Attention Grabber

the exterior of a large homeJames Walsh is an education reporter at the Star Tribune.
Photos by Jim Kruger, Landmark Photography

Unique, custom details capture the eye and imagination.


Sure, it boasts 11-foot ceilings, imported solid mahogany columns from China, statuary of vestal virgins and a dolphin, and a lower-level Tuscan courtyard finished in brown brick, red tile, and stone.

But the real jaw-dropping feature of this Blaine home, says builder Tom Budzynski, principal of TJB Homes, is what he calls “the chameleon room.”

The area, off the kitchen and facing Sunrise Lake, is the ultimate multi-season space—a portico-like room with a nearly 360-degree view of the gardens, pool, and lake. Floor-to-ceiling bi-fold glass doors surround the copper-roofed porch, creating an atrium feel when closed. A massive stone fireplace warms the enclave on even the coldest of days. When the doors are fully open, the room feels completely outside, like a covered veranda. Mechanized drop-down “phantom” screens keep away the summer bugs without closing off the world.

“Like a chameleon, it changes. Four-season, three-season, two-season, one-season—or outside,” Budzynski says. “It was just something I came up with.”

Budzynski describes the homeowner he has in mind as the “regular guy who made it.” Think self-made man, a person who wants luxury and wants to show it off, he says.

And there is plenty to show off.

From the vestal virgin stone fountain in the front courtyard, through the mahogany doors imported from Argentina, this home demands attention. Whether it’s the study, covered in panels of carved mahogany, or the large limestone fireplace and mantel in the main floor living area, Budzynski admits the luxury isn’t subtle. A carved mahogany counter dividing the living room from the open kitchen resembles an altarpiece from an ancient Italian sacristy. It’s the work of Budzynski’s own carpenters.

Those aforementioned Chinese columns divide the formal dining area from the kitchen and living room, which overlooks the lake and the pool through large arched windows. The kitchen features a huge limestone hearth over the range, glazed maple cabinets, and granite countertops.

The main floor master suite, which opens to a deck overlooking the lake, is divided from the master bath by his and hers walk-in closets. In the bathroom, an oval, stone soaking tub rests in front of a walk-through shower illuminated by a ceiling medallion of backlit stained glass. “We call it the car wash,” Budzynski says of the king-sized shower area. Everything is tiled with limestone.
The second story features a kids’ suite complete with a playroom and a loft painted in whimsical yellow and red. But it’s the lower level of the home that boasts what Budzynski likes to call his “toy rooms” for grown-ups.

The Mediterranean-themed bar area has a wine cellar sealed off by an imported iron door. A poker room and a billiard room each connect to the bar, as does the home theater. Finished in gilded dark cherry with mahogany accents, this media space resembles a turn-of-the-century playhouse.

The lower level opens to a courtyard, which can also be reached by circular stairs from the main floor deck. A rectangular swimming pool, complete with statues of Little Miss Muffet and that dolphin, evokes Italy by way of Florida, Budzynski says with a smile. A sheltered hot tub features another flat-screen television. The courtyard steps down to a small fire pit and the home’s lakeside dock.
The exterior is finished in stucco and the roof is natural cedar shake. Cast concrete molding surrounds and shapes the exterior of all the windows and doors.

“You don’t see that here,” the builder says, smiling again at this unique detail.

BUILDER
TJB Homes, Inc.

HOME LOCATION
Blaine

SUPPLIERS
Granite Tops
Harmony Melamine Creations
by Scherer Bros. Lumber Co.
J.J. Vanderson & Co.
LaCosta Architectural Imports
Peters Billiards
Phantom Screens
Rubble Tile

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