Designing for retreat: A custom lake home built for year-round living

Transforming a family’s beloved waterfront property into their permanent getaway

Springtime is here, and with temperatures on the rise, retreat spaces are top of mind. For many, welcoming warmer seasons means reopening lake homes and getaway cabins, but for one Minnesota family, it meant taking a slightly different path: turning their seasonal campsite into a full-time residence that feels like a vacation year-round.

The Lakeside Retreat is more than a custom lake home. It’s a primary residence designed for restoration and recharge while supporting the rhythms of everyday life, proving that retreat living doesn’t have to be part-time.

From campsite to custom lake home

After years of camping on their lakefront property in central Minnesota, the homeowners sought out a design team to help create a permanent space that honored the spirit of the site while offering comfort in all seasons. Their vision: a modern lake home that embraced the natural landscape, worked with the site’s tight, sloped footprint, and incorporated their love of large timber construction — all while meeting the needs of busy family life.

Maximizing light, views & connection

Throughout the design process, it was important that the new home work with the site to maintain as much of the natural landscape as possible while offering privacy from neighbors. To execute this, a majority of the existing tree canopy was preserved, and the home was aligned with natural view corridors between the trees to frame glimpses of the lake while keeping it nestled in the woods.

A steep drop from road to the water also became an asset of the site. By rotating the home slightly south, the strategic positioning increases sunlight, softens the garage’s presence, and tucks the structure more naturally into the bluff, providing a sense of seclusion and connection to the landscape.

 

Connection without clutter

Inside, the open-concept layout fosters a strong sense of connection to the outdoors, to each other, and to the flow of daily life. The home’s central volume houses the kitchen, dining, and living areas, anchored by a dramatic vaulted ceiling and custom timber-and-steel trusses. A 12-foot-wide pocketing multi-slide door opens to a screened lakeside porch, transforming the space into a breezeway that blurs the line between inside and out.

Functionality was just as important as aesthetic. A “back-of-house” design strategy routes movement from the garage and mudroom directly into a spacious walk-thru working pantry. A pocket door between the pantry and kitchen offers flexibility, easily hiding daily mess while keeping essentials accessible for a family on the move.

Space to recharge

The home also supports the need for quiet and rest. With one parent working as an ER physician and the other as an engineer, the layout includes a more private primary suite discreetly tucked off the main living space. A light and sound lock separates the sleeping quarters from the closet, bathroom, and a secondary laundry space, creating a restful buffer from the hustle of daily life.

Sustainable design elements

Not only is the home beautiful and functional, it’s efficient and low-impact. A high-performance SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) roof supports energy efficiency, a geothermal heating and cooling system reduces reliance on fossil fuels, and rain gardens manage stormwater on site. These sustainable design features help ensure year-round comfort while minimizing the home’s environmental footprint.

Bring retreat living home

The Lakeside Retreat is just one example of what’s possible when a permanent residence is designed to feel like a getaway. It reflects a broader idea that’s resonating with many right now: that home can be a place of rest, connection, and natural beauty, not just on weekends and holidays, but every day.

Thinking about creating your own version of a retreat? Whether it’s a year-round primary residence or a secondary getaway, we’d love to help you get started.