Minnetonka Lakefront House
John and Mary W. scouted this Minnetonka location for years before buying the land. This space has an excellent lake view and is situated on a slope down to a pedestrian path. Finding the right architect and designers took several months in and of itself. They spent an additional year designing the house. The house is designed and built around the excellent views, a principle which is evident in the window styles, the main floor deck and the extensive lower level patio that extends the entertainment space to the outside.
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The couple took a very active role in choosing every finish. In the case of the masonry and landscaping selections, this called for several visits to the Plymouth Hedberg yard to browse and ask advice.
Mary says, "We took a very hands-on approach. This is the fifth house that we have built. We have some very different ideas about how to design a home, but at the same time we look for lots of input from designers and architects and suppliers as well."
"The architect really listened to us when discussing how we live and use our space. We've owned a few lakefront and retreat-type homes and enjoy elements of each; this is both our permanent residence as well as a place to host family and entertain guests. In fact our outdoor living space is really an extension of the home and our guests naturally end up outside," she says.
Natural stone is prominent from the formal facade to the rustic retaining wall in the rear, adjacent to the lakeshore path. Natural stone was always part of the plan. Mary says, "Both of us really like the permanence of stone. We also gravitate to warm colors and this is visible in the choice of stone."
With the help of their architect and Hedberg Supply, the couple essentially created their own unique blends of stone for the walls, patio and walkway. They chose to forgo a simple boulder retaining wall and asked the landscape contractor to use larger cut stone instead for a more Old World flair. This same rustic feeling comes through in the front facade and patio walls as well as the front stoop and lower level patio flooring, which is a unique flagstone blend.
For the front steps and entry walkway, John and Mary and their architect felt a more formal cut look was preferable. With a little extra effort on the part of Hedberg, they removed the "bluest" of the bluestones from the mix so the walkways would not clash with the other finishes. The result is a balance between initial formality and warmth that greets visitors as they approach the entrance.
On the lower level patio, the couple took the opportunity to tie in cut stone for a side table and fire table. The natural-gas fire table is cut from a Brentwood slab and the side table is a polished Chestnut.
Inside the lower level den, one can see thin veneer stone on the fireplace surround and on a bar backsplash. The hearthstone is Brentwood with a honed finish.