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of Detroit Lakes, Inc.
Index
2 10 16
Marty & Mary Solmon
Cliff and Susan Lake
22 28
Michael Mercil
Bernabucci home
DelRae and Jack Chivers
ABOVE: The formal dining room on the main floor of the Marty and Mary Solmon home looks out to the deck and Lake Melissa.
Ahhh fall.
That can only mean one thing-the 30th Annual Damien Fall Home Tour! Get ready for another spectacular line up of local dwellings to see and enjoy. The tour always offers an eclectic mix of home styles and tastes, from new homes to remodels, there’s something for everyone. This year you can “Expect the Unexpected”- be prepared for a few surprises, making the home tour even more entertaining! That’s all I can say - I don’t want to spoil the surprise! The event is set for Saturday October 3rd from 12:30 to 4pm. All proceeds go to charity: Tickets are $15.00 and are available at Detroit Paint and Glass, La De Da Décor and Design, the Holmes Theatre ticket office and from any Damien member. Don’t miss the fun! Mary Brenk
B W UIL G PR R IT D ODEE H UCN T
STRUCTURA L INSULATED WALL & ROO F PANELS
decor and design Kara Schumann, Owner 831 Washington Ave Detroit Lakes
s
kara@ladedahomedecor.com
SA V H E EA GR CO T E O IN EN LI G N & ON G
www.enercept.com Curt “Ole” Olson Enercept Dealer
Home: 218-847-8295 Cell: 218.849.2665 FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
1
Labor of
LOVE The Solmons have created their own little kingdom
Story: Courtney Sinner Photos: Brian Basham
“An arts and crafts style home”
M
arty and Mary Solmon have been married for 30 years, and have owned Solmon Construction for just about as long. So, when the couple started gutting and renovating an older home on a dream double-lot on Lake Melissa about three years ago, they knew exactly what they wanted: clean lines, plenty of wood accents, and a comfortable place for entertaining friends and family. “I’m not about a lot of clutter. I want the house to speak for itself,” Mary said. “What I like best about the house is that people come here and they are at ease, they can relax. My girlfriends say, ‘We don’t have to be careful or not touch anything.’’ After working on it for a year, they moved in November 2008, even though it wasn’t completely finished. Mary said it’s an “arts and crafts style home,” which is inter-
2
FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
TOP: In the spacious kitchen, cherry cabinets and Brazilian granite countertops are just the beginning of the perks. ABOVE: A stained glass chandelier hangs in the entryway.
FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
3
LEFT: In the lower-level family room, a ground concrete hearth on the fireplace is built to include woodboxes on both sides. LOWER LEFT: One of the many landscaped gardens on the Solmon property which uses plenty of rocks and boulders. ABOVE: The “crow’s nest” is a high point in the home, with windows on three walls and wicker furniture.
esting, because they did so much of the work themselves, and tried to use materials not only from the house they were renovating (like a fireplace), but also reclaimed cedar timbers from Chisholm, boulders from Marty’s family farm near Callaway, and even trees they cleared on the lot (mostly ash, oak and some elm) were milled and used for the hardwood floors, and to line the ceiling, on the main level. The cedar timbers mimic the pine timbers on the exterior corners of the house, but are more curvy — appropriate for a more ornate front entrance. The exterior is otherwise done in a “hearty” wood siding, with cedar shakes in the eaves, and a unique “cottage style” roof, where the shingles wrap around the front, instead of just the top, giving the illusion of a thicker roof. Large slate tile flooring is in the entryway, which features
4
FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
a stunning stained glass chandelier. A half bathroom is on the way out to a side patio where Mary said they often eat dinner when the weather is nice. It faces directly west over the lake, offering perfect sunset views — possibly the reason the Solmons have dubbed their house “Sunset Ridge.” Down the hall past the stairway is an open floor plan to the heart of the home: a dining room in the center, which leads out to a deck, a spacious kitchen to the right (which further leads to the master suite), and the living room with one of the original fireplaces to the left. “It was designed so that you could live on the main floor if you wanted to,” Mary said. The kitchen cabinetry, and all cabinets in the home, is cherry, and the Brazilian granite countertops match those in a few other built-ins on the main level. A sizeable island in the center of the kitchen has a temperature-controlled wine cooler, a walk-in pantry has motion-detector lighting, and since Mary says she loves to cook and entertain, appliances are equipped as such:
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5
LEFT: In the master bedroom, what looks like a shelf below the dormer window is actually a ceiling-less walk-in closet designed to let natural light in. ABOVE: The main floor living room has a floor and ceiling made from the trees cleared on the land, and most of the fireplace is original to the house they gutted. BELOW: A large corner tub has vanities on each side.
double ovens, a Jenn-Air gas stovetop with grill and griddle as well as warming racks, a “micro-drawer” (a microwave in drawer fashion), and a big window over the sink looking out to the driveway — so she can see when guests arrive. Although the living room’s fireplace is mostly original, the previous house didn’t have vaulted ceilings like the Solmon’s, so they extended it to the top of their high ceilings, added a new mantle and converted it to gas. They wanted to retain the two fireplaces in the old structure, so when they started building, Mary said they literally lifted the house up and rebuilt the basement before setting the house back down. “We ended up scrapping and building from scratch anyway with one of them,” Mary said. “It cost more to do that, but … hindsight.” In the main floor living area, beams in the ceiling are highlighted by background lighting set into a shelved ridge, giving the room a glow. There are lighting details like this throughout the home. The master suite on the main level is highlighted not only by a picture window out to the lake — “every room has a great view, that was important” — but also has an arched window up near the top of the vaulted ceiling, and another in a dormer on the other side. And, while it might look like a shelf below that dormer window, it actually is a walk-in closet without a ceiling, to let the natural light from the window seep in. In the master bath, a substantial tub is the centerpiece, flanked on each side by his-and-hers vanities with vessel sinks. A shower also doubles as a steam shower. “(The tub) is a necessity for us, not a luxury,” Mary
6
FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
said. “Marty is outside sometimes in thirty below temperatures, so we use this a lot in the winter when we come in from outside.” Up the stairs, done mostly in cherry with pine banister posts, the landing doubles as a small library, with a wall of built-in shelves, and a banister looking over into the entryway below. Through the next hallway is the office and half bathroom where the Solmons operate their construction company. Clients can enter the office directly from a spiral staircase outside. Since their office is attached, Mary said their home project also acts as something of a showpiece, where the Solmons can show off what they’re capable of doing. Back into the library, a few more steps up leads to what the Solmons call “the crow’s nest.” It’s likely the highest point in the house, and once again, has giant windows offering a birds-eye view of Lake Melissa.
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A view of the Solmon home from the lakeside.
Mary said the room was perfect on the Fourth of July because they could see all the fireworks being set off by people on the lake and didn’t have to be outside at the mercy of the mosquitoes. In the basement, which walks out to the backyard, another fireplace to the top of the 11-foot ceiling, this time wood-burning, is done in rock, and has a ground concrete hearth that extends over the sides to form two woodboxes. Mary said the lower level is where the family often congregates for movies and foosball, a gaming station that Marty’s had since before the pair was married. Around the corner from the family room is a halfkitchen, with a fridge and microwave, perfect for preparing popcorn before a flick. Down the hall is another half bathroom — but this time, the vanity is actually an old sewing table with a new quartz top and vessel sink. Built-in drawers in the wall make for storage, and Mary recalled how many built-ins exist in the home. “It’s because Marty hates to waste space,” she said. “It’s like a capitol mortal sin.” Down another hall is a bright bedroom specifically built for their 7-year-old granddaughter, Olivia. Painted in pale yellow and lavender, the room features a small loft above the walk-in closet, with a ladder to climb up. Right now, the room has a small twin bed, but Mary said they’ll likely equip it with a larger bed since Olivia always sleeps in her loft. Another lake-facing bedroom is next to Olivia’s room, and Mary said a friend of hers regularly stays the night — so much so, that the room was labeled as “Steph’s” on the building plan. “Yeah, it’s funny, none of our (three grown) kids have
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FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
rooms in this house, but we have one for our granddaughter and for one of my friends,” Mary joked. Another full bath is next to the guest bedrooms. Outside, landscaping abounds — and it’s no surprise, since Mary is part of the Bergen family of gardeners. Large steps from the back patio down to the lake are even lined with vegetables rather than flowers: tomatoes, swiss chard, cucumbers and squash, just to name a few. She said the steps down to the beach used to be a straight staircase down a steep hill. “It had tiny steps, so you really had to pay attention to where you were walking, and after a couple beers …” she joke, “we had to rethink that.” Close to the 300 feet of beachfront is a small boathouse, left from before — they just updated it to match the house. Boulders are copiously used in retaining walls throughout the landscaping, and Mary said it was quite entertaining to watch the landscapers put some of the sizeable ones in. “I literally pulled up a chair and sat and watched them,” she said. “You really have to have an artistic eye for that.” On the front side of the house, up the hill close to County Road 17 and Highway 59, is a clearing of trees where Mary said they’d originally planned to build a guesthouse. They eventually decided against it — for the time being. The lines for geothermal heat and air conditioning are there, just in case they change their minds down the road. For now, though, the spot is perfect for camping, or just to get a fantastic view of nearly the entire lake. Marty put it best: “It’s quite a spot,” he said. “It’s like our own little kingdom.”
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The
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The Lake family room features a large brick wood-burning fireplace and an entertainment center that hides the television. It rises out of the bottom of the center with a click of a button. Story: Courtney Sinner Photos: Brian Basham
I
t was the tall windows and steeply pitched roof that hooked Cliff Lake on his family’s vacation home on Detroit Lake five years ago — or so said his wife, Susan. Since they purchased the property, the Lakes remodeled parts of the house to accommodate the lifestyle they lead there while away from their full time home in Wayzata, Minn. What resulted is an open floor plan and plenty of fun to keep their kids and grandkids occupied. They didn’t add space, they simply moved some interior walls, like one separating the kitchen from the family room. It had been a smaller galley-style kitchen, Susan said, and the hallway that resulted from the wall made everything else too secluded for their lifestyle. So, they tore the wall down. “I love it,” Susan said of the open layout. “I would totally rebuild this house in a heartbeat. I can be in the kitchen, which is where I live anyway, and I can see everything that’s going on.” They also had the closets, or LEFT INSET: In the living room, a well-stocked wet bar takes up the whole back end of the room.
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“There’s no fighting over the rooms” parts of them, removed from the three bedrooms on the second level to make room for desks. “Everyone brings a laptop when they come here,” she explained, “and we don’t really need the space. All we normally bring are suitcases, swimsuits, sweatshirts … If you open the drawers, there’s nothing there.” Through the front door, the entryway is open to the stairway above, including a very high vaulted ceiling. To the left is the living room, where Susan said they entertain the most. It makes sense — the entire back wall of the room is a well-stocked wet bar, complete with a wine cooler set into the cabinetry. Big windows on the lakeside take advantage of fantastic northfacing views, and below the window, a spectacular antique-store find: a low bookcase that fits perfectly from one end of the windows to the other and acts as a bench. Plush leather furniture lends itself to good conversation, and an upright piano is tucked to the side — Susan said both of their daughters play. Around the corner is a formal dining room, and a table that opens up to fit 16 people, making it perfect for holidays, Susan said. Into the kitchen, distressed cherry cabinets and black granite countertops highlight the top-of-the-line appliances and a solid oak floor that runs through most of the main level. To the other end of the kitchen is a more casual family room, with a floor-to-ceiling brick fireplace and a wall mural of the Lake’s
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FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
TOP: When the Lakes first purchased the house, the kitchen was a small galley style, but they opened it up and put in distressed cherry cabinetry and granite countertops. TOP INSET: A steep roofline distinguishes the Lake home from others. ABOVE: Tucked at the bottom of a tree in one of the backyard gardens is this plant holder. “It’s the god of wine,” Susan said.
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TOP: The game room above the garage is where Susan Lake said the kids spend much of their time with Guitar Hero, Wii, movies and music. RIGHT: One of three bedrooms upstairs, this one has two twin size beds and windows nearly to the steeply-vaulted ceiling. BELOW: The master suite features a large four-poster bed and a spacious master bathroom. BOTTOM: A rustic chandelier hangs over the island in the kitchen. In the background, the entertainment center holds books and hides the television.
family tree. Susan said the artists that did it have to keep coming back to update it. “They were just here not too long ago,” she said. “We just had another grandbaby six months ago.” TV watching is common in this room, but Susan said she wanted the set hidden — as she pulls out a remote and the flat screen rises out of the bottom of the entertainment center. “I don’t like having it out all the time, so this way, it can just go away,” she said. Upstairs, the three bedrooms are all a little different, mostly in furnishings. “We’ve got a king, queen and twin room, and the kids have to draw cards to see who gets what,” Susan said. “That way, no fighting over the rooms.” The rooms with the two twin beds and the queen-size bed share a full bathroom down the hall, but the one with the king-size bed not only has an attached bathroom, but a small balcony overlooking the lake. Back downstairs, a mud room and powder room off the kitchen are a godsend on winter days when the kids have been outside, Susan said. Laundry facilities and lots of storage help keep all those boots, coats and mittens in order. The heated garage acts as something of a playroom for the grandkids, too — the floor is covered in plastic tiles (the cars get parked over permeable ones), and play sets and toys are set up for fun. Stairs in the garage lead up to a music and electronics space, where Susan said the younger generations spend much of their time when they’re vacationing here. Guitars, an electric drum set, a big TV set up for Wii, Playstation and Guitar Hero, and a big leather couch make this the perfect hangout for people like the Lake’s son, who owns a music store in Maple Grove, Minn. “He’s an electronics freak. His thing is to record and mix music,” she shared. “The kids are always up here — but (since it’s above the garage) I don’t have to hear it.” The backyard, however, is a perfect retreat. Three exits from the house in the dining room, kitchen and family room, lead to a sprawling lawn with areas for laying in a hammock, roasting marshmallows by the bonfire, or taking out their “Duffy,” an electric boat that folks use in southern California, which is where they bought it. After all the remodeling, the Lakes have a perfect place on the lake.
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Bringing the
Outdoors in Windows act as walls in the Chivers home with beautiful Detroit Lake scenery Story: Courtney Sinner Photos: Brian Basham
J
“We embrace it”
ack and DelRae Chivers are known as real estate darlings in the Detroit Lakes area, so it’s no surprise that their own home sits in an ideal location and features pretty details in every room. The home sits on Detroit Lake near Long Bridge Resort, nestled between a small bay where they keep their dock in all year round, and the larger part of the lake. It’s perfect, DelRae said, because the trees naturally clear to offer both sunrise and sunset views. “Jack bought this place in the 70s, and I applaud him for nabbing this property,” she said. “He definitely nailed the location.” The exterior of the rambler-style house is a deep
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FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
TOP: The livingroom of the Chivers home. ABOVE: Although it’s the lakeside of the home, DelRae calls it the front. Either way, it has a large porch.
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TOP: In the dining room, candles act as a centerpiee, and wine glasses fill the cabinets behind. ABOVE: Wood paneling is on nearly every wall in the home, but it’s broken up by copious amounts of windows and DelRae’s taste for pizzazz, like the modern art above the fireplace. RIGHT: In the guesthouse, brown and teal geometric carpeting is echoed on the walls, which also showcase Jack’s Pittsburgh memorabilia.
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FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
grey, done with a maintenance-free concrete siding, and a red roof. Inside, an open floor plan feels even more open – the walls are nearly all windows, capturing wildlife and lake views. “When we redid some of this last winter, we really wanted to exploit the location and use this park environment with the nature everywhere,” DelRae said. With so many windows, it’s easy to miss the fact that the walls are all covered in wood paneling, another nod to nature. “It’s like a non-décor décor,” DelRae said. “It won’t go out of style in 20 years. The décor is all outside, with the changing of the seasons.” Truly, you almost have to look closely to notice the details. In the kitchen, Italian ceramic tile blends silver, gold and copper tones to match just about anything, and the birch cabinetry supports both a stainless steel countertop on the island, as well as a cobalt blue silestone quartz, with just a hint of sparkle, on the rest of the countertops. The quartz also returns on the fireplace hearth. “It’s shockingly neutral,” DelRae said. “Who would have thought a cobalt blue would be neutral? But, it is.” DelRae admitted she’d like to do more cooking than she does, but said she designed the kitchen to accommodate lots of relatives in the space at once. In the main living space, the details are in the accessories — an intricately carved coffee table from Belize, a Tiffany lamp, and a grand piano that no one plays — yet. “That’s on my bucket list,” DelRae said. Near Jack’s “catch-all” office is a wall of protected shelves for his collection of crystal — something DelRae said isn’t exactly her style, but is still beautiful to showcase. Off the main living space, the end of the hallway features plenty of built-in shelves, used to display a plethora of family photos and stacks of albums. A bedroom and three-quarter bath is off the hallway, as well as the master suite. The king size bed, with more floor-to-ceiling shelves as the headboard, is covered with a quilt that DelRae designed herself. “It’s very bohemian,” she said. “I have
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ABOVE LEFT: A wraparound driveway leads to the Chivers home. LEFT INSET: DelRae said she designed the quilt on the king-size bed and used built-in cabinets as a headboard. RIGHT INSET: The modern master bath features a vintage-style tub, as well as sparkly granite countertops and ceramic tile. BELOW: In the kitchen, DelRae designed herself a see-through cabinet, in the style of TV cook Rachael Ray, she said.
almost gaudy impulses — I joke that a gypsy threw up on the bed.” Around the corner is a large walk-in closet and a spacious master bath, with the laundry facilities built into one of the walls. The tile work in the master bath is unique, too. Black tile on the floor have a sparkly sheen — DelRae said they reminded her of the shimmery seats on Glastron boats — and the accent tiles in the walk-in shower have a bit of a colorful gleam to them as well. “I had to get my glitter in there somewhere,” DelRae joked. Although bits of DelRae’s pizzazz find their way into everything at the main house, the décor in the guest quarters, above the detached garage, is vastly different. Dubbed the “Pittsburgh House,” since Jack is from Pittsburgh, the space has two small bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchenette. Pittsburgh pride is everywhere: There’s an autographed photo of Pittsburgh Penguins player Sidney Crosby at the most recent Stanley Cup; an afghan with the Pittsburgh skyline stitched-in draped over the couch; and clippings of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette framed and hung along one wall. They’ve also embraced the color scheme that came with the space — including the brown and teal geometric-patterned carpeting. “The style is funky and we know it,” DelRae said with a laugh. “We embrace it.” She said it doesn’t get used often, “but when we
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FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
need it, it’s invaluable.” It seems Jack knew a good property when he saw it years ago, and with modern renovations, the home stays true to it’s 70s roots while embracing the great outdoors — like the bay where DelRae said they’ve played broomball matches with their neighbors, the Schultzs, or where a group of deer have come to call home. “They’ve gotten tamer and tamer through the years,” she said. “I think word got out that it’s safe here.”
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21
Modern
aesthetic
woods in the
Michael Mercil brings a chef’s flair to his home on Muskrat Lake Story: Courtney Sinner Photos: Brian Basham
The lower level is like cinema central
I
n a cedar house nestled in the woods near Muskrat Lake lives Michael Mercil and his eclectic modern style — and that’s just the way he likes it. The owner of the Speak Easy restaurants described his style as industrial, “but also contemporary with a splash of rustic, since it’s a cedar house in the woods.” Mercil has been working on little projects throughout his house all summer long, but it’s no surprise that his first big project after he purchased the home seven years ago was to overhaul the kitchen — he is a chef, after all. The renovation was done two years ago and resulted in a kitchen probably familiar to many Detroit Lakes residents, since it’s where he films his public access cooking show. Original oak cabinets still remain, but granite countertops with a raw edge were put in, as well as new appliances, like double ovens and a large stovetop and hood, dishwasher drawers, and a faucet that looks like what you’d find in the kitchen at Speak Easy. He also added a wine refrigerator in the peninsula and a pot rack above a butcher-block island. An Italian glass tile backsplash adds a little color, and he pulled the brownish-red color into the rest of the main floor, some on the walls, and highlighted by plush brown leather chairs and new floor tiles that
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FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
TOP: One of Michael Mercil’s main summer projects was to replace his deck with maintenence free decking. The deck features a spot for a future hot tub. MIDDLE: The Mercil kitchen. ABOVE: The deck and patio area features a large outdoor gas grill.
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FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
23
ABOVE: The Mercil living room features four chairs instead of a couch or loveseat for a more conversational feel. The interior was decorated by Kara Schumann of LaDeDa Decor and Design in Detroit Lakes. RIGHT TOP: A guest room. RIGHT BOTTOM: The Mercil dining room.
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FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
are a mixture of black, red, silver and bronze — a palette that goes with practically everything. The dining room table is a custom designed square piece with a stainless steel top, and above is a very modernindustrial chandelier and pressed aluminum tiles on the ceiling. Open silver shelving behind the table highlights his industrial design aesthetic. “You would probably see those in the kitchen at Speak Easy, in fact, I think we have the same ones there,” he said. Around a corner of the kitchen toward the garage are French doors leading to a walk-in pantry. In the main living area, an extremely tall A-frame section of the house is highlighted by tall windows and highbacked chairs attached to the walls as glorified shelves, and instead of couches, Mercil chose four single chairs arranged in a square — more appropriate for conversation, he said. These surround a one-of-a-kind locally designed conversation table. Through the next doorway is the master suite. One side opens up to the large wrap-around deck, and one side features built-in oak armoires instead of a closet, leading into a bathroom with double sinks and a sizeable bathtub. This bathroom also connects back around to the front entrance. The deck space was one of Mercil’s larger summer projects. He said the old one was about the same size, but was just getting ready to fall apart, so he redesigned it and replaced it with maintenance free decking, including built-in benches and a spot for a future hot tub. A stone platform on one side is completely new, however, and features a large outdoor barbecue station and fire pit. On the deck railings, posts are topped with stained glass solar lights. The backyard deck offers a view of wooded land — Mercil said he owns two acres here, a section that backs right up to the campgrounds of Soo Pass Ranch.
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FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
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LEFT: The Mercil master bedroom. BELOW: Mercil’s Muskrat Lake home features a basemant theatre complete with projection screen and computer program with over 1,000 movie titles to choose from. BOTTOM: Michael Mercil’s home on Muskrat Lake. He doesn’t live directly on Muskrat Lake, but shares 50 feet of lakeshore with a neighbor and is walking distance from the lake.
Although he doesn’t live directly on Muskrat Lake, he said, he does share 50 feet of lakeshore with a neighbor, so he’s within walking distance of his dock. Back inside, a curving staircase leads to another two bedrooms and a bathroom, but the basement is the real masterpiece. The main living space on the lower level is like cinema central — Mercil has black and white furniture, which helps highlight the popcorn machine, candy bar, movie posters, and industrial shelves stacked with more than 1,000 DVDs. Movie madness doesn’t stop there — through a door near the mechanical room is a theater with, Mercil said, better picture and sound than what you’d find in town. Black fabric on the walls help keep the 7.1 surround
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FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
sound from bouncing around too much, and cushy black theatre seats, a large screen and high-definition projector will keep his guests entertained. All his movies were downloaded to a computer, he explained, so he doesn’t even have to mess with picking out a movie and putting the DVD in a player — his many titles are all accessible with the click of a handheld mouse. Clearly, Mercil has put together not only a modern living space upstairs, but a modern place for entertainment — all tucked behind some trees outside of town.
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www.actionrealtydl.com FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
27
modern& traditional
Jeri Bernabucci’s comfortable home on Long Bridge Road offers lots of room for guests
Melding the
Story: Courtney Sinner Photos: Brian Basham
“Very traditional folks”
T
his is how Gail Bernabucci described her in-laws — and it shows in her mother-inlaw’s home on Long Bridge Road. Jeri Bernabucci owns the house, but Gail and her husband Paul, Jeri’s son, are coordinating its participation in this year’s Damien Home Tour. Upon walking into the front foyer, the massive vaulted maple-covered ceiling and open spaces are striking. The architecture as a whole is fairly modern, providing an interesting contrast with the otherwise traditional aesthetic throughout the house. Built in 1998 by Warren Woytassek, it sits on a double lot looking north on Detroit Lake, and features plenty of brick, as do many of Woytassek’s designs. Not only is the exterior of the home done in a form of reddish-peach brick, but the floorto-ceiling wood-burning fireplace inside is done in grey with an interesting diagonal lattice design over the mantle. A brick pathway runs from the back patio of the home out to the beach and docks, complete with in-laid lights for evenings. There are actually three doorways to the backyard from inside: one from a sitting room
ABOVE: The exterior of the Bernabucci house is done with brick, and has a substantial front porch.
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511 Washington Avenue | Detroit Lakes, MN 56501 218-847-3151 FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
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off the master suite, French doors from the living space, and another single door from a small sunroom off the kitchen. The kitchen is all done in the honey-stained oak commonly seen in late90s homes, including oak treatment on the front of the refrigerator and dishwasher. Ginger colored granite countertops surround. Oak returns on the trim throughout the home, as well as the many builtin bookcases. Wall-to-wall dusty teal carpeting is in nearly every room, except the kitchen, which has linoleum. Off the front entrance, the master bedroom is a flower lover’s dream — the wallpaper, drapes and bed linens all match perfectly. Across the foyer from the master suite is a dimly lit study — Gail said it was frequently used by Jeri’s late husband, Jack. Upstairs, two bedrooms have furniture that looks like it’s been in the family for generations — but Gail speculated that it had been purchased in complete sets by the interior designer the Bernabucci’s hired when they built the house. One bedroom features a low-vaulted ceiling and an arch-topped window; the full bath has double sinks.
TOP: Brass fixtures adorn the double sinks and large soaking tub in the master bathroom. LEFT: Although the furniture in the dining room looks generations old, it was actually purchased in a style that looks worn, said the owner’s daughter-in-law. BELOW: Off the front entrance, the study was used by the late Jack Bernabucci. BOTTOM LEFT: A beachside view of the home.
A highlight of the upper level is the space commonly referred to in blueprints as a “bonus room.” It’s a comfy little “nook” now, with a small skylight in the low ceiling, a desk, rocking chairs and dolls, an ideal place for grandchildren to play. “My mother-in-law is a very petite woman, so she liked this room. She would work at this desk, catching up on correspondence,” Gail said. Looking over the railing at the landing at the top of the stairs, one can take in nearly the entirety of the main floor — it’s a very open design, and
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FALL HOME MAGAZINE 09’
F
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the high ceilings make it expansive. “It’s really functional,” Gail said of the spaciousness. “When we were here for Christmas, we had 12 people and three dogs, and it still felt pretty open. You don’t feel crowded.” She said she and Paul used to come visit from their home in Horace, N.D., nearly every weekend, often staying in the guesthouse over a detached two-stall garage (attached to the house are an additional three stalls). “Now we’ve gotten so busy, this summer we’ve only been here seven or eight times,” she said. The guest space “has more of a lakey feel,” Gail said. It’s like a studio apartment — just enough space for a big bed and a couple couches, with a kitchenette and bathroom. Big picture windows line the lakeside wall, though — perfect for catching the sunrise over Lake Detroit — the perfect respite on a weekend when the leaves start turning.
TOP: Flowers are not in short supply in the master bedroom. A connected sitting room, which also leads to the back patio, is to the right. ABOVE: Brass fixtures adorn the double sinks and large soaking tub in the master bathroom. LEFT: Above the garage, the guesthouse has more of a “lakey feel.”
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blooming
Central Floral
is
We would like to invite you into our new store to see everything we offer. We deeply value our customers and are certain that once we have the opportunity to serve you, you’ll see our commitment to quality and customer service.
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