Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Modern Warmth in Minneapolis
Lots of wood, neutral hues and custom touches make this sleek home a cozy place for a couple and their extended family
Ever since designing a vacation home for this Minnesota couple 15 years ago, architect Tim Quigley has stayed friends and bicycling buddies with them. On one of their bicycling forays last year, the couple mentioned a desire to build a new full-time residence in Minneapolis where they could entertain, grow old and host their grandchildren. The result is a contemporary gem with plenty of wood and warm custom touches.
The front entry opens to the living room, which shares an open floor plan with the dining room. The living room has 12-foot ceilings that come down to 9 feet in the dining room, which has windows overlooking the backyard. Throughout the first level, the trim and ceilings are birch, the floor is oak, and most of the cabinetry is anigre. The fireplace on the right (finished with Venetian plaster) divides the more formal living and entertaining area from the television lounge on the other side.
As in the dining room, the TV lounge has lower ceilings to give the room a more intimate feel. The wood also warms up the modern aesthetic. Throughout the house, Quigley designed built-ins to maximize the space and add a custom touch.
Also on the first level is the “salon,” with custom cabinetry built into the walls. Art, books and contemporary furniture are enjoyed here, along with conversation. A foldout sofa allows the salon to double as a guest bedroom. In the future, the couple plan to use this first-floor room as their bedroom, since a bathroom lies immediately off this space.
The dining room opens to the kitchen, which is framed with wood to demarcate this space from the rest of the open first floor. The waterfall walnut top on the island contrasts with the white (with a hint of gray-green) glass tile backsplash.
Quigley took inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright, who was famous for altering ceiling heights to draw people through his homes and create a sense of wonder and curiosity. Quigley does the same here. The kitchen’s extensive wood embraces the homeowners before the ceiling opens up in the living area.
The kitchen and dining room both have anigre cabinetry with glass fronts and stainless steel frames. The cabinets in the kitchen are suspended from a wood slab that captures the stove hood and vent “to keep the design as light and modern as possible,” Quigley says.
The open-tread staircase to the second level features wood, cable and steel. “Hidden in the wall is a steel plate to hold the staircase in place,” Quigley says. “It’s rock solid.”
In the master bedroom upstairs, Quigley inserted a built-in shelf for reading glasses and memorabilia, and a large framed area with soffit lighting for artwork. Built-in bookcases beneath the large windows provide plenty of storage. The bedroom includes a walk-in closet for her, and a built-in dresser and standard closet for him.
Color shows up in the blue tile of the master bath. “Beige is really the couple’s default color choice,” Quigley says. “So a bit of color in a room felt like a bold choice for them.” The master bath has quartz countertops. As in the other bathrooms, the anigre cabinetry floats above the floor to continue the home’s feeling of spaciousness.
The upper-level deck provides the couple with considerable privacy and a view of the quiet neighborhood. The hot tub is tucked on one side, with a modern table and chairs on the other. The deck floor is TimberTech. The railing is cable and steel.
Below the hot tub deck, and directly off the kitchen, is a first-level deck and outdoor space. The attached garage provides a sheltering wall. The deck floor is TimberTech.
A Cor-Ten steel planter adds a dash of color and ruggedness. The planter also separates the deck from the alley immediately behind the house.
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Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes| Townhouses | Traditional Homes| Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple of empty nesters
Size: 3,800 square feet (353 square meters)
Location: Minneapolis
Designer: Quigley Architects
The couple asked for “an unabashedly modern house that was great for entertaining,” says Tim Quigley, founder and principal of Quigley Architects. “But for the interior, they wanted a warm modern space, not chrome, steel and glass.” Located on a lot across from Minnehaha Creek, the house is positioned with large windows and clerestories at the front to take in the view. The house is clad in stucco and HardiePlank lap siding.