Photos: Spacecrafting Inc.
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Lake Country Builders revisits a familiar Lake Minnetonka home, guiding it into its next phase of life.
For one Minnetrista homeowner, a remodel isn’t just about fresh finishes. It’s about making a home evolve alongside the people who love it. More than 20 years ago, Lake Country Builders helped Sharon Thaler breathe new life into her lakeside home. Now, with the kids grown, it was time for another transformation. Not a rebuild, but a thoughtful reimagining that elevated the look, feel and function of nearly every room.
“Sharon is not only one of the kindest clients but one of the kindest people,” says Pete Jacobson, founder of Lake Country Builders, emphasizing his excitement for helping usher her lakeside home into its next era. “It was like we picked up right where we left off,” adds Thaler. But this time around, Jacobson tapped Windmiller Design Studio and A. Sadowski Designs to direct the overall design vision, while his team coordinated all the details and craftsmanship to make it happen. “Our goal is to be client-focused in everything we do,” architect Max Windmiller says. “We’re not trying to come up with a ‘signature’ look,” particularly when working within the confines of a remodel and inheriting a lot of the goodness that’s already in the bones.
“It was a nice house before. But now, it has impact,” Jacobson says. The front entry and porch were completely reimagined. The team added a full bluestone portico, which connects to Thaler’s home office. There’s direct access to it via French doors that were swapped in for the original bay window. “It’s a little thing, but it makes a huge difference,” she says, admiring that she feels more connected to the outdoors during her busiest moments of work.
Once inside, one of the largest impacts is immediately on display. The team removed a staircase that once cut through the main living space—a significant structural change. Before, the room lacked flow, and it was difficult to determine furniture placement due to its choppy layout. Now, the heart of the home is just that—centralized by the focal point of a Heat & Glo gas fireplace and finished with a warm mix of materials, all balanced by wide views of Lake Minnetonka. Thaler had always envisioned a white enameled ceiling for the space, but interior designer Althea Sadowski knew just which levers to pull to bring the property into a more modern cottage feel from its outdated lake house aesthetic. Enter: a wood-paneled ceiling with a custom “cashew” stain to warm up all the white. Its stain is somewhat translucent, highlighting the natural wood grain patterns underneath. “The architectural angles in the great room are so grand and fun,” says Windmiller, who notes that the mix of materials gives them definition and balance.
The secondary impact reveals itself as you move through the great room, where the renovated kitchen and new four-season porch connect for a wide-open invitation to the outside.
The porch is a smaller area but boasts huge views of the lake. Marvin Elevate energy-efficient windows maintain a “green standard” and are collapsible, protecting the porch in winter months and opening up when it’s more temperate. Natural light now floods the interiors, enhancing the airy, open feel. The kitchen received a high-end refresh with a carefully curated palette, from dark and moody Carrara marble countertops to pale, coastal blue cabinetry—a simple paint refresh on the custom cabinets Jacobson’s team built decades ago. Another detail was updating the two-tiered island to one continuous surface. The team took care to preserve the island range, but its leveling-out provides a sleeker feel and more functionality. “When my [middle] son sat down at the new counter, he said, ‘It feels like home—but better,’” Thaler says.
In the past, her kids’ needs influenced a lot of the functionality. Now with her partner Bruce Sohns and the kids in more of a drop-by dynamic, Thaler is able to repurpose some of those spaces. The lower level, once dominated by storage solutions for hockey gear, was transformed into a sophisticated hangout space. A concrete-floor storage room at the base of the stairs is now a destination: a beautiful wine cellar complete with glass doors and PetraSlate travertine tile. Just down the steps from the kitchen, it’s easy to pop down and grab a couple of bottles while hosting, and it also serves as a stunning focal point from the top of the staircase. The remainder of the lower level had been finished; “It simply lacked direction,” Jacobson says. The team helped define the livable area with a linear fireplace, a dining nook with a built-in bench and a wet bar featuring a contemporary mix of built-in cabinetry and open shelving. “They were fabulous at taking care of everything right through the end,” Thaler says of her experience with Lake Country Builders. “Homebuilding can be complex, but the process and collaboration doesn’t have to be,” Jacobson says.
Lake Country Builders
339 2nd St., Excelsior; 952.474.7121
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