Mood

The breakfast area sits directly beneath the clerestory window pop-up, or scoop.

Keep founders Austin and Kotono Watanabe revived a compact home in Minneapolis with a dazzling kitchen, an all-electric upgrade, and a clerestory “scoop.”

"When not being used as my studio, the living room is transformed into a meeting space with modular furniture designed to adapt to any occasion. The sofas can face each other or form an L-shape, depending on the vibe you want to create,

In theory the renovated home is designed for entertaining, however at the moment the couple are so busy with their respective careers that the home hasn’t hosted many parties as of late: “We’re kicking ourselves all the time for not being more social,” says Steph. “That’s a goal of ours.”

“We designed this home so that we can be here forever,” says Steph. Accessibility features include a ramp leading to the front door and showers with small curbs. The materials selected for the deck and roof intentionally have 40-year lifespans, while gutter protectors eliminate the need for cleaning: “There will be a point where we don’t need to be on ladders cleaning out gutters,” adds Steph.

“I believe in simplicity and natural materials,” says Steph. “In our home, what really pops is our things: our furniture, art, and books. And in my [Tiny Grocer] store in the same way what really pops is our products.

“One of the early inspirations was Donald Judd,” says Arthur. “That’s not where we ended up, but there was a time when every choice was ‘What would Donald Judd do?’ and usually the answer was the most minimal thing possible.”

The steel windows were crafted by a local fabricator rather than a brand-name manufacturer to help cut down on costs.

Steph and Margaret passed on buying new furniture for the home, save for one coffee table. Consulted by their friend and interior designer Mark Ashby, that decision allowed them to spend slightly more on high-end finishes like soapstone counters, brass cabinet pulls, faucets, and tile. Overall they spent $103K on finishes, which includes drywall and painting.

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One of the couple’s favorite new details is the built-in, L-shaped bookcase in the den.

The architects at Side Angle Side added five pairs of skylights during the renovation: two pairs in the kitchen and three in the living room.

A ribbon window in the primary bedroom/bath frames the urban landscape outside. “We go upstairs to do bath time and bedtime,” Honora says.

Ted Power and Honora Dunham’s home sits in an area with some light industrial and commercial buildings in Long Island City, New York. A wood-burning stove from MF Fire and a West Elm couch cozy up the living room.

In a guest bedroom, the “Olivia” pendant from West Elm.

In the year following the remodel, Serena and Andrew are taking a slow and considered approach to picking out their furnishings. “We're just trying to live in the space and think about what works,” says Serena. At the ceiling, the “Athena” surface mounted light found on Etsy.