Hawk Ridge home fits into the hillside and highlights view of Lake Superior

from The Woman Today July 2020

DIY: Dandelion lotion bars

By Alison Stucke

Nestled into the hill below Hawk Ridge in Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood is a home that blends unobtrusively into the nature surrounding it. The husbandand-wife owners with four daughters fell in love with this location and its breathtaking views of Lake Superior. When they bought the property in 2014, they had a five-year plan to build their family’s new home there, but they didn’t want to alter the landscape with a house that stood out among the natural beauty of the hillside. They accomplished both goals. In 2018 they started building, in March 2019 building was completed, and in April 2019 they moved in. They chose to keep the colors of the outside of their home similar to the landscape that surrounds it.

“We wanted the house to blend into the hill,” said the wife. “The outside is an olive-green color with lots of wood accents including dark wood posts and a dark wood deck off the front.”

The kitchen of this Hawk Ridge home is spacious enough for a nine-foot island where plenty of people can gather. The space features quartz countertops and a soothing neutral color palette.

“It’s a special spot. We wanted to make sure that whatever we were building fit in the landscape and wasn’t too showy,” said the husband.

Dreamhouse plans become reality

To design the build, Bruckelmyer Brothers Construction took the homeowners’ dreamhouse plans and helped make them a reality for the homeowner family.

“Bruckelmyer Brothers made the home the right size,” the husband said. “They shrunk it down to an area that we could afford and a terrain that was workable.”

The couple said the Bruckelmyers’ computer presentation software was invaluable in helping them visualize the design of the house and property.

“The Bruckelmyers used a 3D program so we could see everything exactly as it would look when built,” said the wife. “That really helped.”

The house on a hill

Because the house was built on a hill, special challenges needed to be addressed by the building team.

“They had to do a lot of leveling off of the property before they could start,” the husband explained. “There’s a 100-foot difference between the front and the back of the property. Given the rock of the area and elevation changes from one end of the lot to the other, it limited the ability to do certain things. Just getting a driveway in here was a big accomplishment. Bruckelmyer Brothers designed it and routed it at the logical point of entry.”

The home’s main entry leads to the open-concept dining room, which is connected to the kitchen on the right and the living room on the left. The 16-foot vaulted ceiling allows for a stylish fireplace feature surrounded by windows with a view.

A large deck and smaller porch off the front of the house provide spectacular views of Lake Superior. Several patios provide additional spaces for entertaining. Dark wood beams add support and beautiful detail in the eaves under the roof. At night, lights placed in the beams

Continued on page 44 sparkle on the home on the hill.

“In almost every case, homes built on the high view sites of our Duluth area will require consideration for constructing on or near ledge rock,” Edward Bruckelmyer explained. “Ledge rock, while an extremely solid base for any foundation, brings with it many nuances that every design needs to consider, such as surface ground water, steep grades, view areas, solar gain, etc. The home emulates the result of careful consideration of these and many other factors in the design and ultimate construction of a great place to reside on the hillside.”

Inside the home: Views of Lake Superior from almost every room

The home’s main entryway leads to the open-concept dining room, connected to the kitchen on the right, connected to the living room with a vaulted ceiling that’s 16 feet high.

The homeowners chose to make the structure’s many windows and their views of Lake Superior the main focal point of the interior.

“The idea was to live in the house with four kids, having a big family and various get-togethers, and to have it very functional,” said the husband. “We have a beautiful, panoramic view of Lake Superior. We wanted that to be the focus of the house. So we have these beautiful windows from H Window Company of Ashland. We wanted to have views of the lake from every room. Very simple and somewhat elegant.”

Shades of greys, whites, dark browns and beiges appear throughout the home, as do hardwood maple, tile, luxury vinyl, and carpeted floors.

A kitchen to love

“The kitchen is our favorite part of the house,” said the wife. “We cook a lot. Everyone always gathers in the kitchen, and that’s why we wanted to make it a bigger part of the house. Phil of Bruckelmyer Brothers was the designer. He was so patient and helpful. They custom made the cabinets. They’re painted white. The quartz countertops are from Granite Works.”

“The island in the kitchen is nine feet long,” she continued. “That’s where we tend to eat. There are six of us in the family (their daughters are ages 17, 16, 13, and 10). The island has drawer space at the end and stools for seats.”

The master bedroom and bathroom with soaking tub and tiled shower are also on the main level. This bedroom also features a wonderful Lake Superior view.

“Our design team did an amazing job with the homeowners’ design/ build in capturing their vision of style, livability, and comfort of their new home while capturing the great view,” said Robert Bruckelmyer. “There was a lot of consideration on the main floor layout so all within the living space could see the view including the master bedroom.”

Also off that end of the main level are the laundry room and an attached garage. The family uses an entryway there as they come and go. All the essentials are on the main floor.