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We help houses in the heart of the cities enter their second centuries with vibrancy and energy - just like the neighborhoods around us.
1990 James Avenue
This house was designed around the things that make people happy.
It’s not a renovation. It’s not new construction. It’s something much more rare. It’s a fully-authored, comprehensive reconstruction of a 1916 Foursquare, built to be lived in. Over 18 months, and with more than $1M invested in reconstruction, the house was rebuilt from top to bottom. The old mechanical systems, plumbing systems, and electrical systems were removed and replaced. Water management systems were added. Extensive structural reconstruction was completed, trusses to foundation. The work inside the walls, the trade magic, was completed with the same care as the work you can see. Materials designed to endure were added: Andersen A-Series windows and doors, authentic and historic tile, unique artful light fixtures, locally-crafted white-oak cabinetry and built-ins. And it was designed around the things that make people happy. Neighbors waving from the sidewalk, coffee on the veranda, throwing the windows open on a warm day, family and friends crowded around the kitchen island, summer nights under the maple tree and string lights. It’s for bare feet, open doors, muddy dogs and big holidays. It’s for friends, gatherings, and for neighbors knowing your name. It was designed for joy. Every one of thousands of decisions was thoughtful - and was considered for how the house would feel, how would it live, how would it last, and, yes, how it would look. It was rebuilt with care. Again and again the harder path was chosen - not the easy, fast way, but the right way to make it last and be loved every day, years later. The result is a house with genuine character and all the hard work already done. Profiled recently in The Star Tribune and Minnesota Monthly, the local team behind this home, The Second Stripe, is dedicated to helping historic homes enter their second centuries, to help sustain neighborhoods for connection, for belonging - and for joy. You won’t find anything else like it. And it’s waiting for its people.
What started out as a moderate renovation evolved into a complete and total re-construction. The original footprint had been modified several decades ago with an addition on the back of the home that included a small unusable balcony. We added a second addition to the back of the first and proceeded to overhaul the entire house by repairing or replacing the needed structural elements (framing, foundation, sub-floors, underground) and then removing and replacing all the old systems with up to code HVAC, water control, plumbing, electrical and insulation. We reconfigured the interior to create larger rooms and a layout more conducive to today while also adding a fourth bedroom, three additional bathrooms, a second floor laundry, an office, a sunporch family room and lower level storage spaces. The materials and finishes were chosen to reflect the home’s 1916 character and to last – a long, long time. The exterior of the home had layers of siding and stucco that were removed, along with the underlayment, which was replaced by new sheathing, new LP siding and trim, an all new truss and roof structure, and a fascia and gutter system. Andersen A-Series wood windows and patio doors and oak trim and flooring were installed throughout. We added a veranda and pergola to the front, an upper level deck as part of the back addition, built a new garage from the slab and foundation up, poured a new concrete sidewalk, and added a bluestone walkway to the front and patio to the back. All new landscaping was planted fall 2025 to give the shrubs, perennials and sod a nice head start this season.
It’s not a renovation. It’s not new construction. It’s something much more rare. It’s a fully-authored, comprehensive reconstruction of a 1916 Foursquare, built to be lived in. Over 18 months, and with more than $1M invested in reconstruction, the house was rebuilt from top to bottom. The old mechanical systems, plumbing systems, and electrical systems were removed and replaced. Water management systems were added. Extensive structural reconstruction was completed, trusses to foundation. The work inside the walls, the trade magic, was completed with the same care as the work you can see. Materials designed to endure were added: Andersen A-Series windows and doors, authentic and historic tile, unique artful light fixtures, locally-crafted white-oak cabinetry and built-ins. And it was designed around the things that make people happy. Neighbors waving from the sidewalk, coffee on the veranda, throwing the windows open on a warm day, family and friends crowded around the kitchen island, summer nights under the maple tree and string lights. It’s for bare feet, open doors, muddy dogs and big holidays. It’s for friends, gatherings, and for neighbors knowing your name. It was designed for joy. Every one of thousands of decisions was thoughtful - and was considered for how the house would feel, how would it live, how would it last, and, yes, how it would look. It was rebuilt with care. Again and again the harder path was chosen - not the easy, fast way, but the right way to make it last and be loved every day, years later. The result is a house with genuine character and all the hard work already done. Profiled recently in The Star Tribune and Minnesota Monthly, the local team behind this home, The Second Stripe, is dedicated to helping historic homes enter their second centuries, to help sustain neighborhoods for connection, for belonging - and for joy. You won’t find anything else like it. And it’s waiting for its people.
What started out as a moderate renovation evolved into a complete and total re-construction. The original footprint had been modified several decades ago with an addition on the back of the home that included a small unusable balcony. We added a second addition to the back of the first and proceeded to overhaul the entire house by repairing or replacing the needed structural elements (framing, foundation, sub-floors, underground) and then removing and replacing all the old systems with up to code HVAC, water control, plumbing, electrical and insulation. We reconfigured the interior to create larger rooms and a layout more conducive to today while also adding a fourth bedroom, three additional bathrooms, a second floor laundry, an office, a sunporch family room and lower level storage spaces. The materials and finishes were chosen to reflect the home’s 1916 character and to last – a long, long time. The exterior of the home had layers of siding and stucco that were removed, along with the underlayment, which was replaced by new sheathing, new LP siding and trim, an all new truss and roof structure, and a fascia and gutter system. Andersen A-Series wood windows and patio doors and oak trim and flooring were installed throughout. We added a veranda and pergola to the front, an upper level deck as part of the back addition, built a new garage from the slab and foundation up, poured a new concrete sidewalk, and added a bluestone walkway to the front and patio to the back. All new landscaping was planted fall 2025 to give the shrubs, perennials and sod a nice head start this season.
2085 Palace Avenue
This is a home made for games of hide-and-seek and muddy feet running from front door to back. With nooks and crannies, a maple tree to climb and delightful surprises on every one of its four levels, it’s ready to be a hub of activity. Yet, it also has multiple places and options for adulting and grown-up peace and quiet.
Re-built from the inside, top to bottom, and meeting all the standards of a Second Stripe ® Revival Home, it has the benefits of new construction, the authenticity of a century and has been designed with personality and joy.
Every inch of this home has been thoughtfully designed for living. Exterior to interior, spaces were created and considered – how will living in this space happen, what experiences can we make possible?
The renovations were inspired by the house itself, its time of origin, and the family life that happened here. We worked with skilled trades and craftspeople to choose, restore, or re-install house-appropriate high-quality materials with design meant to outlast trends and last decades – but all with an eye for the demands of modern life.
What you’ll see and experience is an inviting front yard with a patio perfect for waving at your new neighbors or awaiting trick-or-treaters and, inside – open and flexible layouts on all four levels. The interior spaces were designed for gathering, celebrating, working, play, and downtime with multiple uses for daily life and all sorts of occasions.
Each level, each room, has something special – built-in storage, reading nooks, a kids-only-size playhouse. The kitchen and baths were beautifully and meticulously designed with era-appropriate custom cabinetry and fixtures, serious chef (and family-hardy) appliances, one-of-a-kind historic tile, unique sinks, and colorful and whimsical paint and wallpapers.
What you won’t see or might not notice is all the magic that happened inside the walls, underground, and above sight level – systems and structures that make this home ready for years and years of wear and tear and daily life.
Re-built from the inside, top to bottom, and meeting all the standards of a Second Stripe ® Revival Home, it has the benefits of new construction, the authenticity of a century and has been designed with personality and joy.
Every inch of this home has been thoughtfully designed for living. Exterior to interior, spaces were created and considered – how will living in this space happen, what experiences can we make possible?
The renovations were inspired by the house itself, its time of origin, and the family life that happened here. We worked with skilled trades and craftspeople to choose, restore, or re-install house-appropriate high-quality materials with design meant to outlast trends and last decades – but all with an eye for the demands of modern life.
What you’ll see and experience is an inviting front yard with a patio perfect for waving at your new neighbors or awaiting trick-or-treaters and, inside – open and flexible layouts on all four levels. The interior spaces were designed for gathering, celebrating, working, play, and downtime with multiple uses for daily life and all sorts of occasions.
Each level, each room, has something special – built-in storage, reading nooks, a kids-only-size playhouse. The kitchen and baths were beautifully and meticulously designed with era-appropriate custom cabinetry and fixtures, serious chef (and family-hardy) appliances, one-of-a-kind historic tile, unique sinks, and colorful and whimsical paint and wallpapers.
What you won’t see or might not notice is all the magic that happened inside the walls, underground, and above sight level – systems and structures that make this home ready for years and years of wear and tear and daily life.
Leila's House: Ready for the Next Hundred Years
From the top of her chimney to three feet below the basement, front yard to back, this arts and crafts home has had a complete revival to get her ready for her next century -- and stories yet to be told. She has all the advantages and modern function of new construction but with the authenticity and warmth of her beautiful, vibrant 100-year-old soul. The physical renovations were inspired by the home itself and the principles of the arts and crafts movement -- working with skilled trades and craftspeople, and choosing, restoring or re-installing natural and house-appropriate materials with design meant to outlast trends and to last decades -- but all with an eye for the demands of modern life.
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