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September 30, 2017
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Photo by Shannon Geisen/Enterprise
The Lorenz-Hill home sits on Potato Lake. The upper half is cedar-sided, primarily for appearance. “I like natural. I don’t like steel. I don’t like vinyl,” Lorenz said.
Potato Lake couple designs Northwoods-style home By Shannon Geisen sgeisen@parkrapidsenterprise. com Large, south-facing windows and an open floor design make Richard Lorenz and Cindy Hill’s new Potato Lake home a sunny, welcoming abode. Both originally from Litchfield, they now live year ‘round in lake and pine country. Lorenz is a retired dentist; Hill a retired hairstylist and business owner. “There’s a moderate number of people from Litchfield with a place on Potato Lake, for whatever reason,” Lorenz said of his neighbors. “Of course, making new friends is always nice in life.”
Richard Lorenz and Cindy Hill
For many years, Lorenz owned a place on Third Crow Wing. He bought the Potato Lake property, approximately 23 acres, in 2000, but construction plans didn’t commence until 2014 after their retirement. Together, they conceived of a floor plan, incorporating the original footprint of an existing home built in 1971. Being in disrepair, that house was demolished. Lorenz and Hill broke ground in June 2015. “The old house was shaped like this, but wasn’t quite this big,” Hill explained. The new home extends farther away from the lake, allowing for a larger, two-car garage. The general contractor was Mark Branstrom Construction. The couple moved in last August, but finishing touches were completed this spring. Landscaping improvements continue. Lorenz and Hill opted for a woody, natural decor throughout. In the master bedroom, pickled knotty pine is accentuated by dark trim. “We whitewashed it,” Hill said. “We did the boards ourselves. We like it really well. It turned out really well and it won’t get any darker. I think it’s an old style – maybe 30, 40 years ago people were
Pinecone-inspired porch lights are a quaint fixture. doing a lot of it.” Whitewashing is a straightforward technique: a gallon of white latex paint mixed with a gallon of water, stirred vigorously. They purchased a rustic, hickory headboard in Pequot Lakes. It’s perfectly suited for the Northwoods home. A three-season sitting porch captures sun and breezes off the lake. “It’s a great place to nap,” Hill said. Similar to the master bedroom, they opted to graywash the ash paneling in both the screened porch and Lorenz’s office. “That gave us a little bit of rustic look,” said Hill. Potted basil flourishes on the 70-foot, wrap-around deck. “We wanted to be able to
Lorenz discovered Great River Door Company, which sandcarves unique, personalized residential doors. The company is based in Brainerd. come out from the bedroom, so we then decided to jog it in and go all the way around because you can wash windows from the outside, too,”
Hill explained. Oak, birch, ash and white pine surround the lake home.
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Five helpful hints for a clean and clutter-free home Papers piling up? Toys taking over? If your home is more cluttered than clean, you’re not alone — 85 percent of homeowners say that organization and storage is the most desired feature in a home, according to OrganizedLiving.com. Your clean-home dreams can come true. In fact, simply getting rid of clutter alone can eliminate 40 percent of housework in the average home, according to the National Soap and Detergent Association. With a few helpful hints your home can get organized… and stay that way. Conquer a clutter-free kitchen With a wealth of gadgets, it’s no wonder the kitchen is a clutter culprit. To start your cleanse, remove everything from drawers and cupboards. If you haven’t used an item in the last month (unless it’s a holiday
Flip the switch to a more beautiful home
necessity) – purge it! Next up, clean and line drawer and shelf surfaces with a quality shelf line. Not only will it protect them from dirt and grime, but it also offers a good gauge: if you can’t see the shelf liner, it’s time to purge again! Get a new spin on the laundry room
Sometimes the laundry room needs a bit of cleaning itself. Detergents and other buildup can cause washing machine odors. Run white vinegar through a cycle to sanitize it with ease. Next, improve efficiency and reduce fire hazards by thor
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The average home has 45 light sockets which means you probably have more light bulbs than just about any home product, and yet the lighting aisle can still be a daunting place. With the right knowledge, you can save money, protect the environment and bring the best features of your home to life. Here are four quick tips to get you started: ► Opt for LED. By 2020, half of all residential sockets will have converted to LEDs, which is good news, as LEDs can last over 10 years and use up to 85 percent less energy than the traditional lighting
you may use today. Available in a variety of shapes, sizes, wattages and color temperatures, they are becoming increasingly affordable, too. Just a few years ago, LEDs topped $40, but today you can find a high-quality LED for less than $5. To help people make the commitment to LEDs, GE is asking the public to take the pLEDge to swap just one traditional bulb to an LED bulb. Visit gelighting.com/pledge to take the pledge and earn a coupon toward an LED purchase. ► Pay attention to color temperatures, wattag
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