Ramble Up

Designed by Eric Odor

with Brittny Roberts and Paul Buum

The goal here was simply to make a small rambler live large. Since the existing home was nearly 2,500 square feet, if one included the three-season porch and the tuck under garage stall, my clients felt that there was plenty of home it just didn’t fit their needs and lifestyle. And something had to be done about the 7’-4” ceiling on the lower level.

So we jacked up the house, added an 8” course of block to the foundation wall, and gently set it back down again. We kept the basic structure of the floors, walls and roof, but we gutted the interior and the exterior and co-opted the porch and garage. And we added a covered front porch as well as a two-car detached garage at the alley to the north. Then we opened up the plan and added large windows to allow the inside out and the outside in.

The main living level of kitchen/living/dining is now flanked by the couple’s suite to the east and a wing of mudroom, laundry, bath and office to the west. All of which was raised to create 8’-0” ceilings for the children’ realm on the lower level. And finally, two wood bays, fore and aft, punch through the exterior shell to project the main living space into the front and rear yards.

Construction by Mark and Rob Michals, Ridge Construction
Interior Design by Amy Kelly, Scout Interiors
Photography by Troy Thies

Publications:
50s rambler in St. Louis Park gets sleek modern makeover, Star Tribune, August 2019
AIA MN Homes by Architects Tour, 2017

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