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Photos by Josh Grubbs; Styled by Lisa Evidon
Patti and Brian Wagner simplified much of the 1927 home’s original features, such as the old stone fireplace, where they swapped a shiny brass surround for a coat of fresh black paint.
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“There are parts where we played it safe in the design, but the exciting stuff were the uncommon elements, like terra cotta tile floors.” —Patti Wagner
Look out, Waco—we’ve met the Minneapolis equivalent of Chip and Jo. Patti and Brian Wagner are, by day, a senior designer at Target and a commercial banker, respectively. On evenings and weekends, the duo moonlight as fixer-uppers, restoring old houses that they turn into rental properties. For their own home, a 1927 Tudor in Linden Hills, there was no shortage of ideas on how to modernize the spaces, especially the dark galley kitchen that turned many prospective buyers off. The plan involved taking over the attached two-car garage to create their roomy new kitchen with plenty of light. Step inside to see what Patti’s nearly 100,000 Instagram followers have admired and why the TV cameras might soon be rolling on the couple’s latest design moves.
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Living room before remodeling.
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Remodeled living room.
The home’s original foyer informed several design choices in the remodel, beginning with the dark wood door and hardware, which helped establish the woodwork and material finishes in the new kitchen, as did the foyer’s 1920 floor tiles that inspired the kitchen’s terra cotta tile floors.
House foyer
“At work, I have so much product around me that less is more at home.” —Patti
The former buttery living room walls were brightened by Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. Brian painstakingly refinished, reglazed, and repainted all of the home’s original windows. A neutral Room & Board sofa serves as the divider between relaxation and a play zone for the girls. Typically there are a ton of Legos spread out behind the settee, Patti says. Built-in features, like the shelf nook in the dining room and the mailbox slot in the foyer, are among charming details that Patti loves about her home.
Built-in shelf
Without changing the footprint or window placement of the original two-car garage space, the Wagners swapped garage doors for French doors and sidelights, and added faux wood beams to the ceiling. Oil-rubbed bronze hardware and Shaker-style inset cabinets look as if they had been there all along. Terra cotta tile floors and other dark architectural features were lightened with the contrasting white cabinetry, marble countertops, subway tiles, and white walls. The kitchen doors swing open to the adjoining courtyard that’s bookended on the other side by the new detached garage and studio they built.
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“Finding homes is a dual effort forPatti and Brian. “The intention of every remodel is to make each space as useful as can be.” —Patti
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“Everything revolves around food and play when we’re all together on the weekends.” —Patti
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Wagner family preparing food in their kitchen
“We’re in the kitchen all the time—prepping and cooking all three meals—so the girls hang out in there with us.” —Patti
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Instead of building a heavy, concealed floor-to-ceiling pantry, the couple opted for a built-in bar with easy access to drinks and stemware since they love to entertain family and friends. The airy cabinetry with honed marble is one of their most beloved (and Instagrammed at @patticakewagner) spots in the house.
Patti prepped a sunlit corner of the living room to be a calm reading nook, layering a rattan chair with textured throws and a pillow. Above it hangs a 1920s pamphlet they found while renovating that asks for donations to the Salvation Army. Patti decided to frame it to add a sense of place and history to the home.
Reading nook
Eventually, daughters Ava and Olivia will share a room, so the twin iron beds make a sweet sisterly statement. While the couple, who calls themselves “Craigslist and Nextdoor app shoppers,” were hoping to find something salvaged, they found these bed frames online from Target. Floral Ikea bedding and colorful pillows play up the pattern in the room.
Kids' room
General contractor: Benjamin Johnson, Local Lakes Construction, 17330 11th Ave. N., Plymouth, 612-418-4478, locallakesconstruction.com // Landscape: W Landscapes, 6399 Co. Rd. 19, Loretto, 763-479-2645, wlandscapes.com
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