The Great Outdoors

June 2006 Special Advertising Section

Homeowners are expanding their view of home improvement to include exteriors as well as interiors, according to Jennifer Murnan of College City Remodeling. “As homeowners focus on staying healthy and active, they are spending more time outdoors,” Murnan says. Some of the most popular outdoor remodels are plantation style porches, stone fireplaces, and outdoor kitchens. Design trends show an increased focus on exteriors, and a truly successful exterior design integrates with the overall home. Here are a few examples of outdoor remodels that achieved these ends and more.

All Decked Out
Since there aren’t very many backyards on Lake of the Isles in the Kenwood neighborhood of Minneapolis, creating a terrace on the front of an early 1900s home that felt private yet still welcoming was an exciting challenge for Vujovich Design Build. They added a small addition off the living room with French doors that lead out to a new terrace of brick stone, with a concrete floor and built-in firepit. Vujovich also added a formal trellis over the top of the new structure. Above the new addition, a flat roof became an outdoor deck for the second floor bedroom, with wrought iron detail, a metal curved roof, and a lovely view of the lake. “People are moving away from wood and toward masonry brick and stone foundation and walls with color or etched concrete floors,” says Ed Roskowinski of Vujovich. “It’s a more Mediterranean look, and more of a permanent anchor to the home.”

Gardener’s Haven
A screen porch surrounded by elaborate landscaping has become the perfect getaway for a family of gardeners in Lakeville. “The client had grown up with one of those South Minneapolis small cozy porches and wanted that same feel in her current home,” says Jeremy Hussey of College City Remodeling. User-friendly screen and window panel systems enable the homeowners to view the beauty of the unique landscaping and garden from April to October. Features include a vaulted cedar ceiling and interior, ironwood decking, and a curved stamped concrete patio and sidewalk. Beautifully designed decorative columns on a cultured stone base complete the look.

Dockside Retreat
When remodeling a dock for a 102-year-old Crystal Bay home, the primary concern for Niccum Docks was keeping the transition between house and dock as subtle as possible. The result was a dock with a sundeck platform five feet wide, a large seating area with a bench and table, and two canopy boathouses made out of western red clear cedar with galvanized superstructure. “People are going for a family-oriented dock, and they are spending more time at home rather than going to their cabins,” says Brett Niccum of Niccum Docks, who works with partner Tony Schmidt. Niccum is concerned with being sensitive to history as well as nature. “We use cedar for the traditional look, and green canopies to blend in better with the shoreline,” he says.