Photographs by Scott Amundson
Living Area
The living area’s fireplace, painted in Benjamin Moore’s Bracken Slate, makes a statement from the front door as well as the kitchen. “It becomes the ‘wow’ piece,” designer Melissa Musgjerd says. “It warms the space.”
Sometimes life has a way of just working out. After a landlocked and winter-weary Minnesota couple remodeled their Florida getaway and fell even harder for the coastal lifestyle, they lucked into a lakefront property closer to home. The Prior Lake location meant they could build a house with the dip-your-toes-in-the-water vibe they had come to love and stay near their grown kids. “Being able to enjoy the lake here all summer and the ocean in Florida in the winter was the best of both worlds,” says interior designer Melissa Musgjerd.
The resulting 9,400-square-foot house has a similar light-filled look to the couple’s Florida retreat. But its primary design inspiration is farther up the East Coast—to the quintessential cottages of New York and New England, where stately old lighthouses dot shorelines. “Everyone is drawn to that kind of home—classic with a bit of American heritage to it,” says Wayzata architect Tom Flint.
As Musgjerd says: “It’s kind of Hamptons style but with a Minnesota twist. There’s some warmth to it. The floors are a little richer, and there’s reclaimed wood in the lower level.”
With main rooms facing north to the lake, Flint got creative to maximize natural light. “I needed to put a lot of glass on the street side and have a porous interior to allow light to filter in,” he says. An open staircase, an open-concept layout, 10-foot-tall (and higher in some rooms) ceilings, and smaller touches, such as strategically placed glass-front cabinets, all contribute to the airy look. Flint then worked design magic on the ceilings, adding dimension and interest with beams, coffers, or shiplap. “Everyone wants these wide open spaces, but they can feel cold,” Flint says. “Beams and coffered ceilings are a nice way to break things up.” Paneled walls and cabinet doors detailed with an “X” pattern also add dimension and texture.
In similar fashion, Musgjerd went to work to break up a sea of white. Pops of grayish blue—the biggest splashes on the kitchen island and living area’s fireplace wall—nod to the lakefront setting. Golden yellow and subdued pink accents reflect colors in the sunsets sinking below the horizon. “The colors are truly inspired by lake life,” Musgjerd says. Now, whether the couple is cruising on the lake or entertaining family in the kitchen, they have the best of both worlds—all without having to hop a plane to the East Coast.
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Brown dining table with chairs upholstered in blue-gray fabric with gold detailing
The grayish blue and touches of gold unite the dining room and four-season room that houses the TV. Adding shades to the Visual Comfort chandelier and a mesh panel on a door of the built-in cabinetry soften hard elements. “The mesh panel adds texture and depth,” Flint says. “It gives the room more of a relaxed feel.”
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Buffet table in a blue-gray finish
Paneled walls in the dining room play off the kitchen’s coffered ceiling and echo the shape of the room’s windows. A low-slung buffet keeps the room light and airy. Its blue-gray finish inspired the fabric on the sculptural chairs, chosen for comfort. “The homeowners wanted to be able to spend a couple of hours at the table when they entertained,” Musgjerd says.
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Breakfast bar with upholstered stools
Paneled walls in the dining room play off the kitchen’s coffered ceiling and echo the shape of the room’s windows. A low-slung buffet keeps the room light and airy. Its blue-gray finish inspired the fabric on the sculptural chairs, chosen for comfort. “The homeowners wanted to be able to spend a couple of hours at the table when they entertained,” Musgjerd says.
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Rohl sink in the kitchen island
The bowed front of the Rohl sink in the kitchen island gives it a sophisticated look befitting the home. “It doesn’t feel as cottagey or farmhousey as the traditional apron-front sinks,” Musgjerd says.
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Kitchen with white cabinets and blue-gray tile backsplash
Despite its utilitarian role, the support kitchen near the back entrance doesn’t skimp on style. Brass bookcase lights detail upper cabinetry—Musgjerd’s alternative to storage that would be too high to be functional. “I wanted the space to be more special than just a wall of cabinets,” Musgjerd says.
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Octagon-shaped guest bedroom
Shiplap details the ceiling in the octagon-shaped upstairs guest bedroom. Walls are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Boudoir. Navy silk drapery panels ensure the feminine space is sophisticated, not childlike.
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Blue-gray stone and marble in the master bath
Marble ensconces the master bath, creating a luxurious spa-style retreat. The stone’s veining inspired the blue-gray for the cabinetry (painted Benjamin Moore’s Boothbay Gray). Crystal knobs and sconces bring in a feminine flourish.
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Pink walls and white counters and shelving in office
The “she” office is in a two-story tower that, from the exterior, conjures a lighthouse. Open beams on the ceiling and clerestory windows let natural light into the space, which helps balance the scale of the room. Salmony pink grasscloth walls play off sunset colors. “It’s a touch of pure girly goodness,” Musgjerd says.
Interior Design: Melissa Musgjerd, owner/designer, Studio M Interiors, 12955 Hwy. 55, Plymouth, 763-717-8500, studiom-int.com // Architecture: Tom Flint, Alexander Design Group, 275 E. Lake St., Ste. 102, Wayzata, 952-473-8777, alexanderdesigngroup.com // Builder: Jake Tupy, Moderno Homes LLC, 20520 Keokuk Ave., Ste. 50, Lakeville, 952-234-8879, alg-ent.com
