Going, Going, Gone! Pauline and Wells Gustafson Residence

Image details

The 2022 Going, Going, Gone! series of home tours continues with this remarkable 1956 Bloomington home, still owned by the original family, overlooking the bluffs of the Minnesota River.

Join Docomomo US/MN on Thursday, August 4 from 5:30-7pm in-person, for a self-guided tour.

Registration required for this event, and space is limited. This is a FREE tour and open to all friends of Docomomo US/MN. Don't delay – register today! We expect this event to fill to capacity.

About the Gustafson Residence:

Originally built for Pauline "Nel" and Wells Gustafson in 1956, this Bloomington home began as a modest suburban home for the couple who fully embraced Mid-Century Modernism.

As their family, artistic endeavors, and businesses expanded over the years, the Gustafsons reconfigured some of the interior spaces and expanded the home with two additions.

Following a fire in the late 1950s, the original attached garage was reconfigured into a large "two-car kitchen," according to Pier Gustafson, who grew up in the home. A new garage, attached via three-season breezeway, was built adjacent to the original structure.

In the 1970s, a large vaulted studio designed by architect Michael McGuire was added on the Northeast end of the home.

As the trees and vegetation on the property matured, the Gustafsons created a Japanese garden that added seclusion from the street, and later carved "outdoor living rooms" into the wooded lot, including sculptures from their vast art collection. The result became the suburban sanctuary that exists today.