Builder Tom Dewitz imagines that the likely occupants of this 5,000-square-foot Craftsman gem will be members of a family that enjoys boating but doesn’t care for the noise of Jet Skis and other Lake Minnetonka boat traffic zooming by a stone’s throw from the dock.
The house, on a wooded lot in Minnetrista, backs onto a narrow channel that leads into Halstead’s Bay, the westernmost pond of Lake Minnetonka. “You’re on the lake,” says Dewitz of DH Homes of Minnetonka, “but it’s more like you’re in the woods.”
If you’re peering through the leaves that surround the handsome screen porch on the main level, it’s more like being in a tree house. That is, if your tree house had a gas fireplace, plus two walls and a ceiling expertly finished in cedar. There also is an unroofed, 6-foot extension for grilling, accessible via a remote-operated sliding screen.
Designed by Wayzata architect Kathy Alexander, the four-bedroom, six-bath home blends casual elegance with rustic accents. The floors are covered in hand-scraped, wide-plank white oak, while the great room fireplace surround is of fashionable slate-colored stone. The gourmet kitchen’s enameled cabinets are set off by a large island and a striking range hood, both of rustic beech wood.
On the upper level, a vaulted ceiling rises above a loft area, while the master bedroom boasts a lovely tray vault ceiling with chandelier. The master closet is plenty spacious enough to justify its own window.
A large barn-style door—another rustic touch—slides on an overhead railing to hide the upper-level laundry. A guest suite, two bedrooms with a Jack-and-Jill bath, and a generous, finished bonus room complete the upper level.
Downstairs, a massive recreation room with fireplace is served by a pub-style wet bar with pillars and canopy of quarter-sawn white oak. A wine room hides behind the bar. So does a storage area big enough to stow all the water-sports equipment an active, forest-loving family could desire.
By Jack Gordon
Photos by Spacecrafting
Builder: DH Homes
Home Location: Minnetrista
Architect: Alexander Design Group
Interior Designer: KSID Studios
Sponsors:
David Tupper & Associates
Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supply
Marvin Windows & Doors
Minneapolis Glass Company
Phantom Screens
Scherer Bros. Lumber Company
Warners’ Stellian Appliances