Big House on the Prairie

A complete remodel reorganises a family home around shared living spaces, individual work areas and an expanded outdoor setting.
Reconfigured family living room with fireplace and art display
Dane Cronin Photography

A complete remodel reorganises a family home around shared living spaces, individual work areas and an expanded outdoor setting.
Reconfigured family living room with fireplace and art display
Dane Cronin Photography

Practice: Rodwin Architecture
Photographer: Dane Cronin Photography
Project: Whole-house remodel
Area: 9,000 ft²
Interior design: Rodwin Architecture with Kimball Modern Design + Interiors
Builder: Skycastle Construction
Landscape design: Environmental Designs, Inc.

The place

Big House on the Prairie is the remodelling of a 9,000 ft² family home. Rodwin Architecture revised the layout, interiors and connections to the garden, working with Skycastle Construction and co-interior designer Kimball Modern Design + Interiors.

Removing walls and adding windows brought the kitchen, dining and living spaces into a brighter shared area. A restrained backdrop gives the owners’ art collection a clear place within the rooms, with timber finishes and sculptural lighting connecting the different spaces.

Geometric bathroom tiles and round mirror above a timber vanity
Dane Cronin Photography

The lower floor accommodates a wine room, bar, media room, games areas and gym. Separate home offices provide quieter places to work, while individual bathroom finishes give the bedrooms distinct identities. A reorganised mudroom improves the route into the house.

Environmental Designs, Inc. contributed to the landscape, where renewed pool facilities, a spa, shaded seating, planting and vegetable beds extend family activities outside. Solar photovoltaics, electric-car charging, efficient mechanical systems and LED lighting form part of the wider improvements.