Old-World Craftmanship, New-Age Artistry
Living in both the past and present, this Pelican Lake home by Trever Hill Design achieves a jaw-dropping juxtaposition of old-world European craftsmanship and new-age, contemporary architecture. Here, the homeowners leveraged their background in land development to general the project themselves, working with Hill on its architectural and interior design elements. While they brought home artisanal inspiration from abroad, this lake country home is settling in nicely to the modernized Midwest.
BY Tracy Nicholson
PHOTOGRAPHY BY Dan Francis Photography
Revisiting Past & Present
This is the second time in nine years Trever Hill has worked with these homeowners, first collaborating to design their stunning West Fargo home, now taking his talents on a Midwest-European journey to the shores of Pelican Lake.
From the roadside to the lakeside, this home transports guests to another beautiful time and place. Its dual aesthetic fuses West Coast and Scandinavian contemporary with the unrefined beauty and charm of a French villa in the vineyard. While its limestone exterior and broad grout lines are the rugged star of the show, its rich wood tones balance the design, adding vertical symmetry at its side.
After revisiting the homeowners and bringing everyone’s ideas and inspiration to the table, Hill and his team composed the exterior design concept. “Although this is a new build, in our discussions with the homeowners, we envisioned backpacking in Europe
and stumbling across this old stone chateau,” explained Hill. “The homeowners also had an inspiration photo from Deadwood, SD. The challenge became how to capture that authentic old-world charm, weaving it into its surroundings as if it had lived for centuries in its Minnesota setting. Once we were all on the same page, my team did the FF&E schedules, as well as full 3D renderings and elevations to take the guesswork out of it.”
Part of the collective vision was a modern addition melded with retrofitted windows in the old stone building. Hill also added a more industrial design element that ties the two styles together, including exposed and patinated steel features from Wolf Steel that protrude from both the exterior and interior stone walls. “Once the full concept emerged, it was somehow familiar and inviting, yet dramatically different, unlike anything else on the lake,” said Hill.
Inside and out, the old-world walls were intentionally designed to be ultra-thick, appearing as if the windows were residing inside the large stone walls, framed and held by rustic wooden timbers set inside of I-beams. In the sleek modern addition, dark-stained wood pillars and exposed industrial I-beams continue the frame, providing strong contrast and connection. “This design is really a modern and contemporary interpretation, mainly inspired by the homeowners’ and my own experiences traveling through Europe,” added Hill. “We wanted to recreate that feeling and atmosphere, an aesthetic you wouldn’t normally see in this region, yet it somehow feels authentic to Minnesota.”
OLD-WORLD INTERIOR
Inside, Hill’s design accommodates the homeowner’s large and active family, including four daughters with their growing families. “They have always been really focused on family time together, so we made sure they had abundant seating areas throughout the home,” said Hill.
While Hill managed the design process, the homeowners sourced, built, or installed much of what you see, from the fence to the windows, base and case, rooftop patio, and beams. One of the more arduous tasks was the installation of several 500-pound, 10’x6’ glass patio doors on the lakeside, creating a full glass wall spanning the entire expanse of the living room, primary suite, and upstairs junior suites. The couple also set and installed the steel beams in the front entry, leading to a 600-pound, 10-foot solid wood and steel door.
“As the general of the project, we were hands-on, self-builders in every sense of the word, but we also let the craftsman do what they do best,” said the homeowner. “Some projects were a collaboration with us or another craftsman, and we all built and created unique pieces together. We truly had a personal connection and friendship with many of the contractors that worked on our home. They are so amazing at their craft! We didn’t want a big box store or cookie-cutter vibe, so we chose small-town mom-and-pop craftsman who took their time, and we gave them plenty of room to let their imagination run wild. They knew our vision for the home, so it was quite inspiring to see everyone put so much time, effort, and thought into their pieces - we greatly appreciate each and every one!”
One of the home’s many talents, Charlie Stattleman, from Hatchet & Co., created and hand-carved the exterior wood beams, wood for the gas firepit and fence, living room bookshelves, tub room shelves, and butcher block, which was professionally dated with a timber age of 1705. He also crafted the powder bath sink base and master bath vanities and beams.
Another standout was Eric Soyring of Straightline Design, who has worked on four projects with the homeowners, this time installing the wood on the steel beams, gas firepit box enclosure, and stair railing.
LA CUISINE
In the home’s spectacular chef’s kitchen overlooking Pelican Lake, Hill and the homeowners collaborated with several of the home’s craftsmen to bring the vision to life. The entire kitchen expanse, surrounding Gaggenau and Nostalgie appliances and Cherry wood cabinetry, is seemingly carved out of the heavy grout and arched limestone from Hebron Brick, illuminated above and below. Surprisingly the cabinetry isn’t new. The homeowners instead utilized kitchen and pantry cabinets they had custom-made from a previous project.
To create the 13-foot double island design, the team designed the first for prep with minimal seating, created with a custom-made butcher block, along with leathered granite from Northern Stone. The second island is equally expansive, with glass-topped, live-edge wood, providing stylized seating for 12.
To bring the outdoors inside, the homeowner chose a custom mirror installation facing the lake, working with two fabricators to complete the massive project. “I had seen a similar mirror at market, but couldn’t find one to purchase, so why not do it ourselves and make it truly unique to us? Jim at Larson Welding took my scratch paper design and got to work, while Jeremy at Frontier Glass ordered me two 9-foot mirror halves that we stripped and antiqued ourselves.”
Marking the way to the exquisite butler’s pantry is an arched stone doorway and antique café doors repurposed from a home entry in India, speaking further into the design concept’s old-world elements. The heart of the home is where the drywall and plaster technique really shines in its intricacy.“ Jamie, at Muddy Boyz Drywall, really took our vision of an old-world plaster ceiling that’s ready to drop pieces down on you at any moment, and made it come to fruition,” said the homeowner.
LE SALON
Just off the kitchen, the living room extends into the patio, continuing the arched stone, unearthed walls, and raw timber installation surrounding a cottage-style hearth. On the feature wall, the design borrowed traditional Belgian architecture staples, incorporating steel pin façade anchors or wall ties; historically used to tie together the inner and outer layers of cavity wall and masonry construction. Here, accessories find their home carved into the deep arches and angles of stone walls, living within illuminated live-edge shelving that draws the eye further into the living room.
Anything you see with wood elements inside the home was touched by Troy Hauck, including the trim, base & case, curved living room ceiling, and modifications to the kitchen and pantry cabinets. Caleb Bakken also helped craft the home’s interior and exterior wood beam elements, building the interior fireplace and primary sinks. “Caleb was always ready and willing to give a helping hand to anyone that needed it. His knowledge and craft run deep,” said the homeowner. Another mainstay was Andrew Jochim, whom the homeowners refer to as a “doer of it all,” considered someone who helped push the project across the finish line. “He was the one who moved framing for our last-minute changes to walls, window installs, and all interior and exterior doors, with work on glass railings, building the cooktop enclosure, grill patio, and all the little intricacies that go into building, to name a few.”
DEVINE DORMIR
The home’s primary suite extends its living space into the more contemporary upper-level patio. Here, the homeowners worked with Troy Hauck again for the rich wood walls and built-in mirrored linen cabinet, lending itself to a Four Seasons aesthetic. They also worked with Frontier Glass to create the steam shower doors, patio railing glass panes, and the 9’ custom round mirror pane.
“Nic at Nic’s Tile Services, along with Brandon at Brandon Rudolph Tile took our dream of a lounge seat in the primary steam shower and made it happen,” said the homeowner. “Not to mention maneuvering and installing the oversized 4x4 tile squares in the primary, and all the other tile throughout our home. The tub room has the poly-shaped tiles that were a pain to get the pattern right, but they nailed it!”
The second level’s two spectacular junior suites also have upper-level patios framed in glass railings, offering unobstructed views to the lake. The bunk room features a king and queen bunk bed, in addition to a queen and full bunk bed combo, including custom stair drawers and bed frames. Each of the suites have their own walk-in closet and steam shower, with a soaker tub bathroom. In a shared living space between the bedrooms, is a kitchenette with dining area.
LE LUXE LAKEFRONT
Stone walls start at the front of the home and run through the middle of the home to the lakeside, with a concealed air curtain that allows the lakefront sliding doors to be pushed all the way open, without losing heating or cooling. “We wanted to bring the outside in as much as we could, so we designed the lake front to have
the large glass patio doors that slide and stack to one side. My husband figured out that we could use an air curtain and was able to source two massive systems,” said the homeowner. “We had to bring three-phase power from the county road down to our road for this as they are really heavy duty!
This air curtain blows hot or cold air downward to keep the home at a consistent temperature without mosquitos. It’s a concept similar to what you might see at a Starbucks drive-through but on a much larger scale. Framing upper and lower decks, the home’s lakeside introduces several stunning seating arrangements, a 14-person hot tub, and ample space for large-family outdoor dining. The outdoor dining table is made of combretum imberbe, more commonly known as leadwood; a rare find from the team’s visit to Market. “It’s wood from a protected tree that is only found in South Africa and can only be exported if it’s under the ground and found on the property of someone who has a mining export exemption, similar to exporting countertops,” said Hill.
“It’s the heaviest wood in the world and is one of the only species of wood that sinks in water. At market, they only had one of them, with the vendor showing us a thick binder of paperwork they had completed to get it to the U.S.”
“Brian, at Lakes Area Landscape, was a true Johnny on the spot for anything we needed, making almost daily trips to check the sod, plants, and sprinklers,” said the homeowner. “We wanted a space for our immediate and growing generational family to have a relaxing and inviting space to come together,” said the homeowner.
“After we spoke, Trever already had the exterior envision right from the get-go. From our trips and phone calls, pictures, facetimes, and a ton of questions... he truly is one-of-a-kind.”
“The memories that have already been made and will be made are simply priceless to us. The twins even got their hands dirty, siliconing, swinging hammers, and even cleaning during the build process. So not only do we get to say we live there but can truly say “we” built our little piece of lake haven.”
“I fell in love with the character of this project, but what was really meaningful and memorable were the conversations we had along the way, how we always went back to that first vision,” said Hill. “We may have found our inspiration abroad, but what emerged felt like it truly belonged here in Minnesota.”
DESIGN DETAILS
Designer: Trever Hill, Trever Hill Design
General Contractor: Homeowner
Stone Supply: Silverdale Tumbled Limestone, Hebron Brick
Bathroom & Laundry Cabinetry: Clearwater Cabinets
Countertops: Northern Stone
Flooring: Carpet World
Flooring Install: Hardwood and carpet, Red Dot Flooring
Mirrors: Curated Home by THD
Custom Mirror Frame & Grid: Larson Welding
Tile: Trever Hill Design + Homeowner
Custom Tile: Brandon Rudolph Tile & Nic's Tile Services
Lighting: Trever Hill Design
Indoor & Outdoor Furnishings: Curated Home by THD
Metalworks: Straightline Design
Wood Beams, Pillars, Shelving: Hatchet & Co
Landscaping: Lakes Area Landscaping
Pervious Concrete: Jose Cortez, JC Concrete
Painting: Painting Plus, Inc.
Appliances: Gaggenau, ILVE 60-Inch Nostalgie Cooktop/oven
Exterior Wood Siding: Supplied by Hebron Brick
Hot Tub: Dakota Pools and Spa
Steel Beams: Wolf Steel
Millwork: Troy Hauck, Caleb Bakken, Andrew Jochim, Homeowners
Trim & Interior Doors: D&M Industries
For more information, contact:
Trever Hill Design
701.388.6687
TreverHillDesign@gmail.com
treverhilldesign.com
@treverhilldesign