Vavra family relishes lake life in Caribou Lake home

By Andrea Busche

When describing a home, the aesthetic can be somewhat subjective. Such is the case with Mark and Kelly Vavra’s new house on Caribou Lake.

According to general contractor Ken Hiukka, owner of Ken Hiukka Custom Builders, the house is a “single-level home with a walkout, and an angled garage.” The home’s designer, Heather Hiner of Hiner Home Designs, LLC, refers to it as a “rustic craftsman.” But Kelly Vavra, the homeowner, calls it “where modern farmhouse meets lake house/beach vibe.”

No matter which descriptive terms are chosen, one thing is clear: the home, aptly named “Low Tide 2.0,” provides the perfect setting for the Vavras to live out their dreams, which include a happy retirement, plenty of entertaining, and all the glorious amenities “lake life” has to offer.

The Family

When building their new home, Mark and Kelly Vavra wanted a comfortable place to enjoy retirement. After a 29-year career, Kelly recently retired as vice president of operations at UnitedHealthcare. Mark is the vice wing commander at the 148th Fighter Wing, with plans to retire soon. The couple intentionally planned for their master suite to be on the main floor, so steps aren’t an issue in the coming years.

The couple also wanted plenty of space for entertaining, and made sure to include rooms for their adult daughters, Delaney, 25, and Claire, 22, to use when they come home to visit. With thoughts that their daughters might eventually get married, along with hopes for future grandchildren, the entire lower level was planned out to accommodate a growing family. And yet another priority is for the family dog, Hudson, a German shorthair pointer, to be comfortable. Thus, the home’s finishings were chosen with all of this in mind.

“When people come for the weekend, it’s ‘lake time,’” Kelly said. “People (and dogs) are sandy and dripping from being in the lake or boat. You can really be carefree here.”

Planning

The Vavra family previously lived in Hermantown and bought their property on Caribou Lake in 2006. At that time, there was a seasonal cabin on the property, which the family used in the warmer months while they decided whether to remodel or build new. They christened that small cabin “Low Tide,” after being inspired by a friend’s home, aptly named “High Tide,” in the Florida Keys.

The Vavras hired Economy Garages to construct a four-car, detached garage with a studio apartment in 2011 so they could use the property year-round. The space also came in handy as an office during the pandemic.

But it was only after touring the beautiful home of their friends and neighbors, Dan and Cindy Urshan (whose home was featured in the December 2019 issue of The Woman Today), that the Vavras decided to take the leap.

“By seeing the quality of craftsmanship in their home, that really solidified our decision to build here, and to use the same combination of professionals – Ken Hiukka and Heather

Hiner,” Kelly said.

The Vavras began by doing some planning.

“First, Mark bought some software — this was all his vision,” Kelly said. But then the couple hired Hiukka, Hiner and their teams, and the process ultimately went very smoothly.

“They took hours sitting with us, getting to know us, and just listening to us,” Kelly said. “And when it comes to craftsmanship, they really nailed it.”

The building process began in July 2019, and the Vavras moved in July 2020.

“We had some shipping delays during the pandemic, but it wasn’t too bad,” Kelly said.

This grand new home is named Low Tide 2.0 as a homage to the previous cabin. A framed photo of the original Low Tide hangs proudly in the Vavras’ mud room. And the bunk beds from the old home were salvaged and incorporated into one of the guest bedrooms.

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Wow factor

Upon entering the 3,200-squarefoot home, visitors are greeted by an enormous wall of windows facing Caribou Lake, providing an immediate, and jaw-dropping, “wow factor.”

The vaulted, beamed, maple tongueand-groove ceiling in the great room draws the eye upward, adding an extra spacious feeling to the open concept space.

The Vavra home is set on 2 ¾ acres directly on Caribou Lake, with 670 feet of shoreline and a private swimming beach. The home was purposefully designed to take full advantage of the generous lake views.

“The sunsets here are to die for. We can watch them from the dock, boat and entire upstairs of the house,” Kelly said. “We wanted almost every room to have a lake view.”

Stone is the prominent material on the exterior, including the front entrance posts and exterior wainscoting, pavers for the driveway and rear patio and path to the shores of Caribou Lake.

The Vavras certainly take advantage of everything “lake life” has to offer. The walk-out lower level provides easy access to the dock and boats, including a pontoon, jet skis, paddleboards, kayaks and a fishing boat. A lovely, curved, sand beach pathway was installed by Troy Grohsman and his team at Miller Creek Lawn & Landscape. Grohsman’s team also planted native species around the perimeter of the property, and installed the paver driveway.

The couple also incorporated a large three-season porch overlooking the lake, which is accessed by the spacious upstairs deck. The deck is constructed of maintenance-free synthetic decking,

Continued on page 50 and features wire railings, so as not to impede the lake views.

Natural wood is the prominent material on the interior, especially the tongue-and-groove maple ceilings and exposed beams in the great room and hickory cabinets in the kitchen. The wood-look vinyl plank floors add to the warm personality of the home. The spacious kitchen can seat six at the island bar and another 10 around a farmhouse table. The walk-in pantry, hidden by a pocket door, keeps clutter at bay.

Plenty of large windows in the three-season porch offer bright views of the lake.

Downstairs from the deck is a full outdoor kitchen/patio, featuring a wood burning fire pit, a propane fire table, and all the amenities for cooking and grilling, including a grill, fridge, granite countertops and plenty of seating — all overlooking Caribou Lake.

In addition to the detached garage, the home also includes an attached, three-car garage, providing plenty of space for vehicles, gear and toys. The exterior features seamless steel siding and Smartside shakes.

Interior finishes

The main floor of the home features the great room, master suite, mud room, powder room and walk-in pantry. In the interest of easy cleanup, the home features ceramic tile and vinyl plank floors. And, the in-floor propane heat installed throughout is a great comfort on cooler days.

The lower level features a large entertainment room, kitchen/bar area, two generous guest bedrooms, and a large, full bathroom. The utility room also doubles as a workout space. All of the bedroom closets feature generously-sized, built-in shelves and drawers constructed by Sam Heiken with Northland Custom Closets & Garage.

The countertops, which were selected by Danna Jablinske with Arrowhead Supply, are white quartz with swirls of gray. The kitchen is outfitted with a Wolf Subzero appliance package. And the kitchen cabinets are constructed from hickory.

Ensuring the home had adequate seating for entertaining was a priority.

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“We do all of our family’s holiday entertaining,” Kelly said. “Six people can sit at our kitchen bar, and 10 can sit at our farmhouse table, which is made of reclaimed wood.” Additional seating is also available in the lower-level kitchen/bar area.

Lighting includes a combination of pendant lighting, recessed lights, and under-cabinet lighting. Each step on the staircase leading to the lower level is also back-lit for comfort, beauty and safety.

The home features two fireplaces — a wood-burning fireplace in the lower level and a propane fireplace upstairs. The upstairs fireplace features a natural stone surround, constructed piece by piece by James Lord, a partner of Hiukka’s. Lord also did the stonework featured on the exterior wainscoting, the foundation, and on the stone pillars which support the deck. Another of Hiukka’s partners, Mike Stemper, completed the beautiful trim work found both inside and outside, including oak door and window frames.

The color scheme throughout the home includes light grays, whites and bright pops of blue. The Vavras’ daughter, Delaney, helped them select the colors. But wood and stone are another prominent aspect of the home’s aesthetic.

Designer’s thoughts

Heather Hiner provided her thoughts on designing this beautiful and unique home.

“This home has an angled garage,” she noted, “which was intentional in the design in order to create a courtyard-type feel when approaching. This also worked well with the location of an existing detached garage that was on the property.

“When entering the home, the wow factor is immediate with the tall great room wall of windows directly ahead looking out to the lake,”

A guest bedroom features bunkbeds salvaged from the previous home; hexagon tile makes a statement in a bathroom backsplash; and a farm-style vanity coordinates with a barndoor bath entry. The homeowner described her design vision: “where modern farmhouse meets lake house/beach vibe.”

Hiner added. “The open concept kitchen, great room, and dining area was designed with entertainment in mind. All have direct windows to the lake with access to a large deck and screen porch, allowing the indoor and outdoor space to be seamless.

“In addition,” she continued, “the master suite was located lakeside and has direct access to the deck. Overall, the house was designed so that all living areas and bedrooms both upstairs and down have lake views, with bathrooms and such tucked behind.

“The home is designed in what I would consider a rustic craftsman style, with the use of stone and wood to complement a variety of colors and materials throughout. It was a joy working with the homeowners to create their dream home on the lake!”

Contractor’s perspective

Ken Hiukka greatly enjoyed working with the Vavras to see their vision through to fruition, too.

“There is a lot that makes this home unique, including the setting on the lake, the vault in the great room, the curved windows, and the beams in the wood ceilings,” he noted.

“Also, they picked out natural stone, rather than a cultured stone. This gives the home a really authentic look.”

Hiukka said that, from the get-go, the Vavras really knew what they wanted.

“When we sat down, we went over what they wanted, and I never had to wait for their selections,” he added. “Everything just came together. They are just a really sweet, friendly couple.”

Happy homeowners

The Vavras are thrilled with their new home, where every detail was thoughtfully considered in order to accommodate the lifestyle they wanted.

“This still doesn’t feel real,” Kelly said. “Every time the kids come home,