Inside a Minnesota dream house designed to maximize White Bear Lake views

Modern lake house exterior with stone chimney and wood siding

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This spectacular modern lake house, designed by PLAAD Architecture with interiors by Nicole Marie Thorson, is nestled on White Bear Lake in Dellwood, Minnesota. Presenting a curated and restrained one-level street front, this home opens onto sweeping lake views. The home thoughtfully balances public and private spaces while providing unimpeded lake views from every room.

Strict shoreland overlay zoning limited the home’s height and depth, resulting in a longer, linear structure. The entrance features a covered entry roof that cantilevers over 20 feet, emphasizing horizontality and creating a sense of anticipation. The main entry boasts an oversized steel pivot door with custom CNC-fabricated topography referencing water ripples. Upon entry, one can immediately see through the residence to the lake beyond.

DESIGN DETAILS

ARCHITECT PLAAD
BUILDER BCD Homes
INTERIORS PLAAD with Nicole Thorson

Modern Lake House Exterior With a Cantilevered Entry

Cantilevered wood facade with stone retaining wall and driveway

Site phenomena are incredibly powerful inspirational design tools for our office, and with each of the homes we design, we perform an in-depth investigation into unique qualities of the home site: the path and shadows of the sun, the prevailing winds, the flora, and in this case, the nature of the surface of the lake just beyond the front door.

Cantilevered roofline shading the stone and wood entry facade

This oversized steel pivot door with a custom CNC-fabricated surface serves as the front entry into this lakeside home and as a sculptural counterpoint to the home’s formal architectural language. The door’s surface is intricately milled to mimic the delicate, undulating patterns of water ripples on the lake beyond, creating a dynamic play of light and shadow that transforms throughout the day.

Two-story lake house facade with layered stone and glass

An iterative design process of digital modeling and prototyping permitted us to hone the depth and distribution of the ripples. The alternating plies of plywood add a secondary layer of visual complexity, accentuating the peaks and troughs of the wave forms and providing subtle ornamentation.

Rear elevation overlooking the lawn toward Dellwood Lake

Stone Entry Hall With a Custom Steel Staircase

Stone entry hall with floating steel staircase and wood sphere sculpture

What We Love About This Home

The hand-milled steel pivot door greets you first, its water-ripple pattern hinting at the lake just beyond the entry hall. Shoreland zoning rules led the architects to a long, single-level layout and a clear sightline to White Bear Lake from nearly every room in the house. Small details carry that thoughtfulness throughout the rest of the home, from the hollowed stone stair treads to the sunken lakeside fire pit built for enjoying evenings by the water.

Tell Us: What details in this lake house project do you love most, and what would you change if this were your personal home? Let us know in the Comments!

Note: Be sure to check out a couple of other amazing home tours that we have highlighted here on One Kindesign in the state of Minnesota: Step inside a dreamy Minnesota lake house with elegant living spaces and A Minnesota lake house inspired by a refined mountain modern aesthetic.

Upper hallway with walnut cabinetry and standing bear sculpture

Teardrop glass pendant chandelier cascading past the stairwell window

Stone stairwell nook with black chaise beneath a waterfall painting

Living Room With a Limestone Fireplace

Double height living room with stone fireplace and Warhol style print

Above: In the living room, the fireplace wall features a limestone veneer, the Alder™ Limestone Split Face from ORIJIN STONE.

Open Kitchen With a Marble Waterfall Island

Open kitchen with marble island overlooking the two story living room

Walnut butler's pantry with dark stone countertop and skull decor

Living room seating around the fireplace with lake views beyond

Dining area with live edge table and heart shaped candy artwork

Open living and dining space with stone accent wall

Screened porch seating facing the lake through autumn trees

Family room with marble media wall and built in pizza oven

Built in wood fired pizza oven with stacked firewood storage

Wood paneled wet bar with black stone farmhouse sink

Powder room with marble vanity and brass tube wall sconce

Home office nook with walnut cabinetry and colorful wall sculpture

Powder room with mirrored walls and cluster of glass pendant lights

Detail of vented panel edge with black framed glass beyond

Stone stairwell with abstract painting and black metal railing

Inspired by the delightful sensation of walking barefoot on warm stone at the end of a summer’s day, this staircase is designed to offer the homeowner a deeply visceral and tactile experience as they begin and conclude their workdays in the crow’s nest office on the upper level of the residence.

Detail of floating stone treads on a black steel stair stringer

The juxtaposition of delicate steel in tension with sturdy stone in compression creates a wonderful dialectical tension of materiality. An incredible amount of coordination between the architect, steel fabricator, and stone supplier was required. Each stone tread has been meticulously hollowed out at the center with a router to reduce weight and conceal the attachment method. The resulting effect is one of both lightness and permanence.

Walnut paneled hallway leading to guest bedroom with sconces

Owner’s Bedroom With a Private Balcony

Primary bedroom with slatted wood ceiling and lake view balcony

Owner’s Bathroom With a Freestanding Soaking Tub

Primary bathroom with freestanding tub framed by a window to the lake

Marble shower with striped wallpaper and black fixtures beyond

Walk in closet with walnut cabinetry and vanity nook

Home office with herringbone tile and panoramic lake windows

Dark wood powder room with black fixtures and geometric tile

Tequila Tasting Room With Steel and Glass Doors

Glass enclosed tequila tasting room with stone walls and table

As an avid tequila connoisseur, a tasting room was a must-have in the residence. Located at the base of the stairs, the tasting room continues the combination of stone and steel with custom steel wine racks, inset boxes that showcase bottles, and steel + glass sliding doors.

Lower level lounge with fireplace and colorful abstract artwork

Home gym opening to a covered patio with ping pong table

The homeowner desired flexibility with indoor/outdoor living and an intimate connection with the lake. Multiple stacking sliders, retractable screens, and strategically positioned indoor and outdoor living areas ensure year-round enjoyment and a unique experience of truly unimpeded lake living.

Cedar lined sauna with a view of the lake through the window

Sunken Fire Pit Lounge

Sunken lakeside fire pit lounge with built in bench seating

A sunken fire pit and infrared ceiling heaters provide warm spots for conversations to extend well into the evening, while an adjacent sauna provides unencumbered views towards the lake from within.