Few companies in town are willing to take on the challenges of hold homes, they are not easy, but the end result, with a few added doses of patience makes the project and end result worth the wait. Our clients knew they wanted to dig their roots into SW Minneapolis, the community and proximity to the lakes with walkable activities, encouraged the search for an old home with renovation qualities. Sitting on the hilltop near Lake Harriet, this 1916 home had the bones and the square feet to reimagine into a modern style home.

A 1916 Renovation Reveal: Blending History with Modern Style

Design Trends, Featured, Kitchen Renovation, Whole House Renovation

November 10, 2024

The challenges of hold homes, they are not easy, but the end result, with a dose of patience makes the project and end result worth the wait. Our clients knew they wanted to dig their roots into SW Minneapolis, the community and proximity to the lakes with walkable activities, encouraged the search for an old home with renovation qualities. Sitting on the hilltop near Lake Harriet, this 1916 home had the bones and the square feet to reimagine into a modern style home.

1916 renovation, blending history with modern style. Custom birch cabinetry, custom stain, aged brass and plaster light fixtures with oversized awing window and quartz countertops.

What It Takes to Renovate an Old Home

Read our previous post on complications in renovating old homes here. It’s not easy, simply put. But with a seasoned team and a process that is well structured, anything is possible. This home, in particular was built over 100 years ago. With uneven floors, rotten windows and stucco, and a non-functional fireplace that ran from the basement through the attic, there were several major structural issues that needed to be addressed, and the homeowners were also looking for more storage and entertaining solutions as well.

What We Did

All four levels of the house were completely gutted and remodeled, showcasing our design-build team’s ability to utilize existing square feet to encompass five bedrooms and bathrooms without the need for an addition.

Floors were reframed to be level, windows replaced, and new roofing and vertical panel James Hardie siding installed. The woodburning fireplace was obsolete and removed to create space for a modern-day HVAC system. The house was updated with all new mechanicals, electrical wiring, plumbing pipes, and spray foam insulation.

Custom Concrete Fireplace Surround: Living Stone Concrete Design

Chair by Jessica Charles via Rabbit Creek at International Market Square

1916 renovation, blending history with modern style. custom concrete fireplace surround.

The formal dining room was transformed into a larger kitchen space, while the previous kitchen was converted into a mudroom and powder room. The existing attached single-car garage was also removed, and a new detached garage built in its stead, which provides space for two cars plus additional storage.

New millwork was designed to resemble the original but with a more interesting shape, and the home’s original beveled glass doors were also renewed and reused to further preserve the homes’s historic character.

1916 renovation, blending history with modern style. Reusing the homes original bevels glass doors, and custom millwork to preserve the original character.

Why Design Build?

Our Interior Design team is also well versed in old homes, modern traditional design aesthetic, formally trained and also years of experience partnering with the construction side for practical implementation of all design ideas.

A few of the design ideas in this home are organic elements such as solid white oak floors, custom birch cabinetry, and custom concrete — found in the fireplace surround, kitchen backsplash and countertops, and natural stone bathroom floor tiles — create a timeless sense of sophistication, while a sauna and cold plunge room are the perfect modern-day additions to this historic renovation.

Design Resources Revealed

The selections we used in the kitchen space specifically are listed here:

Custom Cabinetry: Design and built in house, our cabinet team specializes in European frameless style cabinet design. This kitchen was done in Birch with a custom stain, 1″ bevel door style, paired with Benjamin Moore Natural Cream paint grade cabinetry.

Countertops: Renaissance Quartzite sourced from Midwest Specialty covers the island, perimeter and custom 18″ backsplash height.

Appliances: Thermador, including an induction cooktop, fridge drawers inside the island, 36″ integrated 36″ refrigerator, wall oven painted with a built in microwave, and beverage fridge.

Lighting: We partnered with our local showroom, Rabbit Creek, for all lighting this home. The kitchen is exclusively Visual Comfort.

Ashton Sconce in Gilded Iron

Ashton Sculpted Linear Chandelier in Plaster White

Plumbing: Brizo Odin in Luxe Gold single pull down faucet and cold water dispenser.

Cabinet Hardware: Restoration Hardware Lambeth Pull and Knobs in Polished Brass.

Windows: Pella Windows featuring a unique awning window at the sink.

Flooring: 3″ Rift White Oak, water base finish.

Wall and Millwork Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore White Dove

Runner: Lulu and Georgia Keziah Flatweave Jute Blend

If you’re eager to explore even more possibilities for enhancing your home, consider reaching out to our team to learn more about our design and build services.

If you’d like to discuss a future design or renovation project, let’s connect!

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