Lake Life
On a remote Minnesota lake, this modern retreat blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living, with dramatic lake views and unique spaces to relax.
a harmonious blend between inside and outside
- Design Principal: Carrie Woleben-Meade
- Mariani Landscape
- Awards: ILCA Fire Feature – Sept 2022
This project forces viewers to reconsider their ideas of indoor and outdoor living. For a property located in prime position on a Minnesota lake, the owners felt that it lacked comfortable, elegant spaces to entertain. But rather than recreate the look and feel of other lake houses, Mariani chose to instead take a revolutionary approach. The example-setting final product leaves the house poised to better capitalize on the lake views, while also creating attractive locales that beckon the family outside.
The original design of the house set it slightly below ground-level, giving it a “sunken” appearance. Our vision began with an excavation – we regraded the entire site. The unearthed entryway has become an alluring experience for both visitors and family. Gathering spaces were integrated into the property, each equipped to enable distinct activities and settings. All while comfort was kept at the forefront of operations with the addition of seven different fire features, which line the edge of an infinity pool clad in bluestone, punctuate the ends of a sprinkling fountain, or lend warmth to outdoor dining.
A house of this caliber demands scenery that contends with the richness of the property. What began as a rocky moonscape devoid of vibrance was transformed into a layered garden. Locally sourced boulders abbreviate levels of native plants in pink and purple hues.
The outdoor renovations, often elemental in nature, construct zones of activity. Upon taking in the remarkable residence and harmonious countryside, guests are enticed to enjoy mornings on a patio overlooking the gardens. The pool becomes a unifying presence between the house and lake, and an ideal location for hot summer afternoons. The evening can then be spent basking in the warmth of an outdoor fireplace, eating dinner in the shelter of often-forgotten glass panels that display the waters beyond.
The property is more than a house – it is a harmonious blend between inside and outside that refuses to stop at its own walls.
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