Life changes often precipitate a move — coupling, uncoupling, job changes, retirement, kids in, kids out, kids back in.
In the case of Brian and David Woolsey, their next phase in life was to start a family. And as much as they loved their Tyrol Hills midcentury modern in Golden Valley, both knew it wasn't the right house to grow with them.
"It didn't have a yard, much storage or bedrooms for children or our parents and siblings when they visit," Brian explained. "And we knew we'd see them a lot more once we had a baby."
Their search led them to a 1935 Tudor on Medicine Lake in Plymouth. At almost 4,000 square feet with golden west-facing light, the house had the space and yard the couple wanted, plus all the recreation options of lakeside living and many fetching architectural details: well-preserved woodwork, vaulted timbered ceilings and graceful arched windows and doorways. These details particularly resonated with Brian, a real estate developer who, at the time, was completing a restoration of the Abbey, a historic mansion in Minneapolis' Loring Park.
"This is an unusual house for the lake. It feels like it belongs in south Minneapolis," Brian said.
The location was also an easy commute to both their workplaces — Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis, where David is a registered nurse, and Brian's office in St. Louis Park.
The Woolseys wanted to reimagine the older home in a way that would highlight the beauty of the original design while reconfiguring some of the bedrooms, bathrooms and an unfinished attic space to add utility for their family (which now includes baby daughter Phia, born in August), dogs Walter and Remy and guests.
Should love it
Designer Deidre Webster of Studio Day Design helped the couple figure out how to work with what was there — scoring a big win by helping restore an original bathroom they were tempted to throw in the towel on.