The challenge: David and Lynne Nathan had reconfigured and remodeled the second floor of their 1903 Colonial to create a new master suite. Next on the list was improving the flat, no-frills back of the house. It lacked an inviting transitional entry from the detached garage, as well as a sheltering overhang.
"If it was raining, it was hard to juggle the key, umbrella and dog leash," said David Nathan. The couple's goal was to add architectural interest, shelter and an outdoor seating area to the back of the home.
The design team: Chris Christofferson and David Heide, David Heide Design Studio, Mpls., 612-337-5060, dhdstudio.com. The contractor was Next Level Renovation, Mpls.
The solution: The back of the home, which was part of an addition by a previous owner, was "unbalanced, bland and it felt like something was missing," said Christofferson, senior design associate.
He gave the back facade a cosmetic face-lift by adding a charming new porch and upper-balcony combo that blends with the character and style of the Colonial in the Uptown neighborhood.
The porch created an outdoor sitting area, as well as weather protection, and an entry transition from the garage and backyard, said Christofferson. The upstairs master bedroom steps out to the new balcony, which has flooring made of low-maintenance waterproof vinyl Duradek.
And more light flows throughout the house, thanks to a new French door, porch door and additional windows.
Mirror image: Design details on the new covered porch, such as columns, square spindles, soffits and overhangs, echo the home's early 1900s front porch. "Plus it gives us shelter from the elements," said David Nathan.
