” Olson says.
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The vaulted ceiling and floor-to-ceiling and clerestory windows were already part of the house. The home’s furnishings and decor were selected by the homeowners and Andrew Flesher of Andrew Flesher Interiors. Some of the furnishings the owners reused or had re-covered; other items were purchased new. A muted color palette of brown, tan and gold keeps things quiet in the gallery-like space, whose walls are Venetian plaster.
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A new window high on the far wall is juxtaposed with a custom-designed chandelier. The unadorned wall between the living area and entry was left bare for a future piece of art.
“The lighting was a pretty big deal on this project,” Olson says. The open space receives plenty of daylight. Recessed lights in the ceilings light the upper walls, to provide even, consistent light for future artwork. Floor lamps add balance and more intimate lighting during nighttime.
“The lighting was a pretty big deal on this project,” Olson says. The open space receives plenty of daylight. Recessed lights in the ceilings light the upper walls, to provide even, consistent light for future artwork. Floor lamps add balance and more intimate lighting during nighttime.
The design team kept the low ceiling in the front entry to provide a layering effect: While the living and dining areas have high, vaulted ceilings, the kitchen ceiling is also low. Throughout this level, the floors are European oak with a waxed finish.
Circular pendant lights made of feathers soften the square forms and straight edges of the dining room. “The playful nature of the feather fixtures plays nicely off of the more traditional and several modern geometric forms,” Olson says.
A custom-designed buffet of cerused walnut was recessed into the wall — and required some more structural work. “Here’s another place where we inserted some structural and mechanical necessities,” Olson explains. The buffet provides additional storage for dining room serving pieces.
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A custom-designed buffet of cerused walnut was recessed into the wall — and required some more structural work. “Here’s another place where we inserted some structural and mechanical necessities,” Olson explains. The buffet provides additional storage for dining room serving pieces.
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In the all-white kitchen, the island is massive: 20 feet long. It’s topped with Calacatta marble — the type Michelangelo preferred. “It was a challenge finding a natural marble that doesn’t have a lot of movement or crazy veining,” Olson says. “It had to be clear to work with the rest of the house.”
Cerused walnut cabinetry beneath the marble warms up the space. The custom cabinetry opposite was painted white with a gloss finish to “recede to the perimeter” of the kitchen and hide the appliances, Olson says. The skylights bring additional sunshine into the space. In combination with the low ceiling, the skylights “provide a sense of expansion that contrasts with the ceiling’s compression of the space,” Olson says.
Cerused walnut cabinetry beneath the marble warms up the space. The custom cabinetry opposite was painted white with a gloss finish to “recede to the perimeter” of the kitchen and hide the appliances, Olson says. The skylights bring additional sunshine into the space. In combination with the low ceiling, the skylights “provide a sense of expansion that contrasts with the ceiling’s compression of the space,” Olson says.
The wood-fire pizza oven was a must. One of homeowners’ relatives innovated a popular restaurant chain in Minneapolis and St. Paul specializing in Neapolitan-style pizza. Plus, the homeowners love to entertain. The pizza oven makes parties easy.
A custom-designed window seat at the far end of the kitchen overlooks the pool and outdoor living space and adds an additional area for reading, dreaming or relaxing. “There was a bay window here previously,” Olson says. “We squared it off and created the bench. They wanted another sitting area that opened up the back of the house to the pool while connecting with the kitchen.”
The classic 1970s split level received a fresh infusion of modern sensibility in this first-floor renovation. “The homeowners have a lot of family gatherings and lots of friends over,” Olson says. “They wanted everyone to be together in one area. In addition to openness, they wanted lots and lots of natural light. It’s a simple and as clean as we could make it.”
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Great Room at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple of empty nesters
Location: Edina, Minnesota
Size: 1,500 square feet (139 square meters)
Design team: Peterssen/Keller Architecture, Andrew Flesher Interiors, Streeter & Associates (contractor) and Michael Cohen of Schuler Shook (lighting consultant)
The transformation from midcentury rambler — with lots of walls compartmentalizing many small rooms — to a modern, light-filled space required some creative structural work and innovative design thinking. As a result, the new spaces center on a dramatic gas-log fireplace open on both sides and finished with Venetian plaster. The floating hearth was constructed from gun-blued steel.