Photos by Katelyn Bloomquist
Our 19th annual Luxury Home Tour kicks off on Friday, July 31, with 15 stunning homes, and our design and editorial team recently had the chance to take a peek at the six new builds that will be available for in-person viewing to see how they’re shaping up. Read on to find what our favorite can’t-miss features are in each one, from east to west.
Hartman Homes
When you drive up to Home No. 4 in Somerset, you’ll instantly recognize Hartman Homes’ signature modern prairie style—fitting, considering it was built for the Wisconsin-based builder’s own president and general manager. The exterior is chic and contemporary, thanks to dark siding, stone columns, and glass-paneled black garage doors that keep it from looking too rural, but it’s the interior that we really loved. A massive window showcases sweeping views of the surrounding bluffs (the home is located on the scenic Apple River), the master suite features its own private deck, and there’s a unique sensory room (complete with a climbing wall) located on the lower level for the couple’s son to enjoy. But our favorite feature? See below.
- Can’t-miss feature: The gigantic indoor pool room, which features a sauna and wet bar on one end and a hot tub on the other, plus a glass garage door that can open up to the outside patio for the perfect place to host a summer pool party.
Divine Custom Homes
Tucked away on the St. Croix River, this Hudson home was designed by Divine Custom Homes to maximize views of the water, and its expansive floor-to-ceiling windows and rooftop deck serve up some truly spectacular sights. We particularly loved the kitchen, which has a light honeycomb backsplash that contrasts beautifully with the dark cabinetry, and the rustic three-season wood porch off the living room that features its own wood-burning fireplace (perfect for cozying up in the fall!).
- Can’t miss feature: The living room’s expansive fireplace wall, a full wall of stone that is too striking to miss.
Charles Cudd Co. — Grant
With a circular driveway that leads up to a classic blue-and-white exterior, this elegant home by Charles Cudd Co. is traditional in design yet optimized for modern living. With a vaulted ceiling, open floor plan, and plenty of space (especially in the entry to allow for those prolonged Minnesotan goodbyes), the 4,810-square-foot home is an entertainer’s dream. Extra-thoughtful elements include a vaulted ceiling and fireplace in the master suite that echoes the symmetrical design of the living room, a mirror-surrounded area in the lower level where entertainers like magicians and musicians can perform, and a workout room complete with tinted glass for privacy.
- Can’t-miss feature: It’s a close call between the gorgeous light fixtures (think sparkling crystal chandeliers and beautiful hanging pendants) and the enormous master bath, but we have to pick the master bath with its marble surfaces, deep tub flanked by dual sinks, walk-in shower, and separate vanity area.
Kootenia Homes
Also located in Grant, this white farmhouse by Kootenia Homes is simplistically beautiful with archways for doorways and display nooks, high beam ceilings, shiplap detail, crystal knobs, and a palette that mixes in neutral navies, greens, and creams amid the crisp white modern elements. This house is built on 16 acres, and whichever picture window you look out, you’ll see a field dotted with wildflowers reaching back to a lush tree line. While three bedrooms are downstairs, the master suite on the main floor is understated luxury with coffered ceilings and an eight-spoke chandelier; even the bathroom’s most minute details are thought of, such as the wood-covered vents integrated into the cabinetry.
- Can’t-miss feature: While the huge two-tiered chandelier in the living room beckon you closer, don’t forget about the home office near the entryway. Through its double doors, the office has built-in navy cabinetry that reflect the light from the window, and the ledge on top accentuates the molding. Brass lighting fixtures are a perfect nod to the traditional work space as well.
Charles Cudd Co. — Lake Elmo
In contrast to the traditional home in Grant, the Charles Cudd Co. in Lake Elmo is 3,307 square feet and focused on one-room, villa-style living. While the clients preferred a blank slate to best compliment the modern furniture and art they were going to have in the home, little details abound to give hints of their eclectic tastes already. Think light blond wood floors; a square, modern and minimalistic black fireplace framed by white limestone; antique mirror backsplashes; and stage bulb light fixtures complemented by beige saucers.
- Can’t-miss feature: The builders knew how to maximize the views and light on this property, creating a clear sightline from the kitchen island, across the staircase leading downstairs, through the open concept office tucked near the entry way, and out the front of the house. And don’t miss the incredible view of the wetlands out the glass- and screen-walled porch.
Contemporary Homes MN
Amid the winding roads of Deephaven, Contemporary Homes MN‘s latest house mixes clean lines and Texas design flair. A sleek black iron staircase has wire cables strung underneath its railing to give it a more industrial look, and the linen texture of the floor-to-ceiling TV wall accented with a frosted silver give the living room the metropolitan side of urban living. Make sure to take a close look at all the other textures that abound here, too, from a cross-hatch of wood tucked away as the backboard of a shelving unit to the diamond-scaled black shower walls of an upstairs bath.
- Can’t-miss feature: We know you’re going to make a stop at the downstair’s hockey shootout area already, but leave time to admire the master suite’s bathroom wall: Centered on top of the polished stone slabs is a back-lit statement piece comprised of thousands of little vertical warm metallic pieces, undulating up and down above what will most likely be a tub.
Wondering how the Luxury Home Tour is dealing with COVID-19? Check out the Luxury Home Tour FAQ.
