A real 'FIXER UPPER' New modern farmhouse channels ideas from popular TV show

By Alison Stucke

Ann and Randy have a beautiful new “Modern Farmhouse”-style home in the Moose Lake area. They started building in November 2016 and moved in July 2017. It’s the third home they’ve built during their 32 years of marriage, so they felt that they knew what to do and when to do it this time through the building process. The couple had a fabulous team with designer Mindy of MS Designs, general contractor Todd Soukkala, and cabinets by An- drea of Morningstar Woodworks.

“This was my second time working with Randy and Ann,” said Mindy of MS Designs. “The goal this time was to build a modern-styled farmhouse, which encompasses high, open ceilings and an open floor plan. Clean exterior lines with varying siding options and shutters maximize the modern farmhouse styling on the outside.

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Top: A dark wood farm table accents the white shiplap in true Gaines style

Left: High wall full of windows brings daylight shining in the living area.

Bottom: Ann incorporated shiplap beautifully on walls around the fireplace.

Ann put a lot of time and effort into organizing her ultimate goal of this house, and it really shows.”

Ann also credits a favorite television personality for the inspiration for the décor of the warm and welcoming home: Joanna Gaines of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper.”

“I’m a big fan of the show ‘Fixer Upper’ and of Joanna Gaines,” Ann said. “One hundred percent of my inspiration came from ‘Fixer Upper.’”

In the show, Gaines transforms homes from a variety of periods and in a variety of styles — many with issues and problems — into places of character and light. Ann started with a gorgeous new open-concept style house resplendent with daylight shining in from a high wall full of windows in the living area. Throughout the home, Ann followed Gaines’ guidelines for the modern farmhouse style, including the following details throughout:

• White as the predominant paint color, and neutral colors for accent paints, including very soft greys, taupes and greens;

• White cupboards and cabinetry in the kitchen;

• Dark accent pieces against the white, including bronze handles on drawers and cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms; black chandeliers and lamps, black iron railings on the staircase and along a balcony walkway above the living area;

• Wood accent pieces including wood tables, wood-look porcelain tile flooring, a long wood shelf above the ceramic fireplace, and a sliding barn door;

• A single, deep farmhouse sink and farmhouse faucet in the kitchen; and

• A mix of metal types throughout the house, including polished chrome faucets in the sinks, showers and bathtubs, dark iron grates on the stove, and dark metal towel holders and light fixtures in the bathrooms.

“I like to mix it up when it comes to hardware and fixture finishes,” Ann said.

Gaines is big on shiplap, a type of wooden board used commonly as exterior siding in the construction of barns, sheds, outbuildings and residences. But she is a proponent of using it on the walls inside the house for a rustic look. Ann incorporated it beautifully in pine on walls around the fireplace, in the dining area, and parts of the kitchen including on the island. She also used subway tile, also beloved by Gaines, with grey grout in the bathrooms and as backsplash in the kitchen.

“Working with Ann was a joy,” said kitchen designer Andrea Kiehl of Morning Star Woodworks, Inc., in Cloquet. “She had a strong style vision,

Continued on page 46 and we worked together to bring that vision for her home to life. In the kitchen we used an inset, flat panel door style in a white finish to give her home a timeless farmhouse look. Paired with modern finishes, it looks like something right out of HGTV! We mixed in some fun colors into the laundry room and back entry. We also copied a picture Ann had found online for her guest bath vanity. We incorporated some wood pieces to set everything off, including a custom barn door, fireplace-TV center, beam wrap, and some rustic pieces for the office. This is definitely at the top of my list of favorite design projects over the 17 years I have been with Morning Star.”

Ann found pieces from different episodes of ‘Fixer Upper’ to incorporate into her design. A friend, Brent Minkkinen of Minkkinen Iron in Minneapolis, was able to create a cathedral-style iron railing that matched the one Ann noticed and loved from a particular episode that aired while they were building. The railing wraps around the curves of the wall all the way up the staircase.

“The cathedral arch pattern is repeated throughout our home on the wooden pew by the door, a mirror, vintage window and bench on the front porch,” Ann said.

Ann also recreated a charming bathroom that she saw on Pinterest for their bathroom off the home’s front entryway. She found and ordered the star-patterned ceramic tile flooring.

Morning Star Woodworks was able to duplicate the sink console from the photo Ann shared. The star pendant light that hangs above the sink was found online and chosen to complement the vintage-look floor. The results are breathtaking.

The home also features a bedroom for the couple’s granddaughter (decorated all in pink, by her request); a screen porch; an office breezeway; and an in-law suite with its own cooking facilities.

“This modern-day farmhouse was a great build,” said general contractor Todd Soukkala. “It had different features than other houses we’ve built. Specifically, the roof design, which had many different pitches and angles. Also, the general layout was a unique design, with the apartment in the back and the office being above the garage. The black-and-white exterior color is something we don’t normally see but was very fitting for this house design. The siding design with the narrower shiplap and the board and batten on the gables of the house added even more character. Another nice look to this house was the galvanized tin on the covered porch roof.”

Ann and Randy love the location of their home. It’s on a blacktop road, includes a good amount of acreage, and is close to town. A charming pond borders one corner of the yard, and in

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62 And 72 Country Club Lane

winter the family can skate on it. Both Ann and Randy grew up nearby, and they have siblings in the area whom they see often.

“All that was here when we bought the land was one wall of a little house that had been here and two cast iron twin beds,” Ann said. “We really like this location. We’re going to be here for quite a while.” D

Alison Stucke is a Duluth freelance writer. Her "Home Touches" feature appears in every issue of The Woman Today.