Photography by Canary Grey
When you grow up in a home by Bruce Kading, nothing compares to the nuanced layers found throughout. He and his team bring a special magic to all projects, be it a brownstone in New York City or a hunting lodge up north. From lighting to fabric, ambiance to authenticity, they treat each client like family while creating an artful sense of comfort and delight.
That’s exactly why the adult son of a longtime client turned to the Minneapolis interior designer when it came time to imagine his own family home some 30 years later. “It must have rubbed off on him one way or another,” Kading surmises. “Now he’s married with three young children, so he asked me to help out.”
The client had purchased a spacious shingle-style house in Edina originally built in the 1990s. With 7,500 square feet and five bedrooms, it boasts an open floor plan and magnificent millwork — but needed that Kading touch. “My childhood home was always so well coordinated with careful attention to detail,” the homeowner shares. “We wanted the rooms to flow together and coordinate with each other, much like my parents’ home. Bruce is extraordinarily talented in accessorizing rooms to make them feel finished.”
One way Kading achieves his trademark warmth is with his deft sense of color, a careful mix of subtle hues with character and depth. In this abode, the wood paneling around the living room fireplace wall is painted one of the designer’s favorite moody blues, Benjamin Moore Bracken Slate. “It’s a muddy blue gray that gives the space a focal point that feels newer and younger,” he describes.
That same blue continues into the adjoining kitchen, where it adorns the woodwork of the new center island. A burnished pewter hood above the stove adds a note of luster, while nearby two brass ceiling lights offer a lovely mélange of metals. “It gives a punch to the whole space,” Kading explains. “I love combining materials and textures to make a space look and feel as though it evolved over time.”
It definitely took some planning when it came to the home’s elegant coffered ceilings, which feature a gentle play of color. While the ceiling is painted a flat white, the wood beams are the same hue but in a satin finish. That ever subtle shift in sheen makes all the difference.
Quintessential Kading comfort is on full display in the family’s charming breakfast nook, where warm sunshine floods in. Here, a spirited assortment of pillows and patterns brings a sense of joy. “I like adding chairs on one side so it’s not all built in, making it feel a bit friendlier,” Kading points out. “The wallpaper is wonderful because the pattern has a sense of nostalgia to it yet it’s still very fresh looking.”
Throughout the home, on bookcases and consoles, is an inspired mingling of accessories that feel like they’ve been carefully collected over time. That’s no accident — Kading is a big believer in blending antiques and time-honored treasures into the design. “My team and I love repurposing favorite family pieces,” he explains. “We’ll often rewire vintage lamps to add a real sense of quality and timelessness.”
But of course there’s always room for play in a Bruce Kading interior. Case in point: the chic little sporting club tucked into the lower level walkout. Here, a high-tech golf simulator provides year-round fun. Charming bistro tables let onlookers grab a seat, while antique golf clubs adorn the walls. “This is definitely my favorite room since I’m an avid golfer,” the homeowner says. “We knew we wanted a country club feel to the space, and Bruce really brought that vision to life.”
Indeed, making those dreams a reality for a new generation is one of Kading’s most rewarding tasks. And now, a third generation is growing up in this exquisite Edina home, continuing that legacy of layered, thoughtful design. “The homeowners grew up with quality,” the designer affirms. “I’m delighted to help them make it part of their own family’s narrative.”
