The landmark Kaufmann House on Minneapolis’s Cedar Lake has had a handful of owners since it was built in 1936. Thankfully, all have loved it enough to preserve one of Minnesota’s finest examples of International Style architecture. Designed by James Brunet for original owners V. Mel and Henet Kaufmann — a couple of architecture aficionados who embraced what was new and exciting at the time — the home offers geometric shapes, ribbon windows (especially around corners) and unadorned white surfaces. In short, it made a bold statement then, as it does now.
Photography by Rob Grosse / Spacecrafting
Its current owner, Amy Langer, had long admired the abode and even toured it when the property was for sale in 2016, but she didn’t make an offer at the time. “I was running a company and raising three boys and didn’t think I could manage it,” she recalls. “But I felt like I missed out.” So seven years later, when the house came back on the market, Langer bought it. The timing was better. Her boys were now almost out of high school or in college, and she was ready for a change of scenery.
The four-bed, four-and-a-half-bath, 4,134-square-foot residence had been well cared for, but Langer wanted to warm up the interior. But given the home’s architectural significance and historic landmark status, she didn’t want to go it alone. She knew designer Martha Dayton through a women’s business leadership organization and hired her for the project.
“I like how Martha doesn’t follow strict rules,” Langer explains. “Her design process is fluid, and she understands how to add femininity that doesn’t feel childlike. The neon art over the fireplace is a good example.” She points out an acrylic framed painting by Minneapolis artist Teo Nguyen, superimposed with pink neon letters spelling “wow” — a word Langer chose from an anecdote about how physicist Stephen Hawking looked at the world through eyes of wonder. The commissioned artwork was a collaboration between Dayton, Nguyen and Matt Thompson from Skyline Neon.
The designer was already a fan of the house. “It’s on one of my favorite streets in Minneapolis, with only about a dozen homes that sit right on the shore of Cedar Lake,” says Dayton. She and Project Manager/Designer Lauren Allis knew the home’s historic designation would limit the project’s scope, so they focused on compatible, fresh finishes and minor architectural changes.
One tough decision centered around the kitchen floor, which thankfully wasn’t original to the house. A colorful, geometric tile, it felt too busy and cold to Langer, who wanted something lighter. So they extended the pale wood living room flooring into the space. The team also replaced the kitchen’s stainless-steel countertops with stone and removed the glass from a pass-through window into the den to make it easier to participate in conversation or watch TV from the space.
Adding a tufted banquette along the curved kitchen window wall answered the request for more seating in the narrow space. The bench follows the curves of the room and is a magnet for people and pets alike. “My boys love to sprawl out on it,” says Langer. “And I often throw a sheepskin up there for our dog, Luna.” Amazingly, the kitchen cabinets didn’t need a thing, save for re-engineering the inside of the tiny reach-in pantry (with charming half-moon doors) to maximize storage by creating a step-in pantry with shelving on three sides: some shallow for cans and dry goods, and some deeper to house the microwave.
The Kaufmann House has been called “a box of light,” because of the abundance of sun that shines through the windows. It’s also a box of views. “Every sightline is intentional,” says Langer. “Every room has a view of the water. And not just a view, a stunning view.”
The team complemented the home’s brightness and views with a confident color palette that accentuates its strong architectural lines, beginning with what Allis calls a hero color: deep rose. “Amy told us early on that she wanted her home to feel feminine and fun,” says the designer. “She’s such a vibrant person and wasn’t afraid of taking risks.”
In the living room, a mix of vintage and new furnishings makes up two seating areas on either side of the fireplace. One features a pair of rosy shell chairs — a major vintage find considering they didn’t need to be reupholstered — and a custom double sofa that looks in both directions, either for conversation or lake gazing. On the other side of the fireplace is a more intimate area with matching blush hair-on-hide, metallic leather chairs and a small marble game table. A few additional glossy surfaces and shiny accessories add glitz without detracting from the room’s soft, inviting feel.
The powder room, however, is all glamour. Here, Dayton and Allis turned up the volume by wrapping the walls and ceiling in striking Moooi handwoven wallpaper and adding a flossy vintage mirror that emphasizes the original shelves, sink, sconces and tile.
The primary bedroom suite is on the top floor, a thoughtful 2010 addition by architect Lars Peterssen with a bedroom, bath, closet and small seating area overlooking the lake. Because the bed and side tables were built-in and the bathroom was in perfect condition, the space only needed fresh textiles, accessories and a few new furnishings. Vintage played a significant role here, too: a pair of cobalt Murano bedside lamps and a chaise lounge in the sitting room (which Langer sometimes works from with her laptop), reupholstered in a sumptuous crushed velvet. “You have to do some digging, but vintage pieces add more personality and have a story behind them — and Amy appreciates a story,” says Allis.
This renovation story has a happy ending. Langer loves the home and says that it feels just as good when she’s hosting gatherings as it does when she’s relaxing with her fiancé or welcoming all the kids home.
“When I bought this house, I wasn’t sure if we could really create a modern home where you could still feel like you can lie on the couch and hang out,” she says. “But Martha and Lauren nailed it. It feels like a warm home, not a museum.”
Project Partners
Interior designer: Martha Dayton Design
Architects: James Brunet, Lars Peterssen
Builder: Dovetail
