Like so many of life's decisions, home choices are often a reaction to what's come before.
Years of slapping bugs spur a decision to finally build a screened-in porch. Likewise, toilet training a toddler in an upstairs bathroom pushes a first-floor powder room up the priority list.
For one Twin Cities couple, that kind of backward inspiration came from the chopped up layout, dark wood and drafts in their 1970s-era home. They wanted an open floor plan with a modern European feel. And they were determined to make the most of energy-saving technologies.
Although they toyed with the idea of doing a whole-house remodeling, it made sense to start from scratch, in part because the husband is a builder. So they enlisted the help of Mark Larson of Minneapolis-based Rehkamp Larson Architects to design a house for a sloping, wooded Eden Prairie lot. He created a contemporary, 3,500-square-foot rambler that fits seamlessly into the topography.
Planning for change
Because the couple plan to retire in their new home, Larson tried to anticipate how their needs would change as they aged. The design he came up with keeps all the essentials -- a master suite, two bedrooms, kitchen, living room, office, laundry -- on one floor. Clerestory windows shoot added light through the main space. It's so bright that there's rarely a need to flip a switch on even the cloudiest days.
A windowed stair tower connects the main floor to the basement and the front of the house to the back yard, which the owners landscaped with plants native to Minnesota. To save on costs, Larson covered the back of the fireplace (which is also the wall of the front hall) with painted sheetrock rectangles that beautifully reference the prairie-style lines of the home's exterior.
High energy efficiency
