Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: English Gables Meet Parisian Chic in Minnesota
This suburban home blends English style on the outside with French country decor inside
Jeff Murphy initially undertook the design of this home at the request of a single professional guy, who wanted a casual, English-cottage-style house. But over time, the man’s girlfriend became a fiancée and then his wife. And the couple decided that the interiors would go decidedly French in direction, “a pared-down French look that’s monochromatic and simple, but with an emphasis on classic moldings, paneled walls, beamed ceilings and intricately carved fireplaces,” Murphy says. “Much like a Parisian apartment.” Today, an entire family enjoys the lovely home with an open first-floor plan, easy access to the outdoors, and cozy areas for reading and play.
The home’s English-style exterior is accentuated by the sturdy beams at the front entrance and a mix of casement windows, some with a diamond grid pattern.
Renovation Detail: The Casement Window
Renovation Detail: The Casement Window
The attention to English-style details extends to the hand-sawn corbels at the top of the big wood beams. Actual wood pegs in the cedar corbels add an extra measure of authenticity.
A large outdoor living area was a top priority for the family. “We developed the plan of the house to embrace the outdoor spaces, which are gathered around the swimming pool,” Murphy says. The flagstone tile around the pool matches the front walkway and appears at the base of the chimneys.
The small rectangular structure at the right is the pool cabana. It is clad in a thin horizontal siding to differentiate it from the rest of the house and break up the massing. The cabana connects with the master bedroom.
The small rectangular structure at the right is the pool cabana. It is clad in a thin horizontal siding to differentiate it from the rest of the house and break up the massing. The cabana connects with the master bedroom.
Stone chimneys straight from the pages of a Cotswold picture book rise above one end of the outdoor living space. Next to the wood-burning fireplace is a barbecue sheltered by an overhang that also covers the outdoor living room.
The outdoor living space and pool face a thick woods, which provides the family with plenty of privacy. The sloped ceiling is clad in cedar. The fireplace is a white limestone hand-carved by a local craftsman born in France. This outdoor space connects directly with the living room and kitchen inside the home.
The open-plan living room and kitchen open directly to the outdoors. A fireplace of hand-carved white limestone nestles into a corner. Murphy and his team designed storage along the paneled wall to artfully house the homeowner’s extensive collection of audiovisual electronics.
The beams in the vaulted ceiling are reclaimed alder stained a deep walnut color. They are a stunning point of interest in the otherwise creamy room.
The beams in the vaulted ceiling are reclaimed alder stained a deep walnut color. They are a stunning point of interest in the otherwise creamy room.
When the glass doors are hidden in pockets behind the fireplace, the living room opens up directly to the pool and outdoor living area.
The living area also opens into a casual eating area next to the kitchen, which has direct access to the outdoor living space as well. The lower ceiling height brings an element of intimacy to these spaces. The stained beams, as in the living room, provide an elegant contrast to the cream-colored interior. The floors are bleached oak.
The stove backsplash is a light French blue tile in a chevron pattern, “a nod to the muted blue colors often seen in French decor,” Murphy says. He and his team added lovely curves to the cabinetry and plentiful storage in the island.
The stove is built into the cabinetry, the vent hood is tucked in a curved nook overhead, and the refrigerator is hidden behind panels matching the cabinet doors — all contributing to a seamless effect. The birch and poplar cabinetry was painted the same elegant cream enamel, for continuity throughout the spaces.
The island has intricately carved details. Its walnut top provides a match point with the dark ceiling beams.
The island has intricately carved details. Its walnut top provides a match point with the dark ceiling beams.
A simple pantry off the kitchen offers plentiful storage for ingredients, serving dishes and other containers.
Photo Flip: 80 Practical and Pretty Pantries
Photo Flip: 80 Practical and Pretty Pantries
The laundry room on the first level takes French country down to its essentials, with simple cabinets and a deep utilitarian sink with a board backsplash.
8 Ways to Love Trough Sinks
8 Ways to Love Trough Sinks
Doors in the master bedroom open to the pool area. The hand-carved white limestone fireplace sits back-to-back with the fireplace in the living room. An overlay panel in the bed niche is “very French and provides a sense of coziness,” Murphy says, as the ceiling vaults up above the fireplace. Built-in bookcases keep storage simple and organized. The walls are painted a soft gray that has a touch of muted French blue.
The long tub in the master bath, with windows on three sides looking into the woods, is perfect for a private soak. The marble tile floor is inset with a weave surrounded by a Greek key border.
In the master bath, the floors and countertops are marble. A hall to the left of the shower leads to the pool cabana, which has a sauna, bathroom and changing room.
A formal dining room is accentuated by a bow window. The coffered ceiling has multiple layers of molding.
When the couple began having children, the den (in a corner of the house next to the dining room and master bedroom) became essential for reading, playing games and quiet time. “This was the last room in the house to be designed,” Murphy says. Because the exterior roofline came down into the space, “we came up with a stepped-down ceiling design that rises up again in the middle, to organize the room.” The built-in bookcases have the same board background as the backsplash in the laundry room.
For this family, maximizing their time outdoors with a living space was essential. “They enjoy spending time outside and in the water,” Murphy says. “Not only do the living room and kitchen open to the outdoors, so does the master suite.” (The children’s bedrooms are upstairs.) “They really wanted the focal point of the house, from the inside, to be the water and woods beyond.”
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Houzz at a Glance:
Who lives here: A couple and their two children
Location: Wayzata, Minnesota
Designer: Jeff Murphy of Murphy & Co.
The house started out as an English cottage, which is reflected in the stone and shingle siding and in the variety of steeply gabled roof forms, all within the English style with no rake overhangs. A flagstone walkway leads to the front entrance of the house, which sits on a wooded lot in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.