One with the Landscape – Mpls.St.Paul Magazine

More often than not, maximizing a view means maximizing the windows. But this new colonial home on Christmas Lake, in Shorewood, doesnt give in to prevailing trends. A lot of people with lake homes in Minnesota forego window grids to have wide-open glass, but this family really wanted the authenticity of divided-light window grids, just like youd see on the East Coast, builder John Kraemer says. Even if you obscure the view a little, its worth it. Its authentic.

Divided-light Marvin windows are among dozens of details that make the home feel like its long been part of the landscape. From machine-cut cedar shingle roofing to copper gutters to a black charcoal granite chimney with gable steps, they create a period feel. Even the classic white-painted wood siding does its part, with clapboards closer to 10 inches in width versus todays more common six-inch profile. Its more reminiscent of an older colonial, says architectural designer Jeff Murphy, who worked closely with architect Dan Demeules on the design. Bigger boards are one of those details you might not pick up on immediately, but when you do, you feel something about this housethat it feels really historic.

That impression was important for the owners, who have family connections to Christmas Lake and for years lived in the propertys previous midcentury white colonial home, which their family had outgrown. They wanted a nod to what was there beforetimeless and not over the top, Murphy says. They wanted it to feel like it was there for generations.

To that end, he looked to the previous theme and sketched out a variationan asymmetrical colonial. A lot of people think of colonials and they think of a rigid symmetrical box, he says. But we call this balanced asymmetrywith details and scale that create balance. On the rear exterior, for example, a window-wrapped sunroom anchors one end, a bay bump-out the other.

The design lends itself to a comfortable, less formal feeling, starting with scale. The massing should be kept to a human scaleit shouldnt be very overpowering, Murphy says. Think about walking up to a lot of older houses. Theyre comforting and lower and cozier in terms of rooflines and even interior spaces. In this case, a welcoming front porch and entry vestibule are entirely devoid of dramatic volume. But Murphy and team took pains to prevent a feeling thats in any way cramped. When designing modern-day houses, you have to get a little creative to feel the rewards of taller spaces on the inside, he says. A lot of old houses have lower ceilings, and now people want 10-foot ceilings.

The home, with its comfortable style and scale, borrows much of its sense of space from a linear, open plan that makes the most of natural light and views in every direction, including those toward the lake. Spaces on the main level, in fact, are never more than one room deep.

Architectural details, such as columns and beams, along with furnishings and light fixtures, define the living room, dining room, and kitchen in the open plan, and white oak flooring ensures seamless transitions. The owners wanted a very clean look on the inside, with traditional bones but more of a modern tone in most of the fixtures and furnishings, Murphy says.

Neutral upholstery gets pops of color from pillows and antique rugs, the latter brought from the owners original home. Features like the marble tiles on the fireplace surround feel a little upscale, but the furnishings ensure that when you walk in, it feels like home, says interior designer Kelly Perry, a longtime friend of the owners who collaborated with fellow designer Martha Dayton.

The more casual approach to the floorplan and furnishings also accommodates the owners lifestyle. She [the owner] loves to cook but wanted to make sure she could be cooking with her kids and husband sitting nearby, Perry says.

A two-sided fireplace anchors the entire living/dining/kitchen spaceand departs from an interior primarily painted Benjamin Moore White Dove. Painted a high-gloss Benjamin Moore Black on the living room side, the mantel was probably the trickiest decision we had in the whole house, Dayton says. But it was the right decision, because the owners didnt want the room focused around seeing a TV. It also complements the fireplaces marble surround and visually connects to the kitchen island, which is painted the same color.

Another deep colorBenjamin Moore Hale Navycovers the other side of the fireplace, in the adjacent music room. She [the owner] really wanted a high-gloss blue mantel, but I encouraged her to paint the whole room, including all of the built-in bookcases, blue, Perry says. We went through probably eight blues before landing on this one.

Glass doors flanking the fireplace keep the space visually open while allowing it to be closed off from sound when someone is practicing the piano. That room becomes a really cool backdrop, Murphy says. Looking through the doors and seeing the blue bookcases in the background becomes art in itself.

That same level of thought and attention to detail extends to all corners of the house, top to bottom. Even when you go downstairs, the beams on the basement ceiling have cool bracket details, Kraemer says. A lot of people view the basement as a place to save money, but the owners wanted to do it up right and make it just as special as the rest of the house.

Interior Design: Martha Dayton and Kelly Perry, Martha Dayton Design, 811 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 370, Mpls., 612-850-9493; marthadaytondesign.com //Architecture: Jeff Murphy and Dan Demeules, Murphy & Co., 811 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 250, Mpls., 612-470-5511, murphycodesign.com //Builder: John Kraemer, John Kraemer & Sons, 4906 Lincoln Dr., Edina, 952-935-9100, jkandsons.com //Landscape design: Keenan & Sveiven, 15119 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka, 952-475-1229, kslandarch.com

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One with the Landscape - Mpls.St.Paul Magazine