Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Fresh and Calming Design for a New Family Home
A couple with a young child create their dream home with a mix of rustic and traditional design
A professional couple with a newborn decided to build a new home on an empty wooded lot in a rural suburb of Minneapolis. To balance the rustic touch their builder is known for, they called on designer Bria Hammel to create a fresh and calming design scheme. The interiors started with black walnut floors — the homeowners’ preference — which Hammel then balanced with a light, soft color palette throughout.
The hand-knotted wool rug inspired the light and airy color palette throughout much of the main level. Designer Hammel matched the rug’s buttery yellow hue and ivory, pale blue and gray accents with the cream-colored walls, yellow chairs and camel-hued elements. The large mirror over the fireplace mantel helps “anchor the wall without stealing the show from the gorgeous stone of the fireplace,” Hammel says.
The design team created a special niche for the dining room, to set it apart. The formality of the designated space and the high-back chairs is offset with expansive views to the woods, a distressed wood dining table, buffalo check curtains and a pair of modern chandeliers. “We hung the chandeliers high to maintain the views,” Hammel says. Throughout the home, white painted trim provides a fresh contrast with the rich walnut floors.
After the homeowners saw a kitchen table built right into an island, they asked for something similar for their own open kitchen. They also wanted chairs for the kids, as opposed to counter stools. “We found the base and then designed a table, matching the finish to the chairs,” Hammel says. “The darker color matches the floors and provides a nice contrast with the all-white kitchen.”
The kitchen sits in the middle of the house, with custom-designed cabinets extending to the 10-foot ceiling. The large island, topped with quartzite, has a sink in the center. An additional prep area with refrigerator, ovens and pantry is off to the left.
The kitchen sits in the middle of the house, with custom-designed cabinets extending to the 10-foot ceiling. The large island, topped with quartzite, has a sink in the center. An additional prep area with refrigerator, ovens and pantry is off to the left.
Hammel achieved aesthetic balance in the pantry by pairing granite-topped gray cabinetry with white window trim, black walnut flooring and yellow wallpaper. “This way, as with the other rooms in the home, the decor doesn’t scream an era or a decade,” she says. “It’s fresh and timeless, as it blends warm and cool.”
The powder room off the entry foyer and kitchen features a custom-designed curve in the vanity top, where the fixtures are plumbed in, to add interest. Hammel also included antique mirror behind the vanity’s cabinets. “We love the soft details in this bath, which has 10-foot ceilings and narrow walls,” she says. Carrara marble and warm Schumacher wallpaper also make the room both functional and beautiful, the designer says.
Upstairs in the master bedroom, Hammel added ceiling beams to create a layer of interest. Large windows bring the wooded outdoors in, while a soft color palette of blue, pink and cream gives the room a refined air. The homeowners brought the sofa and bed with them; Hammel and her team added the ottoman, bench, pillows and bedding.
The deep, luxurious Victoria + Albert free-standing tub is the focal point of the restful, relaxing master bathroom. The owners wanted an elegant feel in this room. The bath includes a “rug” inlay of marble tile, custom cabinetry and pocket doors; large windows provide views, and shades offer privacy.
The house goes high-tech in the basement theater. Hammel introduced white leather theater seats “to keep the windowless room from being too dark and heavy,” she says, and “designed the acoustic panels, with the help of a theater company, so the fabric coordinates.”
The basement has been fully built out and furnished as a family entertainment center. This bathroom off the outdoor pool has hooks for clothing and tools, along with a cement trough sink with wood frame that brings a more minimalist, modern aesthetic into the basement.
The bar area in the basement, with its own small kitchen area, is the go-to spot for pizzas and beverages. Chrome pendant lights and finishes, along with gray painted wood cabinetry, contrast with the lighter aesthetic upstairs. The countertop is marble.
A bathroom off the theater room nods to the 1920s with this lively geometric wallpaper and custom-designed vanity.
“We love this project, but the homeowners do even more,” Hammel says. “They shared their vision with us, then let us run with it. We did everything from initial planning to helping them choose bathroom towels. It was an A-to-Z project, our favorite kind.”
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“We love this project, but the homeowners do even more,” Hammel says. “They shared their vision with us, then let us run with it. We did everything from initial planning to helping them choose bathroom towels. It was an A-to-Z project, our favorite kind.”
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 professional couple and their toddler
Location: Stillwater, Minnesota
Size: Five bedrooms, five bathrooms
Designer: Bria Hammel
Builder: Divine Custom Homes
Throughout the home, achieving a balance between light and dark, formal and rustic, and traditional and high-tech was key. In the living room, the soft cream walls contrast with the dark walnut floors, the wood resin chandelier has a rustic formality, and the limestone fireplace with its white painted wood mantel is topped with a large round mirror that suits the scale.
The 20-foot sliding glass doors open out onto a deck, creating transparency between indoors and outdoors. Both a full-length bug screen and shades are tucked into a header and can be electronically operated.