As part of Anne McDonalds thoughtful approach to interior design, she doesnt just consider her clients desires and her own expertise. The house has an opinion too, says the Minneapolis-based AD PRO Directory member. It may not be obvious, and sometimes you have to dig a little to find it, but its there.This philosophy resonated deeply with Jay Peterson and Nickey Skarstad, born-and-raised Minnesotans. After spending 13 years as tenants of generic apartments in San Francisco and New York City, the couple longed for some semblance of architectural character in their next abode, finding promise in a 1955 split-level rambler in Edina, a Minneapolis suburb.As renters, our eclectic style never quite synced with our living quarters, says Skarstad. And since we moved back home to buy our first house, we wanted the exact opposite vibe. Such an alignment of style and place would finally feel authentic, not just to the husband and wifeshes a tech creative who values function on par with delight; hes an engineer with a built-to-last sensibilitybut also to their impressionable young daughters, nine-year-old Alma, and Ethel, who is five.In the foyer, designer Anne McDonald carved out a niche for a custom mappa burlwood table from Rovan Furniture. She used different woods throughout the homefrom birch cladding on the vaulted ceilings to the zebrawood top of the dining rooms Saarinen Tulip tableto avoid monotony. The 1961 abstract expressionist painting is by A.C. Hermkens. The Bumper ottoman is from Blu Dot.Im so partial to vintage, but I cant just fill a space with it, says McDonald. As such, the vintage pieces in the formal living room are remixed with new furnishings like a Lawson-Fenning Forster sofa, a Visual Comfort Clemente floor lamp, and custom stools by Seer Studio, all of which have midcentury tendencies but with a modern edge. I didnt want it to look like a time capsule in there.Taking cues from the homes original details, McDonald, who was also the construction designer for a COVID-era gut renovation, says she just enhanced what should have been there to begin with. At the back of the house, she accentuated the vaulted ceiling with birch, native to the Upper Midwest, creating a cocooning Scandi effect that befit the homeowners Swedish heritage. Where once small windows offered little sunlight, floor-to-ceiling glass now surrounds the painted-brick fireplace in the den (affectionately called the snug), while skylights and glass patio doors help illuminate the kitchen and dining room. Such a radiant glow up, as the designer calls it, highlights the compression and release technique developed by late architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Moving through the ramblers entry, living room, and home officeall capped under a low eight-foot ceilingheightens the sense of openness one feels upon reaching the soaring spaces.McDonald designed a custom maple screen with doughnut cut-outs that allow a semblance of separation and flow, but in architectural fashion. Vintage midcentury teak console from Golden Age Design. Pair of vintage oil paintings sourced from Kassie Keith at Round Top Antiques Fair.McDonald also embraced the homes midcentury roots with a palette of subdued gem tones, leaning away from glamour and into the hippie spirita nod, perhaps, to the 1967 Summer of Love, arguably the eras most colorful hallmark. The kitchen cabinets are painted in a fading-sunset hue; the 1950s armchairs in the living room are covered in Aquarian blue leather; and the sultry primary bath is color-blocked with lush merlot and dusky mauve tiles. Im particular about repetition of color, since theres a danger of creating boredom or feeling a little too Disneyland, says McDonald, who used a variety of purple hues from room to room. So its important that theyre mixed upa little cooler here, a little warmer there.To play up the importance of the main fireplace in underscoring the homes midcentury identity, McDonald painted the original bricks Paean Black by Farrow & Ball for gravitas, then effectively lightened its monolithic presence by surrounding it in floor-to-ceiling glass. Its a formidable anchor for the snugs more playful pieces, like the grape Kool-Aid-colored mohair covering the Eames lounge and ottoman and the 1950s Giraffe floor lamp by Rispal.With vintage funky amoeba-shaped coffee tables, a built-in sectional covered in a hardwearing Zak + Fox outdoor textile, and art ranging from a thrifted nude painting (a holdover from the apartment years) to an old Jefferson Airplane concert photo by Michael Friedman, the snug feels like a swanky set from a television drama about 1960s advertising moguls. In reality, its more of a romper room. The kids really jump around in here, says homeowner Nickey Skarstad of her and husband Jay Petersons two young daughters, Alma and Ethel. Its our family hangout.The 1960s rosewood Eames lounge chair in the snug is upholstered in mohair dyed a freewheeling shade the designer calls grape Kool-Aida groovy counterpoint to the built-in sectional, covered in a thalassic-green Zak + Fox outdoor textile. With vintage lighting like a lanky Giraffe floor lamp, rippling amoeba-shaped coffee tables, and art ranging from a thrifted nude painting (a holdover from the apartment years) to an old Jefferson Airplane concert photo, the snugs nouveau-mod aesthetic recalls a certain 21st-century period drama about 1960s advertising moguls. It invites you to put a record on, drink a boulevardier, and play cards, says McDonald. In reality, the snug is more of a romper room. The kids really jump around in here, says Skarstad. Its our family hangout.In the course of the renovation, McDonald gave the kitchen a larger footprint than the original: I liked the idea of the room being set in birch, and then I just wanted to turn it up a little bit. A salmon-y flush comes from Farrow & Balls Bisque paint on the custom cabinetry, the checkered zellige backsplash is arranged with Zia Tiles in Casablanca White and Glazed Earth, and the island countertop is a particularly veiny quartzite called Blue Deep from Terrazzo & Marble.Compared to the front of the home, the vaulted ceiling over the dining room, kitchen, and snug provides a sense of expansiveness and plenty of fresh air, recalling a technique developed by acclaimed Midwestern architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Saarinen dining table with rosewood veneer from Design Within Reach. Vintage Danish midcentury teak chairs from ABT Modern, upholstered in Mombasa by Pierre Frey. Noguchi 75A pendant lamp.But even in the gem-toned pastures of homeownership, nostalgia lingers for the more nondescript domiciles of yore. Quietly hanging in the elegant living roomwhere voluptuous seating is irresistibly wrapped in nubby boucl and long-haired alpaca, and midcentury moorings include a handsome vintage teak console and sculptural table lampsis a framed cross-stitch from the familys early history that reads: Home Sweet Apartment.Designer Anne McDonald in the snug. Vintage photograph by Michael Friedman. Built-in sectional with custom cushion by Buildlane, covered in Zak + Fox outdoor textile. Midcentury ceramic lamp from Chairish.Art: Michael FriedmanTo make the primary bedroom more spacious, McDonald commandeered some square footage from one of the kids bedrooms to make a walk-in closet for mom and dad, which theyre super psyched about, says the designer. Midcentury houses can be tricky with that kind of stuff. The corner window is also new. A shearling bed from Parachute and a Loloi shag rug make this haven even more inviting. Vintage still life sourced from Kassie Keith at Round Top Antiques Fair; 1960s Scandinavian pine bench from Chairish. Silk and cotton Gudri coverlet by Lisa Corti.Similar to the primary bedroom, the primary bath received more breathing room by co-opting space from the kids bath. Top-to-bottom tonal tileAdobe and Vintage Leather, both by Fireclaymakes for easy cleaning and visual impact. Bamboo mirror from 1stDibs. Dioscuri sconces from Design Within Reach. Custom vanity top in Calacatta Granviola from Terrazzo & Marble.The lavender hue from the primary bath was reprised in eldest daughter Almas bedroom with a Farrow & Ball wall paint called Sugared Almond. West Elm Rhode bedding with vintage throws. Nightstand from Anthropologie.The mint and brick red huesrespectively, Palm and Bamboozle, both by Farrow & Ballof the daughters shared bath were pulled from other parts of the house, like the powder room and the primary bedroom, showcasing McDonalds mastery with reprising color for cohesion but without feeling repetitious. French faux-bamboo mirror from 1stDibs. Vintage Moroccan rug.Skarstads home office shares a three-sided fireplace, still sporting its original brass doors, with the living room. The Limerence wallpaper by House of Hackney is kind of wild, says McDonald. It is the color palette of the house. Its a repetitive element that isnt formulaic. Sit-to-stand desk from Design Within Reach in walnut and black leather. 155 Task Chair from Design Within Reach.On a Venn diagram of Japanese design and midcentury aesthetics, points of intersection include use of natural materials, simple silhouettes, and multifunctional spaces. To honor this, McDonald chose a Pierre Frey grasscloth wallpaper called Momiji, depicting red maple leaves strewn over bonsai. Water Monopoly sink and toilet in sherbet. Vintage Danish mirror and 1950s Italian glass pendant from 1stDibs.Shop it out:Knoll Saarinen Round Dining TableModern Weave Box Checkered Area RugLawson-Fenning Forster SofaStockholm Area RugArtisan Large-Scale Bunch of Alabaster GrapesKara Mann Bangle Dirty Rose Glass Decorative BowlMario Bellini "Le Bambole" Sofa for B&B ItaliaThe Sims Hilditch Collection Emma OttomanRoom and Board Liam Side TableVaughan Designs Shoreham Table LampVintage Hans Agne Jakobsson #V149 Wall Lamps for Markaryd"Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" by Andrew BoltonChiltern Handmade Rug by Jake ArnoldVintage Eames Lounge Chair & OttomanGiraffe Floor Lamp by RispalAllModern Olena Decorative Dice Bookends (Set of 2)Vintage Swedish Pine Table LampCrow Canyon Home Splatter PitcherNoguchi Akari 75A Ceiling LampZia Tile Casablanca Zellige