Cypress & Bluestone

Custom Home, New Build | Minneapolis, MN | Awards: Selected for the 2023 AIA MN Homes by Architects Tour

Our clients, an active father/daughter duo, approached us to design an urban home with a warm modern aesthetic. They sought an efficient home with a tuck-under garage, a balance of natural light and privacy, and support space for their outdoor activities. The site is a challenging, steeply sloping 50’ wide lot near Lake Harriet that had never been developed.

Column Farm & Front Porch

The large front porch echoes the ubiquitous porches of the historic homes in Minneapolis. The front porch also minimizes the prominence of the tuck-under garage by extending 8' out in front of the garage door.

The colonnade of thin metal columns serves as a privacy screen from the neighboring home and structural support for the large overhang. Notice how the cypress ceiling and Ipe decking boards are carefully cut around the columns.

Entry Hall & Stair

The tall stair hall serves as an internal lantern, rising high to fill the home with natural light. It captures southern light, which the living room and neighboring homes would otherwise block.

The white oak wall paneling clads the entry to welcome visitors inside. Notice how the panel seams are aligned with the middle of the stair treads and step lights are centered at each seam. The natural material brings warmth to the home's modern form.

Natural Materials

The clients wanted a "warm modern" aesthetic, so the modern, flat-roofed form is clad in warm, natural materials. Cypress was selected for the ceiling of the living room for its warm tone and natural texture. The cypress seamlessly flows to the exterior overhang, welcoming visitors into the home.

Bluestone's natural depth and variance give warmth to the modern form. Bluestone is used at the front porch facing the streetscape and the front door to greet visitors. It then wraps inside the house to become a fireplace that is the focal point of the living room/kitchen. The bluestone fireplace creates privacy from passersby.

Living Room: Balance of Natural Light & Privacy

The clients want an abundance of natural light but do not want to be "on display" at night when their home's interiors are aglow. The living room and stairs are wrapped with clerestory windows, which are large windows high above a person's head, and strategically placed windows drop to the floor. Clerestory windows provide natural light deep into space while providing privacy from the street.

Black Kitchen

The dark, bold kitchen serves as a counterpoint to the white oak floors and paneling that fill the home. ⁠ ⁠Blackened steel forms the kitchen hood, which sits above a Dekton countertop and backsplash. A matte-black pot filler is mounted to the backsplash. A 3" spice ledge, located behind the range, offers a surprising amount of storage. The cabinetry is made of Fenix, a matte and fingerprint-resistant material.

Dining Room & Guitar Wall

The homeowner is a multi-talented individual who, in addition to being an active biker and cross-country skier, plays in a band called "Home by Ten." He wanted a prominent space to display his guitars while still leaving them within arm's reach.

Back-of-House Support Spaces

The home’s “support spaces” are just as celebrated as the main living spaces. What we playfully called the “scullery” is located directly behind the kitchen for easy access, and has the same beautiful white oak cabinetry as the living space. The powder room has stunning teal tile (our client’s favorite color!).

Project Collaborators include Hage Homes, Ruth Johnson Interiors, Western Systems, and Bunkers and Associates Structural Engineers. Windows by Marvin.