Photos: Spacecrafting
Zimmer Design transforms a classic bungalow into a vibrant home for aging in place.
When Tori Haines moved to the Twin Cities to be closer to her daughter and grandchildren, she rented and later purchased a small bungalow in Edina. After her daughter recommended Zimmer Design, found through Edina Magazine’s Best of Edina issue, Haines began working with Kelly Vickers to make it her own.
“The biggest deal for me was to get light into the house, open it up and also be fun and bright and cheery,” Haines says. She also hoped to preserve the character of her home, built in 1917.
Reworking Wall Space
To bring Haines’ vision to life, Zimmer Design redefined the perimeter of the kitchen. By converting the three-season porch into an all-year-round mudroom, Vickers was able to shift the basement access from the kitchen to the mudroom, allowing for much-needed custom cabinetry to sit side-by-side with an updated—though slimmer than average—refrigerator.
“Building around that smaller footprint fridge allowed me to gain more space for a microwave and a few little pantry items, as well as putting a range and hood vent on the south wall. The sink and dishwasher stayed in their original footprint, cutting some costs on not having to relocate plumbing,” Vickers says.
The wall separating the kitchen and dining spaces was removed to increase the counter space and create countertop seating. Vickers walled off a tiny window on the south wall and replaced it with one on the east wall. This created a portal to the backyard and made it easier to catch the morning light. “She wanted that natural light all the time. She likes to feel like she’s outside,” Vickers says.
Having natural light was important to the homeowner. To avoid blocking any light from coming through the kitchen window, Zimmer Design added a cornice instead of curtains or shades.
In addition to the kitchen window swap from south to east, Vickers chose an opaque, frosted door for the entrance to the newly flipped mudroom to let in even more light, with a bold drop-and-go storage area. A rusted bronze color flows through the rest of the space, from the terracotta porcelain tiles to the burnished light and faucet fixtures. The standout color choice in the space is, of course, the cheery Aegean teal cabinets, which give the space an almost coastal feel opposite the rusty orange of the door and the floors. “Tori has this boho spirit about her, very open, very vibrant, positive, active. She loves color,” Vickers says.
Although Haines was hesitant about her kitchen being predominantly blue or green, teal turned out to be perfect. “I love it. The windows and the light, bright colors make my kitchen so inviting and such a happy place,” she says.
Another use of color also ties in the home’s roots. Though Haines and Vickers wanted to avoid blocking any of the light flowing into the kitchen with curtains or shades, Vickers proposed a cornice with a geometric Dalinar Brick pattern that nods to design trends from the early 20th century. Vickers also commissioned new wood floors for the kitchen to match the existing flooring elsewhere in the home. Additionally, she crafted the shape of the peninsula counter to fit around the built-in cabinet in the dining space, which is original to the house.
To enable more significant parts of the project, like altering the overall layout or insulating the screen porch space, Vickers chose cost-effective options whenever possible. She selected heated floors to warm the mudroom space and a slim style for the porcelain countertops.
“I always throw a little nod in my designs to European design, and one way I do that is through countertops, because it is a way for people to cut costs without sacrificing design,” Vickers says. She and Haines passed on the American style of mitered edges, which join two slabs at a 45-degree angle to create a thicker appearance. The sleeker countertops left room in the budget for glazed ceramic backsplash along the south wall.
Haines hopes to enjoy her bungalow getaway for many years, and there are more projects to come. She worked with Zimmer Design to install a wood-burning stove in the living space, including the placement of stone on the wooden floors. She also hopes to have a custom dining table made and, in the future, perhaps an outdoor patio space to enjoy her backyard.
“My daughter was just asking me, ‘Well, how are you liking your space?’ … It makes me happy every day.” Haines says.
Zimmer Design
Instagram: @zimmrdesign
