Dramatic Turns

a gracious staircase with a dining room in the back groundRuth Paarman is an Iowa editor and writer who frequently visits the Twin Cities.
Photos by Jim Kruger, Landmark Photography

A fascinating staircase leads to private retreats on multiple levels.

An active family interested in a standout floor plan has a treat awaiting them in the newest home plans from Lundgren. The layout offers openness on the main floor for larger gatherings, while a staggered staircase leads to various levels and landings with more intimate, private spaces.

The Chanhassen address is its own attraction. A short drive to Excelsior and Eden Prairie, the home offers easy access to lakes and restaurants. “It’s in a great location—all the hiking and biking trails are already in place,” points out Mark Kirkeby, new home consultant for Lundgren.

The simple and pretty Italianate exterior conceals 4,956 square feet of finished space. Double cherry doors open to the foyer and the striking, two-sided staircase. A front parlor and formal dining room immediately greet the visitor. “Most people still like to have formal areas,” explains Kirkeby of the spaces. Rich details include walnut flooring and cherry woodwork, including built-in cabinetry to showcase family china and crystal in the dining room.

A sunken galley-style butler’s pantry leads to a large gourmet kitchen, where a generous enameled island provides room for simultaneous food preparation and socializing. Cherry cabinets combine elegantly with green-tinged black granite and a slate backsplash. Windows set high above the cabinets and patio doors welcome natural light.

A wide arch opens from a breakfast nook to the comfortable living room, where a slate-surrounded fireplace and built-in shelving fill one wall. “The area is designed to be open and spacious so everyone can hang out there,” Kirkeby says.

A powder room and mudroom take convenient locations in the central hall, which directs traffic to the three-car garage. The lower level offers an opportunity to finish 2,250 square feet.

Up the unique staircase from the entry or the kitchen, a light-filled retreat could serve as a home office or den. From this mezzanine, one set of stairs leads to a private guest suite on the second floor. The other set reaches the rest of the second floor with the family’s three bedrooms, two of which share a Jack-and-Jill bath.

The owner’s suite offers a relaxing, spa-like getaway, akin to a bed and breakfast. A seating area with a slate-surrounded fireplace is the perfect cozy spot for a good book or a relaxing glass of wine. The vaulted ceiling is simultaneously airy and serene. A walk-in closet room has plenty of space for more than one clotheshorse.

The bath steps up the spa sentiment with an air-jet tub set into a tile surround. Encased in a tile-framed half wall and topped by frameless glass, the shower offers two heads and a drying area with a bench and heat lamp. Durable solid surface counters top the cherry vanity with its central cabinet.

Finally, with a few more steps up, a versatile retreat, enhanced by a beverage center, tops off the home. A game room, play area, craft spot, or music space all would be at home here. A curved interior balcony overlooks the majestic foyer. It’s the coda to the Italian composition.

“Lundgren was going for a ‘wow’ feeling, which I truly believe was accomplished with this home,” concludes Kirkeby.

BUILDER
Lundgren

HOME LOCATION
Chanhassen

SUPPLIERS
Appollo Systems
GE Appliances
Rubble Tile


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