On one of their first dates, Carly and Tim Stevens were already talking baby names. The two were taking a road trip from Minneapolis to Montana, and small talk turned into thoughts of the future during the 14-hour drive.

"My great grandfather's name was Forrest and I had proposed that idea to Tim," Carly said.

Fast forward to the summer of 2020, when the two, now married for almost five years, found their forever home in Arden Hills. The 1969 rambler with a lower-level walkout featured craftsman details such as a fireplace with Chicago brick that pulled at their heartstrings, especially since Carly's grandfather was a mason.

Carly and Tim began to plan their home for every stage in life, from newborns to aging in place. Creating a nursery and primary suite, as well as modern flex spaces with room to grow, were top of mind.

"One of the things that we didn't like about the house is there were no bedrooms" on the main level, Tim said. "We wanted to better maximize the space."

Tim, a data architect, and Carly, a project manager for a digital agency who shares her husband's affection for design, believed in the power of the pros. They brought in Mitlyng Design, with Katie Loecken and Ashley Mitlyng at the helm.

Rather than add square footage, Loecken and Mitlyng zoomed in on repurposing the redundant spaces in the home. The creative recasting of existing spaces and architectural touches earned it a win in the American Institute of Architects Minnesota/Star Tribune Home of the Month program, which recognizes top residential designs.

"When we think about things from a sustainability standpoint, we don't necessarily need more space just because a space isn't working right," Mitlyng said. "Bigger isn't necessarily better."

Making moves

Early in the design process, the architects asked the Stevenses about the functions of some of the rooms. Did they need a formal dining room when there was an eating nook off the kitchen? Were both a formal living room and casual family room necessary? The answer to both was no.

That gave the designers permission to transform the formal dining and living rooms into one luxurious primary bedroom suite. Design touches include a vestibule/hallway that separates the sleeping quarters from the en suite and walk-in closet areas.

"We try to always design the bedroom proper as a very serene sleeping space and not put a lot of function in there," Mitlyng said. "I think it's nice to get the utilities and all the noisy things outside of that area."

They did away with another underutilized space — a sunroom — to create the nursery. When the remodel was completed, the family's sleeping quarters, old and new, were grouped in the house's west wing, flanked by a sitting area and spiral staircase leading to the existing lower-level bedrooms.

In the home's public spaces, modern takes can be spotted as soon as one walks through the door.

In what had been a dark hallway, Yanz Builders created a slat wall, which provides architectural interest and "separates the spaces while still allowing light to flow through between the living space and the entry," Loecken said.

The architectural team also created a more open floor plan and connected the once closed-off, triangular kitchen to the rest of the house. "While we loved the fun angles of this house, it was a really inefficient kitchen" with dead, wasted space, Loecken said.

Those awkward angles were put to good use. One was converted into a pantry while another became a part of a mudroom, located where a staircase had once been.

Sustainability, sustenance

The family needed more storage space in the family room. While they loved the Chicago brick of the giant hearth, it took up a too much real estate.

The solution was to remove all of the bricks from the front of massive fireplace and reuse some to create a smaller fireplace. That allowed for custom walnut shelving to be built on both sides of the fireplace, bookended by a new entertaining zone.

They left the back of the fireplace intact and used the exposed brick as a design element in the new nursery and primary bathroom.

Loecken and Mitlyng tried to preserve the home's original character in other ways. They kept the original dining room windows, but made them work for the elegant, spa-like primary bathroom by frosting and tempering them.

"We wanted to celebrate the interesting architecture of the existing home," Mitlyng said.

Full circle

Before construction got underway, the Stevenses took part in the demolition and tried to find homes for material they were going to jettison. Carly used Facebook Marketplace to sell or give away laminate flooring, cabinets, doors and trim. Their carpenter took some granite for a bar he was working on.

"Building materials were very expensive during the height of COVID, so people were eager to take things," Carly said. Tim saved a few pieces, such as the remaining brick and wood paneling, to use when they update the lower level.

"We're just waiting for the right opportunity," he said.

Today, the Stevenses are parents to two boys. Their 2½-year-old is named Forrest, just as they had talked about on that trip to Montana. (Serendipitously, their house sits on Forest Lane). Three months ago, they welcomed baby Linden. Their dog, a boxer named Bugsy, is as smitten with the boys as their parents are.

The Stevenses love the versatility that the reimagined spaces afford their family.

"Our dining room functions as a coloring table on weekends, Carly works from home there sometimes," Tim said. "Having a multi-use room is much better than having a formal dining room. So, yes, it was definitely worth giving up that space."

The revamped home also gives them the ability to entertain with ease.

"We've fit 12 people at the dining table. We'll throw some leaf extensions on and can fit the entire party between that and seating at the island," Carly said.

The custom slat wall and built-ins are among their favorite features. "It's the quality and craftsmanship. I watched [them] put the wall together piece by piece and it was just incredible," Carly said. "It's a work of art."

And as they look to the future, they also appreciate that the house can evolve as their needs change.

"Our kids aren't going to be little forever. The nursery, for example, will become an office eventually," Carly said. "We made sure that the spaces that we created would grow with our family."

About this project
Designing firm: Mitlyng Design.
Project team: Lead architect Katie Loecken, AIA; Ashley Mitlyng, AIA; Mary Begley.
Project partners: General contractor Yanz Builders LLC.