Houzz Tour: Turn-of-the-Century Craftsman Gets a Loving Makeover
A classic lakeside home in Minnesota now has a bigger master bedroom and a new kitchen for Sunday suppers
When the owner of this home first looked at the Craftsman-style house, designed by an employee of Frank Lloyd Wright on Lake Minnetonka, it was being advertised as a tear-down. But she knew it was a gem worth saving. All the home needed was a few updates like an enlarged master bedroom and a new chef’s kitchen, and the house would once again become a star.
The main entry to the house, which faces away from the lake, was renovated without changing the signature style of the house. The eyebrow dormer was replicated from an original that had been set back farther from the roof.
The homeowner, who loves gardening and landscaping, created the lush, colorful gardens around the property.
The homeowner, who loves gardening and landscaping, created the lush, colorful gardens around the property.
Designer David Heide and his team repositioned the front door for a more graceful entry. They designed a new ceiling light fixture and had a rug custom made based on a Louis Sullivan design. They also installed a stained-glass window the client found at an antique store.
Throughout the house, the original quarter-sawn white oak woodwork was kept. The decorative “wagon wheel” pattern on the door and windows appears throughout the house. The ceiling and walls are covered in an earthy tomato-toned silk wall covering.
Throughout the house, the original quarter-sawn white oak woodwork was kept. The decorative “wagon wheel” pattern on the door and windows appears throughout the house. The ceiling and walls are covered in an earthy tomato-toned silk wall covering.
Heide and his design team did little to the living room. The Rookwood tiled fireplace with ornate corbels, the beamed ceilings, the floors and built-ins are all original. One of the house’s many seasonal living spaces, the winter porch, can be seen through the windows.
The winter porch is at the south end of the house. Because the original concrete floors were in rough shape, brick tile was installed. The tile is warmed by a new geothermal, radiant heat system. The wicker furniture is by Heywood-Wakefield. The large double-hung windows on all the porches were restored with the original rope-and-pulley mechanisms.
Find more outdoor wicker furniture
Find more outdoor wicker furniture
The sunset porch wraps around the northwest corner of the house with views across Lake Minnetonka. “The house is really distinguished by its multiple porches,” Heide says.
The original kitchen didn’t have a view of the lake, which the homeowner wanted for the remodel. The new kitchen is oriented at the north end of the house to provide views of the lake through the sunset porch.
Heide and his team were charged with creating a new kitchen intimate enough for one person yet expansive enough for the homeowner’s frequent Sunday suppers, during which friends are invited to gather, cook and dine. “We basically designed a kitchen within a kitchen,” Heide says. “She has a small work triangle between the refrigerator and the cooktop on the big island, and the sink. But the kitchen also has miles of countertop, additional sinks and work areas for her friends.”
Designer Brad Belka designed the red birch cabinets. The rounded corner with sink provides another work and cleanup area that’s easily accessible. Within the corridor are ovens specifically for baking, and there is storage for bakeware.
Belka designed the light boxes on the ceiling and the octagonal Craftsman-style table that is used as a second island for serving. The table has a cork top and a red birch base with a tiger-eye effect.
Layers of shellac on the cabinetry bring out the depth and patterns of the wood. Flat white subway tile covers the backsplash.
Layers of shellac on the cabinetry bring out the depth and patterns of the wood. Flat white subway tile covers the backsplash.
Originally a small bedroom with an adjacent sleeping porch, the master bedroom was enlarged by combining the two spaces. Artistic glass tile was used to create the custom ceiling light fixture.
Belka designed the carved wood elements in the master bath out of mahogany, including the mirror, trim and cabinetry. Yellow granite tops the vanity and backsplash.
Heide’s team also designed a potting porch for the client, an avid gardener. The built-in oak cabinetry has a granite countertop. The stained beadboard ceiling is Douglas fir.
The house’s original main entrance faced the lake. The brick stairs and stone walkway are original to the property and lead to the lake. The homeowner landscaped the area with native plants to keep the steep slope low maintenance.
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A retired woman
Location: Deephaven, Minnesota
Size: About 5,000 square feet (557 square meters)
Designers: David Heide and Brad Belka of David Heide Design Studio
The house was designed by noted Prairie School architect Hugh Garden in 1905. Garden was an employee of Frank Lloyd Wright before forming an architecture firm with Richard Schmidt in 1895. The residence was designed as a summer retreat and originally had no insulation or access road. The lake house’s original owners, guests and even the mail arrived by boat.
Today, the home serves as the full-time residence of a retired woman who uses it to host family, friends and frequent dinner parties.