project highlight: eagan family home
One of the things we pride ourselves on at Bound Collaborative is our ability to cater to each project’s specific needs while referencing the design process that sets the foundation of every project (listen, connect, ideate, edit—repeat).
The Eagan Family Home is a classic 1990s suburban neighborhood home that was full of the red oak that characterizes many homes of this era. The home had previously experienced an addition and kitchen renovation but the rest of the home dated back to its original build.
Our client, a young family of four, had recently moved from South Minneapolis and was curious to understand how to best utilize their new square footage which was nearly twice the amount of space they previously had.
We began the project with a visit to their new home to get a feel for the space and hear their ideas about how they envisioned using the different areas. The main goal was to create a space that would serve them well during their day-to-day: working from home, homework areas for the kids, and space to gather as a family for meals and family hang-outs. Additionally, hosting family and friends is important to them, so creating a connection between the spaces to allow for seamless interactions while hosting was a priority.
After our initial visit to observe and experience the space in person, we began to put together floor plan ideas that explored different ways to utilize space with minimal construction.
Option 1
The first option was most similar to how the home was staged for selling. We started here to show how their existing furniture, with the addition of some new pieces and built-in elements, could enhance the functionality of each area.
Option 2
In the second option, we began to push the boundaries of how the spaces were originally intended to be used. With our client’s love of hosting in mind, we prioritized co-locating the primary hang-out spaces adjacent to each other, making it easy to continue a conversation while preparing a meal or working on homework.
Option 3
The third option continued the theme of keeping the hang-out spaces open to each other while swapping the “features” of the space. In this instance, the family room is centered around the fireplace and the feature in the formal dining room is the large wall of windows and vaulted ceilings.
After sharing these floor plan options, our clients took some time to think them over and test out the different layouts. With their existing furniture, they were able to trial the dining room in the different locations for weekly family dinners and hosting a large group for a holiday. In many instances, this project included, there were many options and solutions that worked for the space and ultimately, the best solution came down to what worked best for our clients and their lifestyle.