When Mason Powers dreamed about living on Lake Minnetonka, he never dreamed about living in a boat house. Yet, together with local architect Jerry Allan and the Design Build team at Vujovich, he created a boat house with character and high style that fulfilled his dreams, and met his budget, creatively.

Architect Jerry Allan, principal at Criteria, collaborated with Vujovich to meet the goal of designing a 3,500 square foot home that fit the character of the lake, not that of suburbia. "We chose a boat house look in keeping with the location, and also the confines of a narrow lot, just 50 feet wide," explains Allan. The house was built vertically, with three stories.

Finding the original cabin

Powers began looking for the original cabin over four years ago. He had just moved to the Twin Cities from Green Bay and was living in an apartment. Out one day with a realtor, "just looking," he saw the original cabin, not even sure if it was still for sale. Once he was able to see the house and the views, he was hooked. He lived in the cabin for four years before deciding to have it demolished and do a complete rebuild. Project planning started during the holiday season in 2004 and ground was broken for the new house in May of 2005.

 Finding a builder with a focus on quality

Powers chose Vujovich because of its reputation for customer satisfaction and quality. Jerry Allan, principal of Criteria and the architect on the Powers project, says that he has collaborated on about a dozen building projects with Vujovich and has a great working relationship with the company. "Number one, their focus on the client impresses me, and number two, they aim for the highest quality possible," Allan says.

Powers remembers his excitement as work on the house progressed. "It felt like I received a gift every day when I came home during the project," he says. "I also felt very included in the team approach used by Vujovich; I was presented with two to three options for every design decision, which really helped with the project's efficiency." Powers added that the neighbors are pleased that his house was built to fit so well into the neighborhood.

Allan was able to help Mason maximize the lot, the views, and his budget. "Building at the time he did, using the materials we used, we were really able to maximize the value of the house and the lot," Allan says. His advice for those contemplating a lake home building or renovating project is to take every advantage of the site and to focus on quality.

Design features of the "Boat House"

The house was designed with a subtle nautical theme. Allan studied photos of ships and old boat riggings to come up with his design strategy. The main floor has no dividing walls, giving the home an airy feel with great views in every direction. An iron wood deck off the great room represents the prow of a ship. The staircase utilizes tension cable railings, enabling those in the kitchen to see through the staircase to the water. The home also features a screen porch, as well as a full walkout with an outdoor fireplace and terrace overlooking the lake. Beautiful woodwork is featured throughout the home, in keeping with the high style of the homes in the area. Mahogany, featured in the bathrooms, skylight and attic access, is representative of the wood used on classic ships. Brazilian cherry is used on the kitchen floor, combined with maple trim, stainless steel appliances, and well-detailed cabinets for high contrast. Even the light fixtures follow the nautical theme.

Staying within budget

Throughout the project Allan looked for ways to save money without sacrificing quality. Allan utilized a clever and affordable custom strategy on the kitchen counters. The counters are made of slate gray plastic laminate, cut to three-quarter inch thickness (as opposed to the regular 1.5 inch for laminate), resembling a slate top. In fact, the laminate can easily be removed and replaced with slate in the future. A band of stainless steel runs along the recessed countertop, unifying it with the appliances. The roof features standing- seam metal in all the visible areas, including areas above the garage and below the windows. To save money, a less expensive roofing material is used in the non-visible areas.

Life on the lake

Powers enjoys his home for casual entertaining as well as parties. A favorite pastime is to have friends at the house for hors d'œuvres and take the boat out to a lakeside restaurant for dinner. Bayside, Gianni's, Sunsets, and Lord Fletcher's are favorite getaways.

"I'm always discovering new things about this community," Powers says. One Saturday morning Powers took his girlfriend and his parents boating and docked the boat in a new waterfront area in Mound. The area is being redeveloped to include a marina, condominiums, restaurants, and shops. They stopped at a coffee shop, did some shopping, loaded their purchases into the boat and came back to the house.

"There's a lot to do around here in winter, too-ice fishing, skating, great restaurants," he says.

Architect Jerry Allan, who also teaches architecture at the University of Minnesota, involved his students in a unique recycling/design project related to the boat house. When Powers tore down the existing cabin from the property, he hoped to reuse three solid Douglas Fir beams. The beams were cut in 4' lengths and offered to select architectural undergraduate students in a design contest. The students were invited to design furniture for Powers' boat house, incorporating the beams with other wood of their choosing. The results include planters, tables, and other beautiful pieces, many of which have been sold.

About Vujovich

Vujovich, pronounced voy-o-vich, is a residential design and construction company that has been doing business in the Twin Cities for more than 25 years. Through its Valley and Lakes Offices, Vujovich designs, builds and remodels sophisticated contemporary and period homes. The company's success is built on a foundation of integrity, quality and professionalism. Vujovich architects, designers, contractors, carpenters, artisans and support staff have a reputation for building excellence and value into every project. Vujovich has offices in Minneapolis and Afton, Minnesota.

     
For more information, please visit www.vujovich.com or contact Jennifer Gasperini, 651-998-0533.

By Joni Danzl