Inviting kitchen The large kitchen with a big center island is certain to be the focal point and favorite spot for the family to gather in the new Steve and Julie Benson home. Jack and Katie joined their parents for a family photo around the large island with a granite counter top. Their home is one of seven on this year's Tour of Homes. (Staples World photo by Tom Crawford) The annual Staples area Tour of Homes, sponsored by the Staples Historical Society, will run from 1 to 4:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 20, with tour participants invited to visit any or all of seven homes.

One of the tour stops features an old farmstead just outside Staples that is nestled among a stand of large oak trees. Visitors to the Stephen and Julie Benson home just north of Staples Central Lakes College campus may be expecting to see the remodeled farmhouse once known as the L. T. Geiger family farm. Initially, that was Steve's plan, to remodel the existing home.

"When we excavated to make room for the garage footings, the whole (west) wall of the farm house just came down. That's when we went to Plan B," Steve said. A closer look at the foundation found more problems, so the house had to be demolished.

Shady porch Steve Benson enjoys relaxing on the porch of their new home, with Jack, Katie and Izzy, the family's black Lab. Large oak trees provide shade on the south side most of the day. While larger and higher, the new house has a roof line similar to the former farm home on the old L. T. Geiger farm north of Staples. (Staples World photo by Tom Crawford) As Steve had already had the contractors lined up to do the remodeling, he had just two weeks to draw up plans for a whole new house. His intent was to keep the outside as close to the old house as he could. He kept the outside roof lines very similar to the old house but he expanded the original farm house's footprint by just a few feet in each direction.

A visitor who recalled the original home could be excused for thinking it's the same house from the outside, but any such thoughts are eliminated with the first glance inside.

This four bedroom home is now a contemporary farmhouse with just about every modern convenience one can have. A striking feature as you enter from the long front porch is a huge kitchen with Brazilian teak hardwood floors and custom cabinets. The hardwood floor leads into the other first floor rooms, The entire house, including the bedrooms upstairs, are wired (No big surprise to anyone who knows Steve) for computer hookups, internet, a house intercom system and just about any other kind of wire (or wireless) known to man.

The project, finished just this past June, was a 2-1/2 year project. They first looked at the house in December of 2006 and at that time took it on as a project for Steve, intending it to be a spec house. Local contractors did the majority of the work, including Hirschey Construction doing the framing, insulation and drywall; Jesse Fink the taping; Giza's doing the plumbing and heating, Kurt Wilson the heat pump; Japke Decorating doing the painting; Rick and Lonnie Brichachek, who combined their two separate businesses, Rick doing the kitchen and living room cabinets and shelves, Lonnie topping the cabinets with granite counter tops.

Steve, who did the designing of the entire project, had his hands in many of the different parts of the project, especially the running of electrical and other wiring. Julie's brother helped Steve and Julie lay the floors and tile and do some of the trim work.

As the home shaped up, Julie took note and eventually said, " We should move over there. (Their existing home was at least 200 yards away on Vogel Drive). That's what they did last June, with both Katie and Jack quickly taking a liking

to their new surroundings. Katie has become the 'chicken farmer' and has

already had her hens at the Wadena County fair. The farm retains the old L.T. Geiger barn and two small chicken coops that now house a goose, a peacock and the chickens, including a few pretty exotic breeds.

Throughout the process, they kept the farmstead as intact as possible. "We took out several pines and some brushy stuff, but we only took out one oak. We kept as many of the oaks as possible," Steve said.

Tour of Homes participants, as they are leaving, may even be treated by Katie to an introduction to any one of her feathered friends, each of whom has a name.