Aldrich Addition

Many charming aspects come with owning an older home—character, craftsmanship, history—but potential drawbacks such as inefficient spaces and out-of-date amenities can be a turnoff. For an eighty-four-year-old Dutch colonial–style home in south Minneapolis, Jean Rehkamp of Rehkamp Larson Architects was challenged to extend the good bones of the home while making it more favorable to a young family of four’s day-to-day living.

“This was a classic old house,” says Rehkamp. “You walk into a three-by- three-foot landing space in the back doorway and then up a few steps to a small kitchen. It is an old idea that is not at all conducive to the way busy families use such spaces today.” Rehkamp’s first priority was to improve the circulation in the kitchen. She closed off the room’s back entrance, using the space for cabinets and a refrigerator. (A new entrance became part of the addition.) All of the passages into the kitchen—from the dining room, central hallway, and mudroom—were fine-tuned to maximize counter and wall space while improving the family’s ability to move through the busy hub.

For the addition, which includes a mudroom and breakfast nook, Rehkamp wanted to create a space that would feel slightly separate from the kitchen. She planned a built-in hutch rather than a solid wall so that the entry wouldn’t feel cramped. The hutch cleverly hides a lockerlike storage space (on the back side) for coats, shoes, and toys.

While the kitchen and the mudroom were the family’s first priorities, the owners, who work at home, also asked Rehkamp to plan separate offices. A second-story sunroom was converted for him and the space above the mudroom and kitchen became an ideal workspace for her.

Beyond the many structural changes, the homeowners also wanted a space that would look light, airy, and young, but still have a vintage feel. Inset white cabinets sport colorful hardware; funky pendant lighting picks up where nature leaves off; and a color palette of blues and citrine green bring cool contrast to the warm white oak floors.

“This type of addition transforms the way an older house lives,” Rehkamp says. “People come and go so much these days, and a functioning kitchen and a mudroom make the process easier.”