“Traditional Cottage” Old School Charm

Built 2021

5 bed · 4 bath · 3,125 FSF

Gorgeous “Pop the top” transformation. you won’t believe the before & after.

A short walk to The Lakes & Entertainment

Did You Grow Up In Southwest Minneapolis

Appreciating All Of The Traditional Architecture It Has To Offer

Then You Will LoveThis Cottage Style Home

Meet The Owner:

This was a property I, Tim Murphy, through my company GroundUp Development, LLC, purchased from children who inherited the home. This home need a lot of work but because it was part of the family… It was hard to let go. After several talks and helping them understand what we planned on doing to bring this home back to life. The children decided this was what was best for their childhood home and their neighborhood.

Before

The Situation:

Once the children decided the best this to do was bring their childhood home back to life. They found joy in the fact GroundUp Development and our team was going to be the ones to do it.

For several weeks the agent representing this home and I, Tim Murphy, talked about how we do things at GroundUp Development and our past work. It’s situations like this that remind us why we do what we do. Each home we redevelop has a story. For many of these homes those stories go back 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70+ years.

We don’t take those stories lightly and we appreciate how emotional it is to let go. After all for many… They either raised their family in this home or they grew up in this home. Just like these kids we worked with who sold their parents home after they moved on.

After

Now the big questions was, “What are we going to build in such a great location?”

The transformation from “Before” & “After” is why I love doing what I do at GroundUp Development.

Taking the time and care to research our neighborhood. Find out what people expect out of a nearly $1 Million Dollar — Browndale neighborhood home. Then deliver that… And more!

The first consideration is cost. Once we had a budget we knew would fit our client’s needs. Then I started working with my design team to create a product that fit our client’s traditional aesthetic with today’s modern flare.

Take a look for yourself!!

Options:

When factoring in your budget… You need to decide on the best course of action.

With the budget we had on this project. We were left with two options.

Option 1: We work with the home “As-Is” and “Pop-The-Top!” Keeping the existing foundation and the first level framing. Adding a full second story with 4 bedrooms up, a spacious master suite and upper level laundry. A “Pop-The-Top” would allow us to provide a completely new “Open Concept” floor plan and the style of living people want in today’s modern lifestyle.

Option 2: 100% New Construction. Tearing down the existing home and building something new from scratch. If we can… This is always the route we would choose. Because, this way, we can give you everything you want. Like: Higher ceilings, bigger foundation, the perfect floor plan and minimal restriction on design.

Problem is, new construction in the Browndale neighborhood of St. Louis Park is very expensive.

So, we were not able to stay under our $1 Million Dollar budget and deliver a new construction home.

Like always, our budget dictated our decision and overall build.

The Decision (and Result):

Now that we decided to do a “Pop-The-Top” we had to dream up the perfect look & feel for the traditional home our client desired.

Based on client’s love for traditional architecture, especially the cottage style, we knew this design was going to be a hit. So, my design team and I agreed we would use the traditional cottage style concept as our influence for this new GroundUp Development custom home.

When you are starting off, you need to think about functionality first. Over the years we have found 4 bedrooms up is a hard product to find. We have also come to realize having your laundry upstairs is a must. Then comes the design of a master suite that makes you excited about waking up every morning.

However, the most important room, the one we design first, is always your kitchen. Because a family’s home revolves around their kitchen. It’s the heartbeat of every dream home.

This kitchen had to be open, with a large island counter for the kids and guests. It had to have top of the line appliances. Including a Wolf gas range, farmhouse sink and trendy hood. Most of all it had to have “The Look.” You know, the kind that is hard to describe… But you know it when you see it.

Excited about where we were going with the design of this home. We still couldn’t forget about key factors that make this million dollar home special.

Factors like its open concept floor plan we achieved by adding a gorgeous sunroom on the back of the house.

Or

The additional head room we produced by tearing out the basement floor and creating an 8 foot ceiling. Just like you would get if this was a new construction build. Except without the huge price tag.

Last, but not least, we couldn’t forget to leave our homeowner with one of the most valued assets in Minneapolis. A two car garage!

This is no ordinary 2 car garage. This is a two car garage with more than enough room for both your SUV’s and still enough room for storage. Trust me when I say. This will make your neighbors jealous.

The Secret To Making It Happen:

None of this is possible without the amazing team GroundUP Development has put together for building dream homes like this home at 4105 Ewing Ave S, Minneapolis.

Everyone from our architect, designers at Ravishing rooms and most of all my good friend and general contractor Chris at EHR Construction.

Building dream homes like this one is truly a team effort.

As a Value-Driven Investor, I Tim Murphy, take immense pride in assembling a great team of people who love what they do. Because when you do your best work for the love of it and not just for money. It shows!

When you work with people you respect. It shows!

When you do the right thing.. Because it’s the right thing to do. It shows!

So, the next time you see a little old, worn out, beat up home in St. Louis Park. Remember, it’s not as easy as 1,2,3. Unless you have a TEAM, with a Value-Driven Approach, who you know, like and trust to get the job done right.

Thank You to our TEAM of Value-Driven Experts who work tirelessly on behalf of our treasured clients and their families.

Work Completed By:

GroundUp Development in partnership with EHR Construction & Decorator In A Box