The clients of the “Retreat Reinvented” have deep roots on Lake Melissa, having grown up a few cabins just to the east.  The original cabin is still in the family, however now, with two young boys of their own and a primary residence in Arizona, they wanted a place where they could come back to MN to spend time with family and friends.  They found a cabin for sale down the road from the original family cabin, however, it wasn’t exactly the canvas they had in mind – the rooms were small, it lacked natural light and had little to no relationship to the lake.  It offered very little to the imagination and the awkward angles of the existing layout required some clever planning and execution.

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Based on the requested program, it was determined early that an addition would be required.  The lot is relatively shallow and was nonconforming due to the distance the cabin was set back from the lake, which meant the addition had to be toward the road.  The size of the addition was dictated by the amount pervious surface area left after accounting for all patios, walkways and driveway. The “big move” was opening the existing exterior wall between the bedrooms and the screen porch with several steel columns and a large steel beam.  This allowed the opportunity to create space for entertaining large groups while enjoying the view of the lake.  From there, areas were created for a master suite, a guest suite and a wing for her two boys that included a bunkroom, bathroom and a lounge for rainy days off the lake. 

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What started as a unique design challenge, resulted in a year-round family retreat that in some strange way feels as natural as can be.