Photographs by Corey Gaffer
gathering room and 28-foot-high ceiling
Reclaimed fir beams from Manomin Resawn Timbers bring what builder Kerry Hage calls a “rich, heavy, substantive feel to the house.” So does the fireplace constructed of larger stones, which complements the scale of the gathering room and its 28-foot-high ceiling. The two-tier wrought-iron chandelier is from Restoration Hardware, and the modern sofas are from Marge Carson.
Sometimes a site just calls for a certain kind of home. In the case of a 100-foot-high hilltop in Wayzata—with views of Ferndale Marsh and Lake Minnetonka—it was for a home that’s “almost magical and with more gravitas than a lot of others,” says builder Kate Hage, who worked with her husband, Kerry, on the project.
The pair, along with home and interior designer Tom Rauscher, didn’t need to look far for inspiration. “Our whole concept was based upon the old Tudor house that was originally sitting there,” Rauscher says. “We wanted to kind of give back to the property so it didn’t feel like a brand-new house.”
That meant an exceptionally high level of quality and thought for the new structure’s materials. Reclaimed Chicago brick details the walls inside and out, starting with a layered arch topped with a keystone at the front entry. Antique oak floors salvaged from a tobacco farm in North Carolina extend throughout most rooms on the main and upper levels, including the baths. And an old fireplace mantel from the previous home now graces the library fireplace.
Here and there, however, the team broke from tradition. The sunroom and main bedroom, for example, are paneled in extra-wide shiplap siding. And furnishings in the gathering room and kitchen have more edge than you might expect. “It has that nostalgia, but it has a modern twist to it, too,” Rauscher says.
But the home shines brightest through its exquisite craftsmanship—and the artisans behind it. Take the steel doors and windows between the kitchen and garden room, which were custom-built by Minneapolis metal shop Jacobsson Carruthers right at the homesite. “Because those windows float one-eighth of an inch off the counter, they needed to be exact,” Kerry says. And the artfully detailed cabinets—some with a subtle floral motif—were crafted by Brian Grabski of Designed and Made in St. Paul. “Everybody was excited to do something that challenged them,” Rauscher says. “They weren’t just there to build a house. They were there and up for the challenge of doing something new.”
“The artisans who worked on this house worked in a truly artisan fashion, which is not following a really rigid set of detailed plans.”
—Kate Hage, Builder
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Custom steel doors and bifold windows by Minneapolis metal shop Jacobsson Carruthers connect the kitchen and garden room
Open Sesame: Custom steel doors and bifold windows by Minneapolis metal shop Jacobsson Carruthers connect the kitchen and garden room. “It’s like we extended the house—that the garden room was an extension—and those were the original doors and windows to the outside,” designer Tom Rauscher says. “But you can open that whole wall up.”
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Heavy millwork, an arched range niche, and a furniture-like island create what Rauscher describes as an old European-style, grotto-like kitchen
Special Recipe: Heavy millwork, an arched range niche, and a furniture-like island create what Rauscher describes as an old European-style, grotto-like kitchen. Countertops and backsplashes of Gabana quartzite in an antique leather finish keep the look warm, while wrought-iron-and-brass lantern fixtures from Southern Lights in Burnsville put a modern twist on tradition.
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The garden room, also called the morning room, serves multiple functions: a cozy spot for coffee and breakfast, a place for potting, and a home office (with a desk on the wall opposite the potting area).
Practical Beauty: The garden room, also called the morning room, serves multiple functions: a cozy spot for coffee and breakfast, a place for potting, and a home office (with a desk on the wall opposite the potting area). Distressed-finish cabinets, a wall of reclaimed Chicago brick, and French limestone floors create a casual, almost alfresco look.
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Stone, stucco, brick, and cedar-shingle siding come together to convey a Tudor style that pays homage to the site’s previous structure.
Honoring History: Stone, stucco, brick, and cedar-shingle siding come together to convey a Tudor style that pays homage to the site’s previous structure. “We went with a darker brown stain on the cedar because the owners didn’t want it to gray out,” Kerry says. “They wanted it to be very warm.”
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An old mantel salvaged from the site’s previous home adds instant character to the fireplace between the library and sunroom
Reclaimed Elegance: An old mantel salvaged from the site’s previous home adds instant character to the fireplace between the library and sunroom. “We wanted to create the impression that we just tore the walls down and left the brick exposed,” Rauscher says of the design. The oak floors here and throughout the house are also antique.
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In the sunroom, oak floors give way to inlaid hand-painted clay tile from Fantasia Showroom at IMS. Extra-wide shiplap covers the walls.
Breaking Away: In the sunroom, oak floors give way to inlaid hand-painted clay tile from Fantasia Showroom at IMS. Extra-wide shiplap covers the walls. “We took that traditional element and created more of a contemporary tone,” Rauscher says. The windows and doors here—and throughout the house, except for the steel units in the kitchen—are Marvin.
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Herringbone-pattern oak flooring and white oak vanity cabinets warm up the main bath.
Tailored Style: Herringbone-pattern oak flooring and white oak vanity cabinets warm up the main bath. “The homeowners wanted a very comfortable, cozy, spa-like experience,” Kerry says.
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Exposed ceiling beams bring the main bedroom a lofty attic feel that makes sense given the space’s upper-level perch.
Treetop Aerie: Exposed ceiling beams bring the main bedroom a lofty attic feel that makes sense given the space’s upper-level perch. As in the sunroom immediately below, wide shiplap wraps the walls. “And windows here face south, east, and west, so you get natural light at all times of the day,” Kerry says.
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Black-lacquered wood rails and wrought-iron spindles keep the three-level stair in step with style.
Stunning Solution: Black-lacquered wood rails and wrought-iron spindles keep the three-level stair in step with style. “We wanted it to be grand but didn’t want it to be in your face as soon as you walked in the door,” Rauscher says. “So we created a tower effect with glass all around it.”
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The book-nook hallway connecting the entry foyer and library is what Rauscher calls a “throwback to the existing house,” with its tight yet charming spaces.
Nod To The Past: The book-nook hallway connecting the entry foyer and library is what Rauscher calls a “throwback to the existing house,” with its tight yet charming spaces. The woodwork is stained rift-and-quarter sawn white oak. “Details like these bring a little intrigue,” Kate Hage says.
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The floral motif seen elsewhere in the house even appears on the sides of drawers in the kitchen island.
Sunrise Details: The floral motif seen elsewhere in the house even appears on the sides of drawers in the kitchen island. “That’s one of the ideas the cabinetmaker, Brian Grabski, came up with to enhance the space,” Rauscher says. “He has the craftsmanship to pull it off. It’s more of an art, in my mind.”
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floral motif for the powder room vanity, which presses into an alcove.
Brian Grabski of Designed and Made came up with the floral motif for the powder room vanity, which presses into an alcove. “We wanted to bring elements of an old Tudor house into that space,” Rauscher says. The metallic wall tile, which follows the curved ceiling of the alcove, is from Ann Sacks.
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custom conservatory
Back Story: The same level of detail seen on the front of the house extends to the back—but with more glass. That includes the custom conservatory by Conservatory Craftsmen in Burnsville, which features automatic windows as well as heating and cooling, allowing it to be used year-round.
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floor plan of house
The Plan: Although the home’s plan is spacious, Rauscher deliberately kept some rooms from feeling too open and exposed. “It’s kind of a discovery as you walk through the house,” he says. “We created alcoves and smaller, intimate rooms off the larger ones, yet everything’s open and comes together all the way across the back.”
Home and interior design: Tom Rauscher, Rauscher and Associates, IMS, Ste. 54, Mpls., 612-353-6940, trauscher.com // Builder: Kerry and Kate Hage, Hage Homes, IMS, Ste. 567, Mpls., 763-286-3369, hagehomes.com // Landscape design: Neil’s Outdoor Services, 6380 Industrial Dr., Eden Prairie, 952-698-6900, neilsoutdoorservices.com
