This is not your Grandpa's farmhouse. It's an oh-so-modern structure clad in dramatic black-and-white metal — inspired by the yin-yang symbol of Chinese philosophy.
The home looks edgy and urban, but it is a working "farm" — with a vineyard in the front yard.
Vintner Billy Smith of Warehouse Winery built the modern farmhouse in 2009 on 2 acres of land in the heart of Wayzata. The property was part of the old Foxglove Farm, where pharmaceutical chemist Frederick Upsher-Smith once spent his summers, growing foxglove flowers and processing them in a shed to make the drug digitalis.
Smith originally bought the land and its 1910 farmhouse intending to subdivide it, but had an "epiphany," he told the Star Tribune in 2009. As a sculptor, he loved the look of mature grapevines he'd seen in California's Napa Valley. He started studying viticulture and ordered 400-plus vines of Marquette, a cold-climate variety developed by the University of Minnesota.
Since he was dabbling in agriculture, Smith decided to bring the property full-circle and build a new farmhouse, designed by architect Bill Costello, now with Elevation.
Murphy's yin-yang design for the house was inspired by the "dualities" of the project. "It's an almost agrarian site in the middle of downtown Wayzata," he said in 2009.
A 2-acre homesite just four blocks from Wayzata's upscale shops and restaurants and Lake Minnetonka is "very unusual," said listing agent Brad Lasser, Edina Realty.
Smith sold the property about five years ago to the current owners, who recently listed it for $2.25 million. They made changes to the home, Lasser said, including adding a fireplace, building a new foyer, adding custom shiplap and new flooring.
The 5,664-square-foot home has four bedrooms, each with a private deck, and six bathrooms.
There's also a unique metal-and-glass wine cellar, built under the staircase on the lower level.
The current owners don't make wine, Lasser said, but they do use the grapes. "They have a harvest party and make jelly."
Brad Lasser, 612-236-6787, Edina Realty, has the listing.
