Domestic Bliss

This custom 5,500-square-foot Minnesota "cottage" is filled with distinctive, imported antiques and meticulously handcrafted trim, rather than the rustic game trophies one might expect to find in the wooded lake region west of Minneapolis. While it has all the charisma of an English country home, this house actually celebrates the talent of the American craftsmen who created it. It also demonstrates the benefits of the modern-day materials used for its construction.

Luxury home builder Jerry Boldenow designed and built the home for himself and his wife, Barbara, with whom he also operates a successful antiques dealership. Frequently traveling abroad for business and pleasure, the couple was inspired to recreate in their own custom home the character that they found compelling in one particular bed-and-breakfast in England's Cotswold region.

The Boldenows' unique reproduction is a comfortable and inviting story-and-a-half residence that features a floor-to-ceiling inglenook fireplace, heavily timbered ceilings, and a massive oriel window in its great hall — all of which, Jerry says, set it apart from contemporary "cookie-cutter" mansions.

"I intended this to be a very period design," Boldenow comments. "There is literally nothing shiny in the house. We purposely distressed all of the beams and woodwork so that they would look aged and worn." All of the chandeliers and wall sconces throughout the interior are also antiques.

The two-bedroom home is totally customized to suit the couple's lifestyle requirements and includes not only flexible entertaining areas, but also Boldenow's 1,800-square-foot millwork shop.

"We entertain a lot," he says, "but we also want the rooms to be as comfortable as possible for everyday use."

The entry foyer, for example, can be transformed into a formal dining hall simply by inserting additional leaves into the antique, drop-leaf table that sits centered in the space. "We can comfortably seat 14 guests when the need arises," Boldenow says. Rather than a grand, soaring ceiling, the foyer features a modest-height beamed design that is faithful to the "cottage" ambiance of the home's design.

While the drama in the foyer is deliberately understated, the great hall features a 26-foot crown-post ceiling, massive stone fireplace, and a two-story oriel window wall, making it the home's most impressive entertaining space.

The kitchen, with its massive center island and wood countertops, evokes the warm and inviting ambiance of the local pub. However, the space also features top-of-the-line appliances discretely disguised behind custom-crafted wood-front panels. The cabinetry itself is designed to resemble individual pieces of furniture and displays the couple's treasured collection of imported English china.

The second floor of the home is reserved as the domain of the master retreat. It includes a spacious bedroom, luxurious bath and an upper-level home office that is accessed via a separate staircase located in the master bedroom's walk-in closet. Another staircase outside the closet connects the master bedroom with the lower level service areas, including the laundry room, kitchen and garage.

Boldenow used laminated strand lumber (LSL) to frame all the walls in the house. "I decided to begin using it four years ago because I really got tired of all of the warping that I would find in conventional lumber." Although he concedes that LSL is more expensive, the reduction in wasted material makes the up-charge well worth it. "I find that I can use 100 percent of this material without crowning or culling," he says. "Cabinet and counter people love me, because the walls are always nice and straight."

The Boldenow home is sited on the rear portion of a 2.2-acre site and is backed by a nature preserve and wetlands in the rolling, heavily wooded hills surrounding Lake Minnetonka. "We have the sense of wide open space at the front of the home and complete privacy at the rear," says Boldenow.

This home was completed in June 2004.

Style of Home ¦ English Country Cottage

Location ¦ Orono, Minn.

Total Square Footage ¦ 5,500

Hard Costs (per sq. ft., excluding land) ¦ $350

Estimated Market Value ¦ $2.3 million

Builder/Residential Designer/Interior Designer ¦ Jerry Boldenow & Associates, Orono, Minn.

Custom-Built Builder's Own Home

Major Products Used ¦ Appliances: Jenn-Air (cooktop, oven, refrigerator, microwave); KitchenAid (dishwasher); Whirlpool (washer, dryer); GE (carriage house appliances) ¦ Plumbing Fixtures: Kohler ¦ Windows: Vetter Windows & Doors ¦ Home Controls & Automation: Niles Audio (whole house audio system) ¦ Waterproofing: Owens Corning ¦ Framing Lumber: Trus Joist ¦ HVAC: Bryant