Photography by Scott Amundson
Celine Dinauer makes dinner for 25 of her husband, Bill’s employees every Thursday — a task many would find daunting. But for Celine, who grew up in a restaurant family, it’s second nature. Her mother opened the first Keys Cafe — famous for its hot turkey sandwich and French silk pie — in 1973. Today, there are nine locations, including White Bear Lake, which Celine owned until retiring last year.
And while she has happily swapped 60-hour work weeks for more free time, Celine still finds herself in the kitchen most days. But now it’s in her own brand-new kitchen that overlooks White Bear Lake. “I rarely cooked at home while I was working, but I love to now,” she explains. “Our kitchen is beautiful.”
The 3,700-square-foot residence represents a new chapter for the Dinauers. The couple didn’t set out to build new, as they’d originally hoped to find a home on one of the smaller lakes in the area. But when Celine heard through the grapevine — running a busy restaurant in a small community has its advantages — that a lot in White Bear’s oldest neighborhood, Cottage Park, might be hitting the market, they didn’t hesitate. “We never imagined we’d be able to find anything on White Bear Lake,” says Celine. “But this was perfect.”
The flat, half-acre lot was originally part of the neighboring property, an 1884 Cass Gilbert–designed cottage. It also contained a tennis court. It offered lots of shoreline and, best of all, was within walking and biking distance of town. The Dinauers felt a little overwhelmed by the prospect of building a home from scratch. Fortunately, Celine had a longtime friend in Jean Rehkamp Larson of Rehkamp Larson Architects. “Jean really facilitated the conversation that helped Bill and me hone in on what we needed from this house,” says Celine.
Because the couple wanted their new house to feel in step with the neighborhood, they spent a few afternoons driving around Summit Avenue in St. Paul to determine which historic architectural styles they both liked. After one outing, Celine made a pencil sketch of a house with twin gables, which Rehkamp Larson and Senior Associate Anders Matney used as a springboard. “Celine loves design and Bill is an engineer, so they were fully engaged in the process, which was great,” says Rehkamp Larson.
To ensure the house didn’t loom over its historic neighbor, Rehkamp Larson paid careful attention to exterior details to temper the home’s mass and newness. Narrow gables, a swooped roofline, and a variety of window shapes and sizes help accomplish this while reinforcing the feel of an older home. This required close communication with the firm’s construction partner, Hagstrom Builder. “The window package required a high level of coordination effort with Rehkamp Larson and Anders,” explains Project Manager Nils Hagstrom. “We worked across multiple Andersen Windows product lines to achieve a cohesive look.”
Even the wood siding, which is narrower than prefabricated products such as LP and James Hardie, helps tie the house to history. It was an important detail to Celine and Bill despite the additional cost and maintenance of wood siding.
And while the exterior is appropriately vintage, the interior is eclectic, reflecting the homeowners’ playful personalities. The vibe is apparent just steps inside the front door, where a laser-cut metal wall greets guests — custom-made word art with the lyrics to Bruce Springsteen’s “If I Should Fall Behind,” one of the couple’s favorite songs.
Farther down the airy, checkerboard-tiled hallway is a two-story wall with a dozen recessed niches sized to fit specific artworks. Some are from the Dinauers’ kids and grandkids, one is by Celine, and another is a painting by Celine’s mother. “Mom was super talented but only painted for a few years while raising us kids,” she says while talking about the cherished piece. “She stopped when she opened the first restaurant.”
In the central part of the house, there are arched doorways and windows, an open staircase, and a loft area with a bridge spanning from one side of the second floor to the other, overlooking the living room and wall niche gallery. “The exterior looks like a traditional cottage, but the interior space is unexpected and dynamic, like them,” says Rehkamp Larson. “That’s the fun of collaborating with friends you know well.”
Unsurprisingly, the kitchen was an important space for Celine, and she had definite opinions about and requirements for it. Incorporating professional kitchen features like durable, hygienic, stainless-steel appliances, a restaurant-style expo window with a heat lamp, and rolling metal shelves and stainless-steel counters in the pantry were nonnegotiables.
Celine also wanted a pass-through window on the lakeside for easy access during the warmer months. For the kitchen island, she envisioned a simple, stainless prep table, like those in professional kitchens. But when Rehkamp Larson suggested a more refined version, Celine started digging and found a steel and brass version she liked, which inspired a custom-made piece that struck a happy medium. “When I cook, especially for the big parties we host a couple times a year, I use every single surface,” says Celine. “It’s wonderful.”
A helpful companion to all the good cooking coming out of the kitchen resides upstairs: a light-filled home gym with windows overlooking the lake. Bill’s office is up there, too, with a glass-paned wall offering unobstructed lake views. And since the Dinauers often host family and friends, especially in the summer, there are three bedrooms and two bathrooms upstairs for grandchildren and other overnight guests.
It’s a versatile house that works as well when the couple is alone as when they host dinner for 25. And it is 100% Celine and Bill — timeless and homey, like the clatter of pans and Springsteen’s soulful growl, both of which boaters might hear coming from open windows as they float on by.
Project Partners
Architect: Rehkamp Larson Architects
Builder: Hagstrom Builder
