Photographs by Spacecrafting
Orange kitchen with an orange stove
TANGERINE DREAM: While the orange cabinets and peninsula certainly catch the eye first, easy-to-clean Cambria countertops from Select Surfaces and a mirrored backsplash and star-patterned flooring (both from ProSource) complete the look—and are great talking points at any gathering. “It was like a Boogie Nights theme,” Randolph says.
Let’s be clear: This is not your typical calm, quiet waterfront oasis. Dan and Heidi Martinson’s Lake Minnetonka “cabin” is designed for entertaining—and nothing about the house takes itself too seriously. When the Martinsons bought their second house, the Orono-area home was already an homage to 1970s camp, complete with an indoor fountain and mythical-figure statues flanking the driveway. Initially, they intended to tear it down and build new, but the palatial period piece started to grow on them, and with building restrictions, the couple knew they wouldn’t be able to build as close to the water anyway.
“We thought, OK, if we’re going to hold off on building here, what can we do to make this really fun and comfortable and a great weekend and summer entertaining space?” says Dan, who owns the consumer product manufacturing company Xtrudex. So, along with interior designer Sarah Randolph, the couple leaned into the kitschy vibe to amp up the all-out disco party pad with a bright orange kitchen, shag carpet, patterned wallpaper and flooring, and statement art galore.
We just kept the original theme of the house, which was total ’70s, but took it to the next level.
–Dan Martinson, homeowner
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orange kitchen with grey stools
Homeowner Dan Martinson knew he wanted to use Big Chill’s Retro collection orange appliances in the kitchen. Designer Sarah Randolph took his dream up a few notches by creating a custom high-gloss orange Sherwin-Williams paint for the matching cabinets. The end result is a far cry from the kitchen’s previous dark brown cabinetry and worn linoleum floors.
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House from the driveway
COME ON IN: Other than painting the house white—“It was this ugly orange-yellow brick,” Dan says of the original exterior—the team didn’t need to change much outdoors, including the statues lining the driveway leading up to the party pad.
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Staircase in foyer
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: The foyer’s slate floors, Brutalist brass chandelier, fountain, and open staircase are original to the house. Dan put some punch on the wall with an enormous vintage James Bond movie poster he found online. After hours debating how to frame it, the design team decided to wallpaper it straight to the wall.
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living-room
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powder room
ANIMAL HOUSE: Sure, leopard-print carpeting in the powder room may not be traditional—but in a house like this, tradition is long foregone. It pairs with the home’s original vanity, mirror, and swan faucet, while Lee Jofa wallpaper from Kravet brings drama to the small space.
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swan faucet
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Banquette table with colorful seating
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY: “The fabric came first, and it just kind of spoke to me,” Randolph says of the eating area’s banquette, covered in Harlequin velvet from AJ Maison. “It was a way to bring personality and color in there, but it’s really durable as well.” Randolph designed the stained glass pattern behind the eating area herself, and Quality Glass Block and Window Company brought it to life. The metallic brown wallpaper is from Francis King, and light fixtures are sourced from Dutton Brown and Southern Lights.
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bathroom sinks
RESTRAINED RETREAT: The owners’ bath feels more modern and minimal than the rest of the space, but the flooring (Artisan Tiare porcelain from The Tile Shop) nods to the house’s theme. “We kept it as clean as possible, but those floors are more characteristic to what would have been in the ’70s,” Randolph says. “We leaned into it a little bit, but not too crazy.”
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bed and side table with black and white patterned wallpaper
POP ART: Bold design continues in the owners’ suite in the form of black-and-white wallpaper by Kirkby Design (from KDR) and bedding from AJ Maison, Schumacher, and KDR (yes, the lumbar pillow matches the walls exactly). A Robert Abbey lamp brings a pop of color to the mirrored nightstand the homeowners found, echoing the mirrored backsplash in the kitchen. The living room’s shag carpet (from ProSource) continues here.
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mirrored doors
CATCH THE WAVE: “Heidi wanted her closet to be girly and fun, and I was like, ‘I got you,’” Randolph says of the punchy side of the couple’s closets flanking the owners’ bath. Rainbow wool carpeting by Missoni and Prestige Mills (from ProSource) and Beverly Hills wallpaper by York (from Francis King) are a bold pairing but fit well with the bath’s monochromatic design.
“They were super on board with taking some fun risks. We just turned it into a really fun party house.”
–Sarah Randolph, designer
Interior Design: Sarah Randolph, Randolph Interior Design, 1882 Wayzata Blvd., Long Lake, 952-473-0288, randolphid.com
