Three families live under one roof
MINNEAPOLIS— Itwas Friday night. Three families and their kids gathered in the kitchen of a centuryold home in Minneapolis for a pizza dinner. But no one had toworry about transportation to theirweekly gettogether.
The six adults and four children, representing three generations of one family, all live together in a large Dutch colonial where they share spaces— and expenses.
Tina Lee tossed a Caesar salad while her husband, JoshKent, visited with their teenage daughter, Nathalie. Nearby, Tina’s sister, Rachel, put the finishing touches on an apple crisp, while her father, Will Baudler, rolled out dough and spread homemade sauce on the pies. Also pitching inwere Tina and Rachel’s mother, Carol; Rachel’s husband, Jonathan Blaseg, and their children, toddler Otto and babyHattie, plus Tina and Joshua’s son, Henry.
Multigenerational households are increasingly common— therewere 57 million nationwide in 2012, double the number in 1980, according to a Pew Research Study. Such living arrangements can be a win-win for everyone, with benefits that include dividing household expenses and grandparents pitching inwith child care.
Henry playfully tossed his cousin Otto in the air. “Sometimes he can be distracting while I’m doing homework,” Henry said. “But mostly he’s fun.”
In 2013, the three familieswere at a crossroads and toyingwith the idea of sharing a big house.
“I spent some time inNorway and was interested in some kind of collective housing,” said JoshuaKent, a social worker. “I loved that idea.”
Meanwhile, Rachel Baudler Blaseg was expecting her first baby; she and Jonathanwould have had to renovate their existing house in Minneapolis or find a larger one.
Carol andWill, whowere living in California, were nearing retirement, and planning to buy a condo in Minnesota.
Just for fun, Kent and Lee decided to explore a 6,000-square-foot house in the Lowry Hill neighborhood. It had been converted into a triplex decades earlier, and boasted seven bedrooms and five bathrooms on three floors.
Kent and Lee loved the home’s rich character, but itwas the sound condition, layout, attractive location and immense potential that instigated an important family meeting. The home’s best attributes by farwere the large multibedroomapartments thatwould give each family private quarters and space to spread out.
The cramped galley kitchenwould undoubtedly have to be expanded and renovated to serve everyone, “but it would beworth the investment in this neighborhood,” saidKent.
“We could envision howthis could work,” said Rachel, a landscape architect.
The family realized they had found the right house— at the right price— to make communal living a reality. “We all agreed and said, “Let’s go for it,” said Lee, awriter and yoga instructor.
“I actuallywas surprised that everyone said yes,” addedWill.