BEYOND BASIC

This Minnesota farmhouse is a dream home in the making.

This Minnesota farmhouse is a dream-cometrue home in the making.

" It 's a brand-new dream home with all the luxurious amenities and design decisions already made. All you have to do is move in and enjoy.”

Sometimes, the best way to picture your dream home is to see it finished in person. That’s why builders sometimes design and construct houses before they have buyers. Called spec homes or model homes, these aren’t basic boxes but opportunities for builders to create luxurious designs so their customers can see the finished result before they buy. It’s the vision of designer Kelli Fontana Vogelgesang of West Bay Homes that prospective homeowners sense from the moment they first view the house. “Model homes are a wonderful creative outlet for me, as they allow me to conceptually develop a project from start to finish without the involvement of other parties,” she says. “I have a budget based on the location of the homesite and the rest is up to me.”

One of their recent homes is in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. It has the aesthetic of a custom home but with the turnkey appeal of a spec house. “It’s a brandnew dream home with all the luxurious amenities and design decisions already made,” Kelli says.

Kelli loves the unapologetic simplicity of the farmhouse

and brought a sophisticated interpretation of the style to the project.

ROOM TO GROW

Farmhouse gets a contemporary French twist in this house. Kelli knew a fresh white farmhouse would stand out in the well-established neighborhood dotted with stately traditional and Craftsman style homes. She loves the unapologetic simplicity of the farmhouse and brought a sophisticated interpretation of the style to the project. The result is a 5,113-squarefoot, four-bedroom/four-bath residence that’s meant to be shared. “I envision a homeowner who likes to entertain,” Kelli says. “With two large kitchen islands, a rear prep kitchen and a foyer that doubles as a dining hall, the home was designed to accommodate guests.”

Standout details include the entry, where visitors move from a large, covered porch into a dining hall that doubles as a grand foyer. There, details arise in beautiful harmony. 9-inch wide-plank white oak floors set in a herringbone pattern sit beneath awe-inspiring vaulted ceilings accentuated with grand oak ceiling beams and two chandeliers. “And that’s just upon entering,” Kelli says. As you journey into the home, more details await, such as a Parisian pastry shopinspired kitchen, a cozy family room and a graceful main-level bedroom suite. These details combine to create a dream-home look that was the vision behind this project.

“The home was designed to accommodate

guests."

A see-through fireplace is the focal point and operates as a stylish room divider between a sunken media room and a lounge. The homeowners can read by the fire or visit with friends after creating a cocktail at the bar. “In the basement, we wanted to create a moody lounge vibe,” designer Kelli Fontana Vogelgesang says. “The limestone used for the see-through fireplace complemented our sleek gray finishes for just the right amount of light and dark, warm and cool, contemporary and timeless.”

(above) Idealism and a slower pace get a nod on the front porch. It’s a place to sit and be at peace. Since Minnesota has all four seasons, the porch is a wonderful exterior space to decorate for the holidays.

(below) Typically builders use this space—which is just off the kitchen—as a breakfast nook. However, Kelli decided on a different direction. “With our two large kitchen islands and dining room in the foyer hall, I didn’t think another place to eat was necessary,” she says. “But a cozy room just off the heart of the home, aka the kitchen, is.” Shiplap on the ceiling brings attention to the gorgeous greenery that grows in profusion outside, while petite brass lights and large gooseneck outdoor farmhouse lights illuminate the area. (opposite) The home features a variety of lines, textures and materials. This view from the dining room to the living room still works as a cohesive whole, especially as you see three different rooms all at once.