Renovated Spanish Craftsman in Lowry Hill wins September Home of the Month

In 2018, Matt and Callie Bullock decided three years was enough for their long-distance relationship.

“He was in San Francisco. I was here. It was time for us to be in the same place,” Callie Bullock said.

Minneapolis was the clear winner for its size, seasons, parks and ability to snag a table at a hot new restaurant without waiting six months.

Matt found a job, made the move, and soon after, the couple began looking for a house, focusing on walkable/bikeable city neighborhoods. Lowry Hill was one of their early favorites, but the couple thought the area might be financially out of reach.

Until a certain 1928 Spanish Craftsman came on the market.

At 2,186 square feet, the house was the smallest on the block, with a small kitchen to match. However, charming archways and architectural details​ made up for the lack.

“The kitchen was really rough, but the original woodwork and built-ins captured our hearts,” Callie said.

The Bullocks lived with the quirks for a year, then selected Ashley Mitlyng and Katie Loecken of Mitlyng Design to help devise a sensitive revamp.

“When you look at the beautiful archways and woodwork in this house, you can see the hard work and intention that went into it,” Callie Bullock said. “We knew an architect would know what interventions and design choices would fit the character of the house.”

Their instincts were spot on: Loecken and Mitlyng’s efforts earned the project a 2025-26 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Minnesota Star Tribune Home of the Month program win (Loecken also won the 2025 AIA Minnesota Residential Emerging Architect Award, which honors architects licensed 10 or fewer years).

In addition to the kitchen, the Bullocks also wanted to find a place to watch TV that wasn’t the living room, which they preferred to reserve for socializing or listening to music.

Mitlyng and Loecken immediately recognized the Bullocks didn’t have a square footage problem; they had a layout problem. Their solution shifted the kitchen from a closed-off space in the back of the house to a more natural location, connected to the dining room. ​

“There’s a perception that relocating a kitchen is cost-prohibitive because of utilities, but when you’re taking rooms down to the studs, you often need to redo the plumbing anyway, especially in an older home, and we were lucky here that the basement ceiling underneath the room was exposed,” Loecken said. “Relocating isn’t as expensive as people think.

Loecken and Mitlyng’s clever use of existing space and finishes that evoked the home’s architectural character impressed the Home of the Month judges.

“Once the new car smell wears off, you’d never know it wasn’t original,” one judge said.

The new kitchen features just enough dark wood for continuity with the rest of the house, mixed with painted cabinets and lighter countertops that bounce light and brighten the space. There’s also a new window next to the original and a glass exterior door that will eventually lead to a patio.

“Our dog loves it. She can see the neighbor’s chicken coop,” Callie Bullock said.

Loecken and Mitlyng also made the most of the old kitchen space, creating a cozy TV den, a charming powder room and Matt’s office, located in the alcove formerly known as the breakfast nook. It’s outfitted simply with a desk, chair and a glass pocket door for privacy.

“It’s the perfect use for the space,” Matt Bullock said.

One additional change was in the pinched front entry. Here, Loecken and Mitlyng removed a wall and door leading to a coat closet and installed a bench and hooks instead — a small move that created a more open and functional space for the Bullocks and their guests.

The entire renovation ​had a minimal impact on the home’s stucco exterior, which helped keep costs down.

“Stucco doesn’t patch well, so by placing larger windows in the locations of existing openings, we avoid large-scale siding work and cost,” Loecken said.

“It was our biggest group yet at 14 adults and two babies,” Callie Bullock said. “The space worked perfectly, as people could easily go from carving in the dining room to snacking in the kitchen to lounging in the living room throughout the night.”

This October, the Bullocks’ party will have at least one additional baby: their son, Nolan, born a few months ago.

“We’ll probably do the carving for him this year,” Matt Bullock said.

Designing firm: Mitlyng Design

Project team: Ashley Mitlyng, AIA; Katie Loecken, AIA; Eden Garton, AIA

Photos: Cook & Kin