Home Refresh on a Budget • Lighting Your Life • Customizing Your Fireplace SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2018
S u b s c r i b e b y v i s i t i n g w w w.l a ke a n d h o m e m a g a z i n e.c o m
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Lake and Home Magazine Volume 20 • Issue 5
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FEATURE HOME
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ot everyone follows the same path to creating the perfect family retreat. Don and Jenny Tomann recently completed what they call the “garbin” (a combination of a garage and cabin) on their two-acre property on Lower Whitefish Lake. When they purchased a cabin on this large lot in 2014, they knew they would eventually replace the 65-year-old structure, which sits back several hundred feet from the lake. A more spacious cabin would be necessary to accommodate their four young sons as they grew up into four young men.
“We have two weddings this summer, so our family continues to grow,” says Jenny Tomann. “As we began considering our building options for the cabin, we soon realized it would be a long process, and we would need somewhere to stay during the construction.” A Different Direction So why not start off by building a small guest cabin down by the lake that could also double as a gathering spot for activities and games? “With wetland dividing this large, unusual lot, it would be tricky to attempt to build a home on the lake side of that wetland,” says Matt Balmer of
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Don and Jenny Tomann recently completed what they call the “garbin” (a combination of a garage and cabin)
Lands End Development in Crosslake. “There is not enough room for a house near the lake with the 75-foot setback, but there’s enough space to do something, and that something turned out to be this fun, different and quirky kind of structure that contains a master bedroom, bunk room, kitchen and living room on the main level. It’s flexible space that doesn’t need to be as practical as a house.” Depending on which angle you view it from, the exterior of the garbin seems to take on new and different elements of design. The rustic cedar siding is accentuated on the upper living area floor with a wraparound deck and finished off with a cable railing for maximized views of the lake. A dramatic roofline has several peaks, and the garage doors on the lower level blend seamlessly into the small building’s lakeside personality.
The entire garage is tucked underneath the 700-square-foot guest house (the maximum allowed for a second structure), but the restricted space is designed for family and fun. A master bedroom and bunk room provide sleep space, and the kitchen and game room provide personality. Red accents and spirited game tables add to the animated atmosphere, and a sign with a verse that encompasses their family “mission statement” is one of many personal touches throughout this guest house. “The goal in designing the upstairs was to make it feel fun and interesting for everyone who stays there,” says Karisa Vander Kooi, owner and senior designer for The Source Room in Buffalo. “The Tomanns are truly generous, open people who are welcoming and hospitable, and I think that comes through in the design.”
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Besides the obvious rustic setting and lake setting, Karisa points out the “nods” to Don’s Native American heritage, their love of hunting, their love of nature, and their faith. She previously worked with the Tomanns on their home in Buffalo. “For the older, married boys, they wanted a warm and comfortable atmosphere,” she says, “but then for the younger, teenage boys in the bunk room, they added a more fun factor, like the blue chairs in the game room.” “The Tomanns know who they are and what they want,” Karisa adds. “We were able to complete the design in one afternoon, and it was an amazing experience. The ‘heart’ of the garbin stays true to them.”
“We were able to complete the design in one afternoon, and it was an amazing experience. The ‘heart’ of the garbin stays true to them.” Karisa Vander Kooi Owner-Senior Designer // The Source Room
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The garage on the lower level serves many purposes, including the storage of water toys and lots of outdoor yard games. “All of our family activities are now centered at the garbin. We play all the standard yard games like bean bags, volleyball and ladder ball,” says Don Tomann. “We also keep our barbecue grill down there, and store all our water-related equipment, like the paddleboards and fishing gear. I’m not much of a fisherman myself, but our youngest, 15-year-old Nick, likes to head out just for the fun of it.” How It Began Jenny, who always wanted a family cabin, says it took several years to convince Don, who had never experienced cabin life. “My family used to spend summer vacations at resorts in the Brainerd area, so I had wonderful memories of those days,” says Jenny. “When the boys were younger, we did a lot of camping, but as
they got older and bigger, we outgrew the camper.” Having their own cabin suddenly became more desirable – even to Don. “We initially purchased a lot on a small lake – about 700 acres,” Don explains. “We thought we wanted a small lake, but after that first summer we both knew we didn’t really want a small lake.” A new search began, with a list of wants and needs that was long ago lost. “It’s unfortunate we didn’t keep the list, because I think we got just about everything we wanted – the large lot, the level beach area, the tall pine trees, the long drive in, and the seclusion,” adds Don. “We also got a larger lake.” At approximately 7,000 acres, and as part of the 14,000-acre Brainerd chain of lakes, Lower Whitefish was the perfect fit. It
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also helped that it’s only 35 minutes away from deer hunting land they own near Emily and Aitkin. “We call this place ‘The Refuge,’ and we also call it an investment in our family,” says Jenny. They were initially attracted to the privacy and location afforded by this large,
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wooded lot, which is dotted with 80-foot high red and white pines. “We want to retain the wooded landscape,” she adds, “and don’t plan to change the footprint or move the new cabin any closer to the lake.” With a home in Buffalo and as owners of a second-generation manufacturing company, UMC Incorporated, the Tomanns enjoy getting away to The Refuge and sharing what they have with family and friends. They host annual family weekends for both her side and his side, along with an annual friends’ weekend. Now that their sons are getting married, they’ve also started a new tradition where they invite the daughters-in-law and their parents to join them for what they call the “Outlaw Weekend.”
“We call this place ‘The Refuge,’ and we also call it an investment in our family.” Jenny Tomann Homeowner
With all that company, the design of this new guest house was extremely important for the Tomanns. “There was no initial dwelling on that property down by the lake, so we were starting from scratch,” says Don. “We met with several builders, trying to explain our wants and needs, along with learning about the regulations we would need to comply with.”
Don says they met several times with Matt and Jeff Balmer, two of the partners with Lands End, and Jeff “nailed” the design right from the beginning. “I’m a big garage guy, and we do a lot of lake properties and garages with guest quarters,” says Jeff. “It’s a beautiful lot with a bit of a berm off the lake, plus a small pond and fountain in the wetland area. We not only had to talk about the guest house, but also the future house, too, so
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Couldn't have done it without: Brainerd Glass Inc.
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Build All Installed Services Burns Brothers Masonry Buster’s Masonry Capital Granite & Marble
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Classic Wood Floors North Clement Plumbing & In-Floor Heating Concrete Arts Crosslake Sheet Metal
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Custom Upholstery & Awning
page 61
Excel Painting Franzen Brothers Plastering Lakes Millwork Lands End Development
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Neumann Construction Northern Lakes Landscaping
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Red Pine Log Works
page 66
Schrupp Excavating
page 63
Simonson Lumber The Source Room The Tile Shop Timber Ridge Electric
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Vision Technology Warners’ Stellian Appliance Wood Products Unlimited
page 67
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that we would be able to tie the design into that a few years down the road.” The building of the main cabin will have to wait, however. Son Justin, 22, married Molly in June, and son Joshua, 24, will marry Marissa in September. Nathan, 18, and Nick, 15, are still at home – for now. As two of their boys begin new lives, and Don begins heading in the direction of retirement, there will continue to be plenty of activity at The Refuge – games, barbecues, fishing, wake surfing, and sunset pontoon rides for the entire family. The garbin is the first step in the big plan for the future of The Refuge. ~L&H
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