Photos by Spacecrafting
When a client requested a timeless lakeside estate that blends comfort with grandeur through its quality craftsmanship, architectural finesse, detailed design, and strategic landscaping, a handful of Minnesota’s respected design-build experts had an opportunity to put their best foot forward.
In fact, the collaborative efforts among John Kraemer & Sons, TEA2 Architects, PKA Architecture, MartinPatrick3, and Topo LLC were nothing short of monumental—resulting in a $68 million custom home on Lake Minnetonka. “As with all our projects, we worked very closely with the design teams to bring this to life,” says John Kraemer, vice president of Minnesota’s only five-time Builder of the Year, John Kraemer & Sons. “Our team members were involved with all design meetings before construction, as well as all site meetings during construction. We work alongside our design partners every step of the way, and we enjoy collaborating with the best designers and architects in the state.”
Before the seven-year project (two of which were spent designing; five building) commenced, Kraemer recalls looking at dozens of properties with the client before ultimately deciding on an 8-acre lakeside plot with an impressive 655 feet of lakeshore. “The property sits atop a steep slope with water wrapping around a long, arcing prow of land,” explain Dan Nepp, AIA, CID, principal, and Matthew Erickson, AIA, NCARB, associate, at TEA2 Architects. “This positioning and terracing create an impressive estate-quality from the lake and commanding views to all parts of the site.”
A winding driveway surrounded by groupings of trees and rolling land eventually reveals a first look at the estate, which is framed by matching 2,000-square-foot carriage houses. Just beyond is a new stone bridge that traverses over a large pond. “This layout also gave us a golf hole with a water hazard!” the architects add, playfully. (Perhaps less exciting, yet equally crucial, the entry pond was also designed to manage water on the site and act as a reservoir.)
Inspired by historical European Arts & Crafts works of Edwin Lutyens, C.F.A. Voysey, and Ernest Gimson, the home’s exterior—defined by its durable stone façade, slate roof, and steel windows—was designed to go above and beyond the already highly impressive homes in the area. “We sought to develop the exterior into a refined structure that integrates the craftsmanship and detail so frequently lost from current construction—[all] while being responsive to contemporary life with open, glassy, and expansive connections to the outdoors,” Nepp and Erickson say.
Meanwhile, the interior architectural decisions were spearheaded by Craig Martin, AIA, NCARB, senior associate, of PKA Architecture. “We were trying to maintain a simple, timeless palette that provided an inviting lake home experience for the homeowner, their family, and guests,” says Martin. “The home features traditional detailing at the exterior and interior with modern touches throughout to provide a subtle, but luxurious experience.”
Views, daylight, scale, and more were all considered when planning the 29,000-square-foot home’s orientation and layout. Its structure includes a central “H” form, separate primary and guest spaces, a second level built strategically into the roofline, storage and mechanical spaces located below grade at the center of the house, and more. Martin specifically calls attention to the great room, which “offers a grand entry to the home and opens to the expansive waterfront,” he says. “The home features ornate steel railings, carved stone throughout the exterior and interior, and incredible millwork.”
Per The Wall Street Journal, the home is also reported to have eight bedrooms and 17 bathrooms, plus a 12-bed bunkroom, bowling alley, arcade, cigar lounge, a wine cave, and even a Himalayan salt room.
Greg Walsh, president and senior designer of MartinPatrick3, says the inspiration for the home’s interior design evolved from the classicism of the exterior. The goal? A “fresh take” on the client’s concept of a legacy home—“not a heavy, traditional aesthetic, but instead, materials and quality that evoke unparallel workmanship with modern attributes in design details and materials,” he explains.
“The balance of luxury and livability is really grounded in the amenities that create the home,” continues Walsh, who adds that the interior selections naturally followed the stage that was set architecturally. “Rooms and features were all very personal interests of the client. The intent was to ‘live’ in the entire home, so elements such as the exercise room, theater, wine, and dining experiences paralleled the client’s passions. Each of the spaces was artfully detailed to capture the quality that resonates throughout the house. … Often, the layouts of furniture were all predetermined by the team to take advantage of the views.”
Many of those views afford a lush look at the surrounding landscape design, courtesy of Scott Ritter, principal and senior project manager, and his team at Topo LLC. The client’s desire for strong symmetry and a beautiful landscape is translated through “very well-manicured planting beds with a lot of flowers that could be trimmed into forms and hedges in certain areas,” Ritter says. “Other plant material was chosen for its bloom, but everything had to be extremely hardy to survive the lake effect.”
Ritter aims to make each of his programs an extension of the home, he says, marrying the homeowners’ personalities with the architecture and site. Topography, specifically, played a big part in this project to create interest.
“From the lake looking back, we have site walls [a collaboration with TEA2]—very artfully and subtly designed to give you a peek of the vernacular that sits up higher and farther back from the lake,” Ritter explains, also noting the property’s fountains. “We designed [them] to look as good in the winter while empty as they do in the summer. The lotus fountain in back, for instance, was designed to be a sculptural element—even when the water was drained.”
One of the project’s many sustainability initiatives, the grass overlooking the lake acts as a geothermal field to help manage temperatures in the house. Both visible and invisible eco-conscious construction methods—from orientation and materials to technology—were employed, including a high-efficiency HVAC system, triple-pane glass, an airtight exterior envelope with high R-value insulation, radiant floors to minimize energy loss, and more.
So, is the result worthy of the highest price tag a Minnesota home has ever seen? If the compound, currently being shopped off-market under a listing by John C. Adams and John F. Adams of Compass, sells at its current asking price, it will break a state record by an impressive tens of millions of dollars.
A true masterpiece that will afford future generations the very best of lakeside living, this estate is the culmination of a close collaboration that ensured the home is not only luxurious and livable but deeply connected to its site and surroundings. “We are most proud of the attention to detail and the craftsmanship that went into this home,” says Kraemer, who continues the legacy of his family’s 46-year-old business. “Every space in the home was thoughtfully designed and executed by all who worked on it—from the design professionals to all of the amazing craftspeople who brought the vision to life.”
