Houzz Tour: An Airy, Modern Fishing Cabin by the Lake
Done up in Scandinavian style, this Minnesota retreat has a fresh aesthetic and a practical side
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For architect Andrea Swan, having a fishing cabin during fishing season and well into winter means no longer staying in not-so-spa-like (read: mainly for hard-core fishermen) resorts in the area. Naturally, she couldn't have been more excited in completing her family's lakeside fishing retreat. Swan and her husband, Bret, in the building industry, enjoyed the process of designing and building their own place, but the other women in their families celebrated the lakeside cabin even more.
Houzz at a Glance
Who fishes here: Andrea Swan, husband Bret and their daughter, Emilia
Location: Lake Mille Lacs, Minnesota
Size: 2,000 square feet
Houzz at a Glance
Who fishes here: Andrea Swan, husband Bret and their daughter, Emilia
Location: Lake Mille Lacs, Minnesota
Size: 2,000 square feet
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| The couple considered all the design precedents that exist for cabins. In the end they chose a stripped, Scandinavian, universally modern style because of its affordability. "We knew we could take the Scandinavian aesthetic through to its fullest, given our tight budget," Swan says. "If we went with an Austrian chalet or rustic log cabin — two looks we really love — we would've sacrificed a lot of the details that make each design so unique and beautiful." The cabin's simple A-frame has roots in other ice-fishing huts scattered throughout the lake in the wintertime as well as farmhouses dotting the area. |
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| Swan placed the cabin's longer end perpendicular to the lake, unlike many cabins that sit parallel to the lake. "It allows us to take fuller advantage of our property," she says. "This way we have a nice side yard facing south, and it also allows for a discreet placement of the garage [not shown], which is burrowed into the existing hill at the base." |
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| "We felt that white for the Hardie board lap siding and navy blue for the steel roof would be fresh and fitting for the fishing lake, and would fit seamlessly into its context in the wintertime," says Swan. An open door reveals an abstract art piece from Z Gallerie. |
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| The cabin's name faces the lake. Thin cable railings let light and views in. |
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| "We were on an Ikea budget, but we didn't want that to be obvious. So we mixed and matched special moments that attract your eye first, like the pony-hide Corbusier chairs — perfect for petite people," says Swan. Wall paint: Simply White, Benjamin Moore |
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| But she gives credit to Ikea for making the comfortable leather sofas. "We love sitting in them, and we don't fret at all when guests or our daughter spill their drinks on them," she says. |
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| White coffee tables from CB2 work particularly hard for the family. When separated, the tables serve as ottomans, and together they set the stage for board games, drawing, puzzles and reading. |
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A silver and ice-white kitchen sits behind the dining area, fitting for a fishing cabin that's used by the Swans even in the cold months. (The area has highways on the ice along with ice fishing villages.)
"We use the kitchen and dining area throughout the day, starting with a beloved morning cup of steaming coffee," says Swan.
Backsplash: oyster shell mosaic
"We use the kitchen and dining area throughout the day, starting with a beloved morning cup of steaming coffee," says Swan.
Backsplash: oyster shell mosaic
A long birch farmer's table and benches offer seating for a large brood, handy when Swan's brother, who has a lake home north of Mille Lacs, visits with his family.
Table, benches, chairs: Ikea
Table, benches, chairs: Ikea
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| "We are constantly staring out the windows at all times of the day, which puts our minds at ease. Having lived on the East Coast for while, my husband and I are drawn to the sea. We love that Mille Lacs places us within steps away from the water, because we cannot see the coastline from where we are when we're not staying in the cabin," says Swan. Deer head: Z Gallerie |
The guest bath's mirror mimics a porthole window and reflects a tongue-in-cheek nod to the home's coastal roots: a contemporary artist's meditation on a red bikini.
The couple opted for a lower-level mudroom lined in rubber; hooks line the entire room for rainy and muddy gear. "We never have to worry about dirt and mud entering the rest of the cabin," Swan says.
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My only complaint: not enough photos. ;-)
Marie Meko