Tour this barn-inspired prairie home in Minnesota with serene meadow views

Four black gabled pavilions with standing-seam metal roofs glowing at dusk, seen across tall prairie grasses and yellow goldenrod

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Just west of Stillwater, Minnesota, PKA Architecture designed this modern prairie home for a couple returning to the Midwest after more than 20 years of city living. Named Prärie Hus, the 3,400-square-foot house sits in White Oaks Savanna, a community of architect-designed homes on restored prairie.

The owners wanted space, quiet and a front-row seat to the changing seasons. Their German and Nordic heritage also shaped the design, with white oak and white walls inside. The project was named a 2025-2026 AIA Minnesota and Star Tribune Home of the Month. Continue below to see the rest of this fabulous home tour…

DESIGN DETAILS

ARCHITECT PKA Architecture
INTERIOR DESIGN AND FURNISHINGS Homeowner in collaboration with Dwell 44
BUILDER Marsden Building and Remodeling
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Pebl.
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER Bunkers & Associates
PERGOLA FABRICATOR Suncoast Enclosures Twin Cities
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT White Oaks Savanna

Black gabled garage and pavilions joined by a wood-clad link with rooftop solar panels, set behind a meadow of black-eyed Susans

A Minnesota Prairie Home Inspired by German and Nordic Barns

Prärie Hus translates to “prairie house.” Farmsteads in Germany and Scandinavia inspired the exterior, a look that also shaped this Scandinavian farmhouse in Minnesota. From one end to the other, the gables hold two bedroom suites, the main living area and the garage. As a result, the house doesn’t look heavy on the open land.

Black TruExterior siding, made with recovered fly ash, covers the gables, while Kebony wood siding wraps the spaces between them. Each roof is standing-seam metal. Because the house has no clear front or back, either side can act as the main facade.

Distant view of the black and wood-clad prairie home nestled into green rolling grassland with wildflowers and a tree line

This Minnesota prairie home is tucked low into the site, facing wetlands, grassland and a historic barn. On the approach, a rise in the natural grade forms an entry court.

PKA also drew up the master plan for White Oaks Savanna. The community has 30 home sites of five to seven acres each, and much of the remaining land is set aside for native grasses and organic farming. The same community is also home to this modern Tudor house with wide-open prairie views.

What We Love About This Home

The black exterior makes an eye-catching first impression, but the low rooflines keep the house from looking too big for its site. We also love the wood-clad links between the gables and the green tile niche in the kitchen. Because most rooms look straight out to the meadow, the view changes with every season. This energy-efficient prairie home fits beautifully into rural Minnesota.

Tell Us: Would you trade city life for a home surrounded by open prairie? Let us know in the Comments below; we love reading your feedback!

Note: Be sure to check out a couple of other inspiring home tours that we have featured here on One Kindesign from the portfolio of the architects of this project, PKA Architecture: An organic modern house nestled on a picturesque Minnesota property and Inside a gabled cottage-style home in Minnesota with swoon-worthy interiors.

Front entry with weathered vertical wood siding, a black glass door and glowing cylinder wall sconces between black-sided gables

Above: The front door sits in one of the wood-clad links, which warms up the black facade.

Gabled Pavilions Joined by Flat-Roofed Links

From outside, it could pass for a row of modern barn houses, but the plan is one continuous T shape. Three flat-roofed links tie the gables together and cut the house into smaller pieces. As architect Brent Nelson explains, “Having a mixture of pitched-gable forms and flat-roof links really breaks down the massing.”

Except for a small mechanical room in the basement, everything is on one level. The owners planned for the day a parent might need to move in. As a result, the home is already accessible.

A Vaulted Great Room Framed by Prairie Views

Long great room under a vaulted white oak ceiling with a gray sofa, olive armchairs, a dining table and kitchen beyond, with black-framed glass to the courtyard

The main living space has the tallest ceiling in the house and windows on both sides. White oak covers the floors, ceiling, doors and cabinetry, set against walls painted Benjamin Moore White Dove.

Because there is so much glass, the owners chose UV-filtering triple-pane windows from H Window in Ashland, Wisconsin.

Dining room with a dark wood table and sage green chairs under a sculptural wire pendant, opening to a living area with a fireplace and neon art

Above: A see-through pendant from Moooi hangs over the dining table without blocking the view. The table and chairs by Huppé came from Dwell 44 in St. Louis Park.

Symmetrical living room with two gray sofas, boucle chairs and a linear fireplace under a vaulted white oak ceiling, with windows on both sides

Above: Two sofas face each other across the fireplace, with windows on both sides looking out to the meadow. Meanwhile, a tall plaster chimney wall rises all the way to the peak of the ceiling.

Living room with a linear fireplace in white tile, a neon Love Is Love sign, gray sofas, boucle chairs and a tall window to the prairie

Above: A linear fireplace in white tile anchors the living area, and a neon Love Is Love sign adds color.

Figural painting on a white wall at the end of a sunlit hallway with slate tile, a white oak door and a gray sofa in the foreground

Above: The couple found this figural painting at an art collective in Boulder, Colorado. Since then, it has hung by the front door in every home they’ve shared.

A Minimalist White Oak Kitchen with Green Tile

White oak kitchen with a white waterfall island, four gray counter stools, a linear black pendant and a green tile niche under a vaulted wood ceiling

Minneapolis-based Hurley Custom Cabinets built the flat-panel cabinetry here and throughout this Minnesota prairie home, all without visible hardware. The owners chose Corian countertops for their soft, matte look. A slim linear fixture from Sonneman hangs over the island.

Glossy green stacked tile backsplash in a white oak niche with a black pot filler, monstera leaves in a vase and a black faucet on the island

Above: Green Fireclay tile lines the cooking niche. The black pot filler and faucet also match the window frames.

Kitchen island with a black faucet and flat-front white oak drawers beside an induction cooktop, with a black-framed window looking to the meadow

Above: An induction cooktop sits beside the tile niche, with a window to the meadow at the end of the island. At the same time, the island sink lets the cook look out to the view while prepping.

Stainless refrigerator set into white oak cabinetry beside green tile, with a light oak hallway leading to a den and a tall window

Close-up of a white oak drawer pulled open, showing finely crafted finger joint corners

Above: Finger-jointed corners on the drawers show the craftsmanship that went into the cabinetry.

A Back Kitchen That Opens to the Garden

Back kitchen and bar with white oak open shelves, black stone countertops and a glass door opening to a garden path and raised planters

White oak built-in with lit open shelves holding pottery and an orange Dutch oven above a black stone counter and flat-front drawers

Above: Integrated lighting brightens the open shelves, where everyday pottery and cookware stay within easy reach.

The owners call themselves minimalists, so the back kitchen and bar keeps the blender, toaster, and other small appliances out of the main kitchen. In addition, a glass door leads straight out to the herb and vegetable garden. One homeowner loves to garden, and the other loves to cook, so they use this connection often.

The raised beds grow herbs, kale, carrots, and beets. Over time, the owners have also added native seeds to the landscape, designed by Jonathan Blaseg of Pebl.

An Energy-Efficient Prairie Home Built for Minnesota Winters

The walls are built from structural insulated panels (SIPs), which cut construction waste, improve insulation, and speed up building. Rooftop solar panels also help power the house, and all appliances are electric.

Outside, a louvered pergola covers the patio. Its louvers close against rain or strong summer sun, and the frame includes built-in gutters.

Flexible Spaces for Fitness and Movie Nights

Exercise room with a white oak slat screen, a black exercise ball and dumbbells, and a tall window looking across the courtyard to another pavilion

Above: A slatted oak screen defines a workout area, with a tall window overlooking the courtyard.

Den with a gray sectional and ottoman facing a white oak built-in media wall, with a sheepskin chair by a tall window to the meadow

Above: The den sits in the bedroom wing, behind a large pocket door. The couple relaxes there at night on a Maiden Home sectional and a Room & Board chair.

Bedroom Suites Wrapped in Nature

Primary bedroom with a white bed, blue rabbit artwork and an Eames lounge chair by windows, with a sliding door open to the prairie

From the owner’s bedroom, no other buildings or lights are in sight. The rabbit painting came from Hedge, a shop near Palm Springs, and the Eames lounge chair is from Design Within Reach.

Olive velvet bed against a white oak paneled wall with a black glass pendant over a round black nightstand, beside a carpeted hallway

Above: The second suite gives visiting friends and family a private room with its own view. Similarly, white oak paneling lines the wall behind the bed.

Powder room with dotted pattern wallpaper, an oval mirror, a pierced ceramic pendant and a floating white oak vanity with a black faucet

Above: In the powder room, patterned wallpaper and a pierced ceramic pendant add texture to the simple white oak vanity.

Bathroom with a tall black-framed window framing the meadow and trees, a glass shower, white oak vanity and black fixtures

Above: A tall bathroom window looks out to the meadow and trees. The vanities use Brizo plumbing fixtures and Sonneman lighting, and the owner’s bath has an outdoor shower just outside the door.

Living with the Seasons in a Minnesota Prairie Home

The owners say the best part of living here is watching the weather. For example, storms roll across the open sky, the stars are clear, and they’ve seen the northern lights from home several times. On windy days, the tall grasses move in a way they find almost hypnotic.

Black gabled pavilions at dusk behind a green summer meadow, with a lit covered patio, a louvered pergola and black planter boxes