10 minute read
SCANDINAVIAN SIMPLICITY
Words | Patrice Peterson Photos | Kip Johnson
It’s clearly a blending of styles, and I
think of it as Minnesota Scandinavian, or Scandinavian Simplicity. Ashley Trousil | HighPoint Homes ”
From start to finish, most homes that are designed and built on a lake lot have their own unique story. For this home, on Lake Jessie near Alexandria, it was especially important for the homeowners to not only downsize and simplify, but also to personalize their style in every design aspect along the way.
Style definitions have changed and expanded over the years. With its clean lines, off-white siding, off-white interior, and natural wood accents, this home would traditionally be labeled as modern or contemporary. Defining styles can be a little more complex than that, however, according to Ashley Trousil, Project & Selection Coordinator at HighPoint Homes in Alexandria, MN.
“It’s clearly a blending of styles, and I think of it as Minnesota Scandinavian, or Scandinavian Simplicity,” she says. “Yes, it has clean lines, but it’s also warm and cozy without being sterile, and it feels like a great backdrop for their lifestyle.”
To ensure that everyone involved in the building of this house was on the same page, these homeowners created a personal “mantra” that drove every decision that was made along the way. It’s an acronym of “SHACK.”
Ashley Trousil | HighPoint Homes
S. H. A. C. K.
The Homeowners’ Personal Mantra
It’s important to understand the mantra to truly appreciate how it was woven throughout the fabric of this project. From the homeowners to the home designer to the builder to the interior designers, along with anyone else who was involved, it became a defining factor.
S – Simple
For us, simple and clean kind of go together. We wanted simple, clean lines, like plain cabinets with no trim. Or the floating cabinet in the kitchen area. Part of my thinking was also that simple means easy to clean. Straight and clean lines don’t have as many crevices to clean.
H – Highly Functional
We learned a lot after living in our previous home for 20 years. Some of my favorite things about this house are the pantry and the laundry, with the efficiency of the pass-through. Being able to store things and having them easily accessible to the kitchen is also important. I was looking for ease and access.
A – Ambiance
We wanted the same character and atmosphere to carry throughout the house. Our fireplace is situated so that it can be seen from all the rooms. The lake. The view. The windows. It’s all part of that ambiance.
C – Clean
As I mentioned, clean kind of goes with simple. I like easy to clean. When looking at things, I wanted every surface to be easily wipeable. I wanted the tile in the bathrooms and all the sinks to be one piece. Easy. It’s about feeling good in the space and not having it become a lot of work.
K – Kind to the Budget
I put that in here so that we would always be mindful of where we are with the budget when we make decisions. When talking to Ashley or Taylor about design-type things, being sure to ask, “Is this within our budget?” It’s easy to go over that budget, and it can get out of hand. This kept us all on task. Kim Green, Owner/Designer at Woodland Home Designs, Alexandria, MN, became aware of the SHACK mantra when she first sat down with the homeowners to design their house.
“They had found a plan on the internet that they liked, which we used for our inspiration,” she recalls. “They also had a few magazine clippings, and I loved some of their ideas, like the three-sided fireplace and the open bookshelves between the two living areas. There was a little piece of notebook paper that had the acronym on it, and because I also like simple and clean, I totally got it! I even used it as the cover sheet for their floor plans.”
Since they were very organized and had a general idea of what they wanted, Green says that made her job much easier. “Mostly, I needed to add details and finesse it a bit,” she says. “They had some limitations on the width of the house and the roof overhangs. After we worked some of those things out at the initial meeting, along with downsizing the walk-out area, we made very few changes and they were able to move forward quickly. If I do my job right, no one should have to call me once they dig the hole.”
As part of the Lake Jessie Meadows development where they purchased the lot, a homeowner’s association provides services, along with access to the lake and community dock. For this couple, simplifying also means that being part of the association, as they relay it, “gives us the view without the work.”
Ashley Trousil | HighPoint Homes
Although coming into the building project with many of their own ideas, Trousil says they were open and receptive to many suggestions along the way.
“They had complete trust in us, and we had fun finding ways to stay within the parameters of their mantra,” she says. “Since they wanted to downsize and also be budgetconscious, we did things like adding wood accents and flower boxes outside. It added curb appeal and ambiance to the exterior, without breaking the bank.” Working together with Taylor Whiting at Swedberg Wood Products Inc. in Alexandria, MN, they found the perfect clear birch cabinetry.
“It was definitely clean lines with no fuss – slab doors and slab drawers – and really cool hardware,” says Trousil. “It was important for us to figure out how to bring in those cabinets, working with the entire interior, and tying it all together from room to room.”
The natural birch wood finish is something Whiting says is starting to become more popular with cabinetry customers in the area, who are drawn to the natural wood look and lighter tones.
“As I first began working on this home, I was able to view the 3D drawings, which helped me understand the entire look and concept,” says Whiting, who works in Sales & Design at Swedberg. “When the customer has an open mind and creative spirit, it allows for the collaboration of ideas toward the common goal. Working together with Ashley made the project fun, because it involved creativity from both of us.”
One of Whiting’s favorite features is the floating shelving between the living room and sun porch that gives the area an open feel, but still allows for some separation.
She adds that their shop also produced a mitered “waterfall” birch wood ledge that serves as an eating area for the bar stools. That ledge is layered a level above the quartz countertop. To create the dramatic waterfall look, both countertop materials drop vertically down the sides, all the way to the flooring.
The three-sided fireplace is a focal point for the entire main floor. “With the openness of that space, it’s almost like a peninsula that comes out from the wall,” Trousil explains. “The whole family loves a fire, so they wanted to be able to enjoy it, no matter which of those main floor living areas you’re in, and it adds to the ambiance.”
The master bedroom and bath combine beauty and functionality. With a free-standing soaking tub and a frameless glass shower surround, steps were taken to minimize the cleaning. Both the shower and the bathtub have hand showers, which are used not only for bathing and showering, but they also help make cleaning a breeze. In addition, any kind of crevices that might create extra cleaning effort were eliminated.
Jay Paulson | HighPoint Homes
It was important for the homeowners, as well, that the master closet, laundry room, and pantry be close together and somehow connected. With the concept from home designer Kim Green and implementation by Trousil and Whiting, a floor-to-ceiling cabinet between the master closet and the laundry room opens from both sides, serving as a “pass-through” for dirty clothes (and saving all those extra steps going around the walls).
Between an active Goldendoodle, and even more active grandchildren, the dog shower built in the garage is another fun space. Different leftover tiles were pulled together and “repurposed” to accent the shower area.
The backsplash in the kitchen is another example of using leftover tiles from a previous project. Initially used in an office space, the tiles were supposed to be installed in a horizontal pattern. Instead, they decided to try them vertically, and it fit in perfectly with the style in their kitchen.
“There is definitely no other home just like this one,” says the builder, Jay Paulson, Owner & Project Development at HighPoint Homes. “They created some dramatic impact with the specific cabinets and flooring they chose. Additionally, by using a drywall return on their interior windows, with wood trim only on the sills, it draws your eye to the view instead of the window, and provides a clean, crisp look.” L&H
Jay Paulson | HighPoint Homes
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Although there were a few hiccups along the way with material delays, Paulson says everyone involved worked hard to make the final version “right” for the homeowners.
“At first, they wanted a one-level home, but the lot they selected necessitated a walk-out. After deciding to move ahead with a partial basement, it turned into a great area downstairs, with a walk-out patio underneath the sun room,” he says. “They had a strong plan and a specific look they wanted, and we all worked together to harness that look and give the entire house a cohesive feel.”
