FEATURE HOME
Ten years ago, when Mary and Bob Dimke found a small property for sale on Upper Gull Lake peninsula, they fell in love with the lot’s potential. “It’s a fantastic location,” said Mary. “It’s right off the point, so we have water on both sides.” The nearby town of Nisswa was also an attraction, according to Mary. “It’s very close. We can walk into town, and we like all the activities. Upper Gull, itself, is much more private than Big Gull, and the big lake can get pretty crowded.” In particular, the couple felt that the older cabin and garage on the property, although small, would provide enough of a footprint to allow them to do a teardown and build exactly what they wanted. “We’ve built all the homes we have lived in, so the idea of building from scratch was pretty attractive,” she said.
Getting the Right Team Having made the decision to move forward, Mary and Bob set about finding contractors to design and build the cabin. A family member had recently used Remwhirl of Crosslake, Minn., for architecture, and after seeing the results, the couple engaged them to design their project, also. Collin Jacobs served as the Remwhirl architect for the Dimkes, but halfway through the project, he founded his own company, NewHeritage, in Pequot Lakes. He continued working on the project in that capacity through construction. The couple chose Wes Hanson Builders of Crosslake for construction, citing the company’s track record for good work, a personal referral, and a competitive bid as driving their decision.
108 Lake & Home Magazine MAY / JUNE 2022