Midcentury Edina rambler transformed to optimize ‘every inch’ of space

Kelly Hinze knew this was the house the minute she walked in the door — even though husband Peter was out of town and unable to assess the Edina rambler’s potential in person.

Other prospective buyers had already done so, meaning the listing could sell before Peter returned. So after relaying all this to him on the phone, Hinze submitted an offer.

“On [that] Sunday, Kelly and the kids picked me up from the airport and took me to the house we now owned that I had never seen,” Peter Hinze said.

The Hinzes had their hearts set on building a new house in the Mirror Lakes neighborhood until a friend told them to consider 1950s-‘60s era ramblers. Many of those were on nice lots, well-constructed and had the flexibility to build up or out, including this one, their eventual home, built in 1956.

The brick and shake one-level walkout had a big yard with a pool and backed up to nearly 5 acres of preservation land, a perfect setting for their young family. In fact, the couple believe it might have been one of the reasons the former owners, who had raised their own children in the house, chose their bid.

The house was solid, but the sectioned-off rooms inside were small. There were two mechanical rooms, two family rooms, a kitchenette in the basement, a large woodworking shop and a rotisserie niche in the fireplace. Nevertheless, the Hinzes decided to move in with their two young kids and live there for a year before doing anything.

During that time, they realized they didn’t have a square footage problem. They had a configuration problem.

“Neither of us had lived in a rambler before,” Hinze said. “When we started, I was 95% confident we would build up. But during that year, we realized there was plenty of space. It just needed to be organized differently to fit our lifestyle.”

Architect Carl Olson agreed, saying that “it seemed like the smallest room was the one you spent the most time in.”

He and PKA Architecture managing principal Kristine Anderson redesigned the entire floorplan to make it work better for the Hinzes, garnering a 2024-25 Home of the Month honor from the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Minnesota along the way.

The first big move was relocating the staircase from the front of the house to the back so it no longer dominated the front entry and more efficiently split the home into public and private zones. There’s now a ​larger front entry with a bright, open kitchen, dining area and living room on the right. A hallway leading to three bedrooms is on the left, a logical, tidy arrangement.

“Ramblers. We love them, but you have to negotiate to find space,” Anderson said.

Olson and Anderson then added a small bump-out off the living room with windows overlooking the backyard and preserve. They also raised the roof’s pitch to create a vaulted ceiling that makes the space feel larger.

Because the original construction was hand-framed, the addition is subtle and barely affected the exterior profile.

“We were able to work with what was there and tie in what we needed,” Olson said. “If they were engineered trusses, we’d have [had] to replace the whole roof in that spot.”

Set on posts, the bump out has space underneath for a new covered poolside patio that provides much needed shade.

“One of the things we discovered during our first year here is that it gets really hot in the backyard,” Hinze said. “So we appreciate this area and use it all the time.”

Off the patio are double sliding doors, which create an easy flow between the pool, patio, family room, bar and full bathroom. There’s also a guest bedroom, two offices, a workout space and laundry room on the lower level.

The home now has a more contemporary, West Coast feel thanks to the open box-beam ceiling, wide plank floors, white oak woodwork and abundant natural light that flows through the open areas. ​

It’s a complete transformation within nearly the same footprint, taking the home from mundane and closed off to fresh and connected, with no waste.

“It’s a huge credit to the team. This isn’t what we thought we’d do when we bought it, but it’s perfect,” Hinze said. “We use every inch.”

Designing firm: PKA Architecture

Project team: Carl Olson, AIA; Kristine Anderson, Assoc. AIA, Peter Atkins, Assoc. AIA

Project partners: Contractor, Frontier Custom Builders; structural engineering, Bunkers and Associates; interior design, Home Design by Annie.

Photos: Spacecrafting

Laurie Fontaine Junker is a Twin Cities-based writer specializing in home design and architecture. Instagram: @fojunk