A League of Their Own

Glen Perkins has to be pretty protective of his hands these days. Being the relief pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, he’s relied upon to be the closer and cinch the deal. But two years ago, he worked them overtime building a custom home for his family of four in Lakeville, taking on everything from super high ceilings to furniture welding. His wife, Alisha, who has an eye for color and vintage, infused each room with loads of personality, creating a home that is truly one of a kind.

Having met at the University of Minnesota, the college sweethearts knew they eventually wanted to settle down in Alisha’s hometown of Lakeville. When property became available near her parents’ house on Lake Marion they grabbed it. Fortunately the idea of a tear down didn’t scare them off as Alisha’s father is a general contractor.

“We have a lot in common,” Glen says about Alisha’s dad, Kurt Weber, owner of Metro Retaining Walls and Landscaping. “We both hunt, fish, and love woodworking.”

The two guys spent a lot of time together on scaffolding where Glen recalls nailing in about 12,000 nails in the 20-foot living room ceiling—which meant very sore necks the next day. They also installed thick alder beams, using a router to create the aged look of wormhole markings. In one corner beam Glen carved the names of Glen and Alisha’s two daughters, Addie, 6, and Lyla, 4.

Large windows enhance the views of the lake throughout the three-level home, which stretches down to a sprawling backyard and beach. Since it’s an indoor-outdoor home, every inch is meant to be durable. On any given day there is rollerskating on the wide plank flooring and baseballs being thrown down the hall, as Glen teaches the girls the art of pitching. The open kitchen was designed for heavy traffic—but finding the right pro to master the cabinetry was a challenge.

“I wanted them to look dirty, not yellow or anything warm as this house has a lot of grays in it,” Alisha says. She interviewed several candidates. Jeff Hoffman of Hoffman Inc., was the one who immediately got it. He created custom cabinetry for the kitchen and mudroom, along with a storage bench in the kitchen nook, a thick kitchen island, and custom toe kicks to match the trim—creative ideas the couple appreciated.

Glen and Alisha spend a lot of time scouring vintage stores and shopping and browsing for ideas and inspiration. While in Kansas City they stopped inside an Anthropologie store and fell for the old brick flooring. Glen sourced similar bricks online and re-created the look in their own kitchen. Creating is such a hobby for this guy that he built a workshop under the new garage for woodworking and welding—off-season, of course. He also used his skills to make a ton of furniture for the house, including the welded coffee table, fireplace mantel, and the master bed.

“I’m a huge fan of metal and wood, I love the way that looks,” Glen says.

Alisha added her own touch in every room as well, including the master bedroom. No stranger to a can of paint, one day she was inspired to paint their wedding vows in the white alcove above their bed. Acting on instinct she did it and surprised her husband who admits he got a little emotional.

With love notes and baseballs scattered through the house, the family has mastered the art of expression through décor. There’s always another project for Glen—though he’s off welding for a while—and they’ve already updated little Lyla’s bedroom after she requested a total “Twins” makeover. When the pitcher heads off for 50 days of spring training in Ft. Myers, the girls stay connected to him via Skype on the Smart TV they installed in the living room. Though avid Twins fans, what these two daddy’s girls love most is a home game in their living room hall.