Interior designer Kristen Veenstra is used to walking into a home and knowing almost intuitively what it needs. But now that she's back at home in Hopkins, her vision has hardened a bit. Her husband Josh, who was obsessed with her three-car garage, had to spend five years trying to convince her that it was the place for them to live until she agreed to buy her house. I had to pull her back several times. “I needed time to process,” Veenstra says. “I knew this house needed more than just decoration. did it Do it, I didn't know whether to do it or not I wanted To do that. “
After Veenstra moved into a two-story unit that gave Josh and their three children, ages 7 to 12, more space, they wondered how the old interior, which had quite a few strange features, would live. It took me about a year to figure out if I could do it. To that potential. Her vision: This house was built for her in 1980, so she would take shelter there.
“I’m an ’80s kid, so I have a strong spot for that era,” she says. “But we had to handle it well without it becoming too much like that decade. We wanted a more subdued nod to what the '80s brought.”
For her, 1980s home design is a clean, modern look with minimal decoration, without much crown molding, built-ins, or focal features. “I think the lack of decoration was a hallmark of this decade, and people were leaning a little too far in that direction,” she says. “It has a harsh nature to it in a way.”
“One of my guiding principles was, 'How can I add interest without too much decoration?'”
—Kristen Veenstra, designer and homeowner
She liked the minimalist feel, but also wanted her home to feel warm and connected to her family, similar to the feeling of her childhood home. “My childhood was pretty idyllic: middle-income, loving family, very family-oriented,” she says. “We wanted to evoke a sense of warmth and lifestyle in this home.”
Widening the openings between rooms improves flow and connectivity, especially between the previously closed kitchen and dining room. Arched doorways, exposed wood headers, and wood slat details (with basic semi-circular moldings cleverly installed) provide “a pared-back architectural moment,” the company said. , says Veenstra. The white oak, including the flooring, harks back to a wood-heavy era, yet feels light and fresh. “We reimagined the red oak that was so ubiquitous in the ’80s and sprinkled it throughout the house,” she says.
For Veenstra, the connection to the outdoors was just as important as the connection to the indoors. Adding a few strategically placed new windows can bring in views of nature previously blocked off by walls, and replacing existing windows with black-framed ones can bring in views of nature and beyond. My eyes began to focus on the scenery. “We feel better mentally and spiritually now that we can feel what's outside our four walls in any season,” she says.
“We wanted to take the time to listen to the house and the flow. What was working for us and what was working against us.”
—Kristen Veenstra, designer and homeowner
The same can be said about interior renovations. The completely renovated kitchen has a long island and provides a place for the children to sit and do homework while Ms. Veenstra prepares dinner. “The island is oriented toward the cook zone, so I was able to be with them and have natural conversations,” she says. There are no televisions on the main floor, again a deliberate decision to encourage conversation and time together. (For the record, though, Veenstra says her kids watch every episode of popular shows from the '80s and '90s. family problems and Full house.) The furniture and accents provide a soothing connection to the past, including a sprinkling of vintage items that remind Veenstra of being at a friend's house as a child.
Despite her initial hesitations about purchasing a home, Veenstra couldn't have been more pleased with the result – visually, functionally and emotionally. “I feel like this house had something to say,” she says. “It took a while for it to sink in.”
interior design: Kristen Veenstra Interiors, kristenveenstrainteriors.com // builder: Porchlight Homes, 612-360-0286, porchlight.biz
