Lakeside Escape
Casual luxury is the byword on Tuxedo Road
By Lucie B. Amundsen
Photo by Jim Kruger, Landmark Photography
Bedecked in stone, soft green stucco, and shingled gables, this French Country home nestled on Tuxedo Road takes full advantage of its surroundings. From the double-door entry of the five-bedroom, five-bath home, two colossal sections of signature custom windows take center stage. Nearly 40 feet of glass provides expansive views of the Upper Main portion of Lake Minnetonka.
Inside, the octagon-shaped great room is relaxed and serene. Flames dancing in a stone hearth are paired with a flat-screen television and surround-sound technology. This marriage of pleasures echoes the home’s theme of snug lake escape with modern delights.
Underfoot lies an exotic Brazilian hardwood, as unusual as the name implies. “As the wood cures, the colors will become very distinctive,” says builder and homeowner Steve Sexton of Minnetonka Custom Homes. “Some pieces will bleach out while others turn nearly black; the contrasts make it a gorgeous flooring.”
If the floor’s uncommon colors are eye candy, then the inlaid medallion in the foyer is undoubtedly the sweet spot. The compass design, crafted with rose, walnut, cherry, and maple woods, points southwest, to recognize the home’s stunning vantage point.
Photo by Jim Kruger
Landmark Photography
The mudroom entry off the four-car garage is highly conducive to the young family’s lifestyle. Smart wood lockers, built atop easy-to-clean porcelain tile, hold outerwear, shoes, and backpacks. It’s also just a scoot away from the powder room, which features a furniture-grade washbasin and one of many art alcoves throughout the home.
The owners’ suite is atop the cherry wood and wrought-iron staircase, which was constructed oversized with little feet in mind. The vaulted ceiling and recessed lighting above the crown molding accentuates the bedroom’s angles. The space is finished with a coppery decorative painting and a stylish ceiling fan.
In the adjacent bath, heated travertine tiles greet wet toes emerging from the bath. Those who shower won’t be left in the cold, though. The tiled stall is designed to retain warmth with a narrow opening and a slight turn into the spacious dual-head shower area. A built-in bank of cherry wood cubbies keeps towels within easy reach as bathers make their way to more than 400 square feet of closet and dressing area.
Once residents are ready to play, the lower-level walkout is full of diversions. The elegant pool table, card table, and built-in dartboard are warmed by the second fireplace and lit by a stained-glass chandelier and matching pendants. The room’s full bar, with stainless steel appliances, rests on designer tile and is adjacent to the home’s private wine room.
Sexton plans to use the downstairs bedroom for his home office, but with such a prime view of the lake and the home’s private dock and boat slip, it is hard to imagine a place less conducive to work.
Lucie B. Amundsen is a Minneapolis freelance writer.
Builder
Minnetonka Custom Homes, Inc.
Home location
Minnetrista
Suppliers
Guyer’s Builder Supply
Hedberg Landscape & Masonry Supplies
James Hardie Siding Products
Peters Billiards
The Tile Shop
6 ISSUES (1 YEAR)
Comments may be edited for length, clarity, or appropriateness.