Mr. Frey’s Folly

Every once in a while, the terms cabin and cottage simply won’t do when describing certain kinds of structures. I think, for instance, of the architectural confection I once rented on the hunting estate of the Duke of Bedford in Endsleigh, England. Dubbed a “Swiss cottage,” the quaint little building provided a hideout in a distant corner of the property where the duke and his friends could grab an hour, an afternoon, or a weekend far from the madding crowd.

Folly, which the British use to describe a small, decorative-type structure, struck me as a good word for the duke’s place—something fanciful and fun. Folly in that sense seemed exactly right.

Not surprisingly, I believe the same word applies to the woodsy clubhouse in Edina owned and thoroughly enjoyed by retired Twin Cities businessman Gene Frey. Years ago, Frey built a home for himself and his family in the comfy suburb. Next door was a large, overgrown lot, empty but for a tiny red barn that sparked Frey’s imagination. It took a decade, but he eventually persuaded the parcel’s owner to sell it. Once his, he converted the lot into a private woods enhanced with trails and a garden.

With the help of local builder Mike Knutson, the old barn on the property became Frey’s “folly”—the kind of big boy’s retreat guys dream about on game night. In what was once the barn’s hayloft, there’s now a big flat-screen TV, poker table, bar, and convenient loo. The happiest touch, though, is the glass wall that brings the garden into the den for a deceptively rural-getaway feeling. It’s the perfect spot for Frey and his pals to unwind, watch the Twins, and swap tales of the summer’s adventures and maybe other kinds of folly.

Dale Mulfinger teaches architecture at the University of Minnesota. A partner in Twin Cities–based Sala Architects, he has just finished his fourth book, Cabinology, which will be published by The Taunton Press in October.