One of our passions is the architecture of the late sixties and seventies. The kinds of structures that probably need an update about now, but have a really beautiful premise.

That was exactly the case with this home in the Kenwood neighborhood of Minneapolis. The clients had done an extensive and gorgeous renovation inside and wanted to bring the outside up to that level. Eventually they plan on replacing the siding and even changing a bit of the homes basic geometry.

This is one of our favorite projects and we feel like we hit on some poetry here that is hard to put into words. There is a heavy, quiet weight to the traditional brick paths and patio space that made every modern gesture we made feel elegant. In the sunken patio area, custom built in cedar platforms serve as seating as well as steps. They make the elevation change feel more like subtle revelation's rather than just two separate spaces. From above, the steps almost look like drawers pulled out from a dresser. The large concrete wall in the back now serves as a screen to project movies on when friends are over. We altered an existing pergola by adding massive wood beams and we joked that it had more in common with 'brutalism' than the Italian and Greek gardens they are usually associated with.

In the front we built off the architectural geometry with a large raised steel planter containing three Whitespire Birch clumps and surrounded by a carpet of Japanese Spurge (pachysandra).

The project was an absolute success and the clients love it and of course, that's always super satisfying, but the thing that makes most happy about this job? Seeing it show up on what might be the coolest blog ever, Reference Library.