IN GOOD SUPPLY Make

/ A PRIL /

Dahlias from the garden provide bursts of color. Wendy Brown collects hearts (“I’ve loved hearts always”) and displays them throughout the house.

Outside to inside, past to present, parent to child—a thoughtful remodel helps a young family bridge all these gaps.

The south-facing sunroom is a popular spot for the Browns. Wendy uses green plants as accent colors. “I want our home to feel connected to the outdoors,” she says.

endy and Nick Brown might be the definition of homebodies. Not that the South Minneapolis couple don’t have a “life”—on the contrary, they’re very social and quite busy running around after three young kids: Emmett, Oliver, and Beatrice. But when everyone is home, they take a doing-less-is-more approach to their time together. “We feel the push and pull out there, but we’re making an effort not to overschedule,” Nick says. A whole-house remodel six years ago focused on this goal. Two porches were added to connect the indoor space with the outdoors, which includes Wendy’s five-bed vegetable and herb garden. Designer Alecia Stevens helped Wendy achieve an elegant yet casual European country house feel. “I wanted a feeling of simplicity and calmness,” says Wendy, who chose understated colors (grays, browns, creams) and textural materials (soapstone counters, plastered walls). “It’s easier to slow down and enjoy the process of doing things like writing letters and gardening when you have an environment you want to hang out in. We never want to leave, we love it so much here.”

Designer Alecia Stevens “pushed me to get outside my comfort zone by including modern pieces in the furniture mix,” says Wendy, who gravitates to vintage furnishings. “I’m definitely more of a texture person than a color person.”

THE KITCHEN ISLAND LOOKS OUT TO THE YARD. WHEN DAD STARTS TO COOK, THE BOYS TAKE A TIMEOUT FROM SOCCER TO PLAY SOUS CHEFS.

“We didn’t want a massive kitchen,” Wendy says. “We kept the size true to an early 20th-century home.” A vintage cabinet holds Wendy’s collection of assorted vases. Gardening is a family passion: Ollie helps Mom pick chard, and Bea loves to water.