This Home Was Restored to Mid-Mod Perfection

Heather and Brad Fox own a design and build company, so they know a gem when they see it — which is how they ended up buying a chopped-up 1951 ranch-style home on a small lake in Edina, Minnesota.

The house, which was last renovated in the ’80s, had a massive suite on the main floor that included two bathrooms and a bar, while the other bedrooms (for the couple’s kids, Graham and Wes) were crammed together on the lower level. Heather and Brad reworked the floor plan but made sure to honor the home’s 1950s roots with design choices like globe lights, teak wood and abstract wallpaper.

“We try to stay true to a house’s era, for both our clients and ourselves,” Heather says. “We’re naturally drawn to midcentury style, so it was easy to do that here.” As a finishing touch, the couple worked in glam elements inspired by their favorite vacation spot: Palm Springs.

The couple gave the exterior a refresh with new windows and siding painted Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams.

White walls, a neutral rug and a sleek dining set left room for playful fixtures like this banana-leaf chandelier by Varaluz. A trio of midcentury-inspired vases makes for a fun and funky centerpiece.

The couple owns a design store in town, Foxwell Shoppe, where they sourced these swivel armchairs. From here they can watch TV or swing around to take in the view out the window. “I drink my coffee here every morning,” Heather says. “Moving to this house has made me a bird-watcher.”

The sofa is another pick from the couple’s shop. “We’ve always liked curved furniture, and it feels very ’50s,” Heather says. Although it’s a whopping 17 feet long, the shape makes everyone feel closer on family TV nights. The scene-stealing chartreuse fireplace is from Malm.

Heather and Brad chose unpainted birch cabinets and stained them teak. “Birch is one of my favorite woods, with its beautiful swirls,” Heather says. They created a small dining table at the end of the island by topping a base from Overstock with a quartz Silestone counter. A custom unlacquered brass hood vent with a slanted top highlights the vaulted ceiling.

Heather and Brad built a recessed arch behind the bed as a next-level headboard. “We liked the idea of doing a bold wallpaper, but the wall is so big — this is cozier,” Heather says. The paper is from Drop It Modern, the low-slung bed is from CB2 and the fringed pendant is from Anthropologie.

“My favorite place to be bold is the half bath, because that’s where guests always go,” Heather says. Here she channeled Palm Springs with leafy wallpaper by Milton & King, pink tile from TileBar and a brass palm pendant from CB2. “People who come over say this is their favorite room — it’s a conversation starter.”

The bunk beds give big brother Graham the option to sleep over, plus the top bunk offers access to a secret loft that connects the boys’ rooms. “My tip to any parent helping a kid decorate is to pick three options you love for each item, and let them choose their favorite. You’re guaranteed to like every choice they make,” Heather says. She was thrilled when Wes chose this wallpaper by Makelike; it was her favorite, too.

The couple turned a dilapidated deck into a screened-in porch that’s accessible from both the main suite and the living room. They painted the walls and ceiling Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams to match the exterior, and to let the sofa, from Crate & Barrel, take center stage.

The house came with the pool, but it had been covered for eight years, so it needed to be drained, replastered and outfitted with all new equipment. Now it’s a hangout for all the neighborhood kids. “We have the boys’ friends over at least four times a week all summer,” Heather says. The leaf-print cushions on the loungers are from Target.