How do you give a new house strength of character? By starting with the land, according to architect Andrea Swan. “Architecture should not outshine the landscape,” she says. The site was situated on four acres of gently sloping terrain west of the Twin Cities, where groups of mature oaks and arborvitae suggested a logical spot for her client’s new home — obliging rather than imposing on the setting by stretching out long and low, leaving much of the land open. Only the sky and trees loom large.
Photography by Bo Carlock and Rob Grosse/Spacecrafting
It’s an approach the homeowners came to appreciate on pandemic-era visits to California, where they decamped to a ranch-style house for a change of scenery with their three young boys. That experience prompted the couple to reconsider their multistory Colonial back home in favor of a more casual, single-story residence. Part of the appeal was the ease and closeness of being on the same level. Another more deeply felt and less tangible reason was the desire to feel more connected to the land in a way that seems to slow life down.
They found this parcel and contacted Swan, who had helped them renovate their previous house and knows the couple well. “They’re stylish, unpretentious people,” she says. “A home for them needs to be beautiful but, every bit as important, approachable and grounded in function.” For inspiration, Swan looked to Napa Valley, where homes and landscapes tend to be closely intertwined.
The 11,500-square-foot abode’s varied rooflines (gable, shed and flat), mosaic stone and wide central entry are common to wine country vernacular and give the house a sense of history, as though it has been added to over the years. This yields a sense of stability, too, from the low and rambling form that works with, not against, the grain of the land.
That sense of strength continues inside, thanks to thick walls, recessed windows and cabinets, warm wood paneling, and handmade finishes. In the main part of the house, a call-and-response between the rooms creates harmony: High ceilings complement low ceilings, larger rooms complement smaller rooms and expansive sightlines alternate with less open sightlines.
“Bringing some definition from one space to another makes the scale feel appropriate so that we, as human beings, are not lost in a sea of volume,” Swan explains. The rooms are unified by materials, colors and outdoor views. Which brings up another benefit of the elongated design: front yard and backyard views in several rooms. These are a real treat here, given the large steel windows and private setting.
A vital space for this family, like most, is the kitchen. But this family includes a professional. The wife is a trained chef, and she needs the space to function like a restaurant-quality kitchen, yet with a refinement that complements the rest of the house. This isn’t a hide-the-mess-in-a-scullery display kitchen. It’s a working space with open shelves for dishes, pots and pans, and three islands with surfaces suited to their specific function: butcher block for chopping and slicing, soapstone for plating, and Douglas fir for the island that buffers the kitchen from the great room.
“I wanted to be able to prep, cook and plate the food while talking to my family or guests,” the homeowner explains. “It’s how we’ve always done it, and I think it puts everyone at ease.” Further elevating the kitchen experience, the 60-inch range, which is housed in a terracotta-tile-wrapped cube, has a coffee bar around one corner and an additional oven and cookbook storage around the other.
Interior designer Sue Weldon also knew the couple from previous projects. “They are so thoughtful and have such strong character,” she says. “My goal was to make that seen and felt in an approachable and comfortable way throughout the interior.” Weldon accomplished this through natural, often handmade materials — tiles in alternating matte and glazed finishes installed to emphasize each tile’s edges and give the surface a dimension, wonderfully tactile light fixtures and hammered metal accents.
There are hints of rusticity in richly hued textiles, with designs that draw on a range of global influences. A standout piece is an inviting U-shaped sectional in the great room. Upholstered in a blush-hued indoor/outdoor velvet fabric, the couch solved the dilemma of what to do with the biggest room in the house. “I knew if we didn’t make it comfortable, we wouldn’t use it,” says the homeowner.
But perhaps their real family room is a genius closet/lounge in the primary suite — a large carpeted room with all the cabinetry and hanging storage one would expect in a shared closet, but with comfortable seating, a TV and lots of natural light. “It’s where my husband and I catch up on our day, and the boys hang out while we get ready for work or a night out,” the homeowner explains. “This is kind of the epicenter of our home and keeps us close.”
With three active boys, the couple considered an indoor sports court but ultimately decided against it in favor of an outdoor pickleball/basketball court, which the boys use year-round, shoveling off the snow so they can play pickleball or shoot hoops. There’s also a pool and an elegant, symmetrical raised-bed vegetable garden that produces food throughout the growing season, from radishes in the spring to squash in the fall. Surrounded by a variety of apple trees, including Honeycrisp and Zestar, the garden also serves as a seasonal snack bar for the kids and their friends.
Landscape designer Todd Irvine created the yard’s natural, expansive feel by minimizing hardscape, maintaining large unbroken swaths of grass for the boys to play, preserving mature trees and placing the pool and garden off to the sides, where they become destinations and don’t block views from inside the house. A cedar crossbuck fence with nearly invisible wire mesh frames the entire backyard and garden, keeping critters away from the vegetables and satisfying the pool safety fence requirements.
A covered patio with retractable screens off the back of the house creates a real California-living indoor/outdoor space during warmer months. But even in winter, the home’s large windows maintain that connection, making the warmth from the fireplaces and comfortable furniture all the more inviting. It’s these elements that encourage the homeowners and guests to take cues from the land and slow down, reflect and appreciate the comforts of home.
Project Partners
Architect: Swan Architecture
Builder: HNH Homes
Interior designer: Harris Weldon Interiors
Landscape architect: Keenan & Sveiven
