Ten Steps to the Home You Love
Here's the step-by-step process that ensures you’ll have a remodel you love.
1.5-Story Minneapolis Dormer Addition
A remodel is underway. Take a look inside.
Follow along as we create a dormer addition for a homeowner in Southwest Minneapolis who is looking for an updated bedroom with an adjacent bathroom and primary closet.
Current Step
Final Reveal
Final Reveal
A Southwest Minneapolis homeowner reclaimed her upper level as a true primary suite, without giving up an inch of yard space.
This 1941 Cape Cod’s full-shed dormer addition wrapped up on schedule at roughly 16 weeks, transforming an underused half-story into a complete primary suite with a bedroom, walk-in closet, full bathroom, and a fun bonus room just off the stair landing called “the snug.”
This was the space she had been waiting for.
The homeowner had been adding to her home for years, including a new kitchen and a reworked backyard with a flagstone patio and pergola. Each project made the house feel like home. The upper level, though, had stayed untouched for nearly three decades, with the same finishes, the same square footage constraints, and the same summer heat that pushed her downstairs to sleep on the couch.
Moving wasn’t an attractive option, with so many friends nearby, neighbors’ kids who used her driveway as a play space, and family within an easy drive. The location kept winning, so the house needed another upgrade. For this homeowner, finally having a working bedroom suite she could be proud of (and comfortable in) was worth sticking around for and investing in.
“I have thought about leaving, but I love my location. I’ve got friends to the West and friends to the East. So, yeah, gonna stay.” – Homeowner, 1.5-Story Minneapolis Dormer Addition
The summer couch is officially retired.
By designing a dormer along the back of the home, we gained the necessary ceiling height to reclaim the square footage lost under the existing sloped gable. The space was always there, but the dormer addition made it usable for the first time, turning a limited 1/2 story into a fully functional, dynamic upper level. And with the new dormer came systematic upgrades to the building systems and enclosure that protected against major temperature shifts.
This new layout works because every square foot is accounted for. The primary bedroom is tranquil and draws plenty of natural light from the new windows throughout the suite. Our client finally has a walk-in closet that isn’t affected by low ceiling heights. The full bathroom upstairs anchors the back of the dormer with a generous walk-in shower, a walnut vanity, and heated tile floors. The snug, her name for the small den at the top of the stairs, became a quiet retreat with abstract tulip wallpaper and Sherwin-Williams, Distance, washing the rest of the room in a bold blue. Throughout the suite, the selections track to two priorities: clean lines and easy upkeep, from simple faucets and large shower tile to matte paint that hides potential touch-ups and fingerprints.
“I definitely had an idea of what I wanted things to look like, but it was nice to have the team at White Crane listen to what I was thinking and help me narrow things down.” – Homeowner, 1.5-Story Minneapolis Dormer Addition
With a little bit of space and creative thinking, this homeowner finally got her ideal bedroom suite.
The upstairs is finally comfortable year-round thanks to improvements in insulation, active systems, and high-quality windows. The bathroom she didn’t have for 27 years is now down the hall, not down a flight of stairs. She finally has a full-height closet and even a bonus room to spend her mornings or early evenings in.
She still has projects in mind. But the upper level is done, and the new bedroom suite helped make this home worth staying in, and all without taking up valuable yard space.
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