Sven Gustafson and his wife were searching for land on Lake Minnetonka to build their new family home when they found an ideal site with a small teardown house, but it was the boathouse that clinched the deal. Though it was decrepit to the point of almost falling into the lake, the boathouse and its location meant the structure could be rebuilt right on the edge of the lake without having to get new and expensive permits. The home site is higher up the hill from the boathouse, with commanding views of the lake.

The newly built cottage-style Craftsman home is clad in cedar-shake siding, with limestone accents, zinc roofing and zinc half-round gutters. The house is heated and cooled via a geothermal well field.

Inside the home, chic contemporary details abound. The front door is oak painted black. All of the window frames were painted black for a contemporary feel. The floors are rift and quartersawn white oak. The staircase to the left of the front door leads to the lower level; the stairway to the right leads up to the second level.

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In the living room, which overlooks Lake Minnetonka, barn beams from Manomin Resawn Timbers add a rustic touch. The fireplace has a stone surround of pillowed limestone. The painting above the fireplace was created specifically for that spot by an artist from Madeline Island, Wisconsin.

In the dining room, a custom wall of wine is made with black walnut racking, steel and doors resembling warehouse windows. On the opposite side of the 12-foot-long custom zinc table are three custom steel doors that open to a family room and deck.

The kitchen and dining room flow seamlessly together. The farmhouse sink was a must, Gustafson says. A stack of Marvin windows over the sink were “mulled together and painted to resemble steel-framed windows.” The cabinetry is white oak. The countertops are Carrera marble.

The sunroom has a wood-burning fireplace featuring the same Snow Trail limestone used on the home’s exterior. On the floor are handmade cement tiles that Gustafson’s wife designed and had made in Vietnam. A Marvin bifolding door opens the sunroom to the outdoors.

In the master bedroom, the iron bed is a custom design featuring a gunmetal finish. Gustafson’s wife found the gray-blue antique cabinets and repurposed them to frame a flat-screen TV and store media equipment.

In the master bathroom, a soaking tub sits on a floor of Carrara marble, which also provides the threshold for the glass shower. The cabinetry is white oak.

The home also includes an 800-square-foot studio for Gustafson’s wife, who is an artist and graphic designer. The floor is Centiva vinyl that resembles wood. Outside the studio she can relax on her own private patio.

The boathouse that inspired the project was renovated and updated with all of today’s modern comforts. “It’s like a little living room on the water,” Gustafson says.