Kootenia Homes Masters the Classic Farmhouse with a Contemporary Twist

In this Grant home, Kootenia puts a contemporary twist on classic farmhouse design without sacrificing any of the style’s signature trademarks
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Photos by Spacecrafting

From the outside, the home skews more farmhouse, but its arched entryway hints at some of the surprises within.

Located in the city of Grant is a scenic plot of land with good yard space, fields, and an expanse of gorgeous woodland marsh with an idyllic farmhouse designed to soak in the surroundings. “I wish I could say it was [a farmhouse] because I was inspired by the landscape, but it’s just what I wanted to do,” says builder Dave Frosch, owner and president of Woodbury-based Kootenia Homes.

Poetics aside, it was the right choice, none the least because the classic white of the style works for almost everyone. Modernists love the juxtaposition of the windows’ black trim, and traditionalists love how the shiplap and beadboard stand out—a metaphor for how the home blends old and new.

A sweeping archway ushers guests into the kitchen space, where a raised ceiling, glass globe lights, and a creamy cabinet color keep the space light and airy. Despite its large size, the home’s custom hutch doesn’t interrupt the easy flow of the space, thanks to its open shelving and glass-paneled cupboards.
Archways are not only found in doorways and room separators but also in little display nooks and benches, adding depth to expansive rooms and surprise to cozy hallways.

On the rambler’s main level, crystal glass knobs and archways lead you from the open great room and kitchen to the rest of the floor. Herringbone and offset backsplashes add quaint but fresh touches among the kitchen’s creamy cabinetry—Sherwin Williams Gossamer Veil hue—and a nook with windows on three sides was made for lounging. (The third window is really a glass door that leads out to the balcony, but a view is a view, right?) The rest of the wall opposite the entryway is filled with additional large picture windows that let even more light bounce around the room’s vaulted, A-frame ceiling.

The focal point of the space is the 66-inch-tall, two-tiered hoop Gallery Lighting chandelier. “I purposefully chose the brass finish so that it would warm up the space,” says Kootenia interior designer Meridy Kantola. “I didn’t want it to be too matchy with the black windows, or too heavy.” This, and every other choice Kantola picked out, was meant to be a twist on a time-tested style.

The master bedroom’s brass-finished lighting fixture matches others throughout the home while remaining distinct. The master bathroom’s patterned tile adds another twist on an old style and leads you right to the suite’s walk-in closet.

In the master suite, board-and-batten walls add interest, and in the owners’ bathroom, the vanity’s dark wood stain, glass knobs, camouflaged air vent, and center recess elevate it from a common cabinet to a furniture piece. The office is also pulled together with thoughtful choices such as a plaid carpet, gold lighting fixtures inspired by piano lamps, and a custom cabinetry and accent wall made rich with the blue enamel of Sherwin Williams Outerspace.

While that room has the most authoritative ambience in the house, the basement is pure enjoyment. The house’s three other bedrooms may be located down here, but the real highlights are the entertainment space and bar area, which is flanked by a wine closet and the lower-level patio. As a special bonus for kids, there’s a cubby area with its own mini archway that leads under the stairs.

Everything is a twist on the traditional style, including a downstairs fireplace surrounded by stones. Not only does it take on a different traditional vibe than the main level, but its minimalist wooden shelf plays with both rustic and modern aesthetics.

“We don’t have a pool or a sports room or anything,” Frosch says of the property, “but it’s a solid house. It’s on 16 acres; it has privacy, and it’s in a great location: out in the country but still pretty close to the city.” In a way, his comment is as understated as the home itself, but as anyone who saw it on the Luxury Home Tour knows, all it takes is one step inside to understand its timeless allure.

Black-trimmed picture windows in the living room add to the home’s modern, minimalist appeal while their paned upper window transoms keep a touch of farmhouse charm that’s echoed in the traditional fireplace detailing.

Home Details

  • Builder: Kootenia Homes
  • Home Location: Grant
  • Square Footage: 4,000
  • Bedrooms: 4
  • Bathrooms: 4
  • Style: Farmhouse walkout rambler

Enjoy this home on Midwest Home‘s Virtual Tour here.

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