One of the lesser-sung benefits of living on a lake is the light. “Reflected off the water, it is incredible,” says architect Jean Rehkamp, “especially at sunrise and sunset.” The author and award-winning co-founder of Rehkamp Larson Architects, Inc. is speaking in general — but also specifically about her latest project, an East Coast–inspired Colonial on a quiet lake outside the Twin Cities. A return engagement for Rehkamp, who previously worked with the homeowners on another project, this home offered an opportunity to build on an established relationship. “There’s no higher compliment than repeat clients,” says Rehkamp. For this wooded site, the homeowners envisioned a home with formal architecture and a lively spirit, inspired by traditional Colonial homes they’d admired while spending time on the East Coast. The style demands symmetry (front door flanked by evenly spaced windows), which is part of the appeal. Rehkamp and team member Angela Taffe Wingate adhered to that convention with a few mindful deviations.
Photography by Scott Amundson
“The staircase would generally be in the center of a colonial house, but we wanted a clear view from the front entry through the house to the lake beyond,” Rehkamp explains. “So, we placed the stairs in a wing between the kitchen and primary suite.” Formally detailed, comfortably furnished rooms radiate off that front-to-back central hall, each proportioned to suit its purpose. Winsome nooks and small enchantments are sprinkled throughout the house, architectural touches that would be common in older homes of this style. Take the porthole window over a built-in desk off the stairs that peers into the pantry, a slim French casement window bisecting the living bookcase, classic tile detailing or the delicate Grecian pattern metal vent covers. This house oozes charm.
The dining room is papered in a dreamy, hand-painted verdure mural by Iksel, a portion of which conceals a hidden jib door that pops open to reveal a sweet, soft pink China closet. Even unoccupied, the space evokes a sense of occasion. Across the hall, the kitchen and family room are a bit less formal and more open but share the same attention to detail as the rest of the house. It’s easy to envision the home full of family members engaged in various activities, reading by the fire in the living room, playing board games on the porch, baking cookies in the kitchen or watching a movie in the family room. “That’s the beauty of this layout,” says designer Sue Weldon. “Each room is inviting and scaled just right.”
Traditional homes can sometimes be dark, with less natural light due to smaller windows and a more closed layout. Rehkamp resolved the issue in various ways — creating wider openings between rooms, adding French doors off the living and dining room and including three stories of divided glass on the staircase. “So that views to the lake and reflected light are always part of the experience when moving between levels of the home,” she explains. Rehkamp added two cupolas (a more romantic alternative to skylights) in the mudroom and primary suite closet and Solatube [tubular daylighting devices] in the vaulted second-floor internal hallway to welcome light from above. Her goal was to capture daylight without sacrificing the authentic feel of the design. “It’s quite amazing how much natural light this house has without massive windows,” says Josh Crenshaw, project director and director of innovation at Streeter Custom Builder.
Weldon worked with the homeowners on finishing touches, selecting soft paint colors, subtle wallpaper and a mix of light fixtures. Antiques, newer pieces and an array of patterns, textures, and details like scalloped edges and rolled arms on furniture make the house feel established — like it’s not trying too hard. One fun addition is a pull-down world map behind the kitchen banquette for the family to reference during meals and games — a repeated detail from a previous home project with Rehkamp Larson. “We had a ball,” says Weldon.
The house’s grounds reflect the same sensibility, beginning with the long herringbone driveway and courtyard (you can almost hear the clip-clop of horses’ hooves). “These clay pavers are an Old World material that will change color as they age,” says Landscape Architect Todd Irvine of Keenan & Sveiven. His understated design includes boxwood hedges, bobo hydrangeas, ornamental grasses and a feels-like-its-always-been-there limestone wall on the lakeside. Elegantly satisfying the five-foot pool safety fence requirement, the wall supports the pool, pool house and hot tub.
True to its inspiration, the home recalls Connecticut or Southampton. “It defines elegance,” says Rehkamp. “I love details, and this was a deep dive into all the layers and an incredible collaboration with all the players.”
Architect: Rehkamp Larson Architects, Inc
Builder: Streeter Custom Builder
Interior Designer: Sue Weldon
Landscape Architect: Keenan & Sveiven
