Minnesota summers are short, spectacular, and — if you're anywhere near the outdoors — relentlessly mosquito-ridden. The Heatherton family in Edina had a beautiful backyard that they could see from their windows but couldn't actually use. The solution wasn't to move somewhere with fewer mosquitoes. The solution was to build a screened porch that would let them live outside from May through October — and to do it in a way that would become the home's most beloved architectural feature.
The Challenge
The Heatherton project had two distinct challenges that needed to be solved simultaneously. The first was the screened porch itself: the family wanted a space large enough for dining and lounging, with a ceiling height that felt generous rather than cramped, and a design that would feel like an architectural feature rather than an afterthought. The second was the home's exterior: the existing wood siding was showing its age and requiring increasing maintenance. The opportunity to re-side the entire home while the crew was already on site was too good to pass up — but it required careful coordination to ensure the new siding and the new porch felt like they belonged together.
Project Details
Project Type
Screened Porch Addition & Siding
Location
Edina, MN
Year Completed
2024
Interior Design
Scott PalmerPhotos
8 project photos
Cathedral A-frame screened porch — exposed ridge beam, tongue-and-groove ceiling, French door entry
New James Hardie siding — sage green with white trim, window boxes with corbel brackets
Our Approach
How we solved it
The screened porch was designed from the inside out. Scott and Maria started with the family's vision — a dining table, a seating area, a ceiling fan, and the ability to be outside without being eaten alive — and worked backward to the architectural form. The cathedral A-frame roof emerged as the solution: it provides the ceiling height the family wanted, creates a dramatic architectural moment, and allows the porch to feel like a room rather than a covered deck. The James Hardie siding in sage green was chosen to complement the porch's natural wood tones and the surrounding landscape.
Project Highlights
Cathedral A-Frame Screened Porch
The screened porch is designed as an architectural feature, not an afterthought. The cathedral A-frame roof with an exposed ridge beam gives the porch a dramatic, almost cabin-like quality that elevates it from functional to beautiful. The ceiling is white tongue-and-groove pine — a material that adds warmth and texture while being appropriate for an outdoor space. A ceiling fan keeps the air moving on still summer days. The porch connects to the main living area through French doors, making it feel like a natural extension of the interior.
James Hardie Fiber Cement Siding in Sage Green
The entire exterior was re-sided with James Hardie fiber cement siding in a custom sage green color with white trim. James Hardie is the gold standard for Minnesota exteriors: it's dimensionally stable in the extreme temperature swings of a Minnesota winter, resistant to moisture and insects, and carries a 30-year warranty. The sage green color was chosen to complement the natural surroundings and give the home a distinctive, custom look that stands out in the neighborhood without being ostentatious.
Composite Deck with Black Metal Cable Railing
A new composite deck connects the screened porch to the backyard. The composite decking — a warm gray tone — is low-maintenance and holds up to Minnesota winters without the warping, splitting, and splinter risk of traditional wood decking. The black metal cable railing is a contemporary detail that keeps the sightlines open to the backyard while providing the required safety barrier. The combination of composite decking and cable railing gives the deck a modern, architectural quality that complements the porch's more traditional character.
Decorative Window Boxes with Corbel Brackets
The finishing touch on the Heatherton exterior was the addition of window boxes with decorative corbel brackets on the front of the home. This detail — small in scale but significant in impact — adds the kind of custom, handcrafted quality that distinguishes a thoughtfully designed home from a standard one. The window boxes are planted with seasonal flowers that change with the Minnesota seasons, giving the home's curb appeal a living, dynamic quality.
Project Gallery
The Result
The Outcome
The Heatherton screened porch has become the family's favorite room — the place where they eat dinner in the summer, where the kids do homework on warm fall afternoons, and where guests inevitably end up at every gathering. The new siding has eliminated the maintenance headaches of the original wood exterior and given the home a fresh, distinctive look that the neighbors have noticed. The project is a perfect example of how exterior work — often undervalued compared to kitchen and bathroom remodels — can transform a home's relationship with its surroundings and its owners' quality of life.
"Scott and his team built out an office in an unfinished corner of our basement and also remodeled our bathroom. Using MSP Construction was the best decision I have made since we purchased our house almost 6 years ago. They did a FANTASTIC job."
Dan Ousky
Office Build-Out & Bathroom Remodel · Google Review
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