Canoeists on Cedar Lake have gawked for decades at a sleek modern beauty on the shoreline. No other home has its distinct Art Moderne-influenced cool curved walls, glass-block windows and smooth white stucco facade.
Landmark modern masterpiece on Cedar Lake listed at $3.85M
Home built in the 1930s is rare example of sleek, ahead-of-its time design.
November 4, 2017 at 5:08AM
But you'd never be able to tell that the third story, which holds the owners' suite, was added as recently in 2011.
With a ribbon of windows opening to a spacious terrace, "it feels like being in the stateroom of the Queen Mary," said Neroli Lacey.
Since buying the Cedar Lake property in 2001, she and her husband, Roger Lacey, have done extensive enhancements for 21st-century living, while staying true to the spirit of the 1936 home and its ahead-of-its time design.
Peterssen/Keller Architecture in Minneapolis designed the 640-square-foot third-story addition, which was set back to help preserve the original lakeside facade.
The couple also converted an old porch into a library and added a curved marble two-sided fireplace to warm the adjacent living room.
The International Style lakeside landmark even landed on the cover of the book "Legendary Homes of the Minneapolis Lakes" by Karen Melvin and Bette Hammel.
But the Laceys, who are originally from England, have moved to Washington D.C., to be closer to family in London, and have decided to sell the Cedar Lake house.
Neroli Lacey found the home "incredibly hard to leave. The lake and the light floods into the rooms, and gives it a very special spirit," she said.
Other features:
• The 4,098-square-foot home includes four bedrooms and five bathrooms.
• Owners' suite features a see-through fireplace and sitting area, luxe marble bathroom with heated floors and steam shower.
• A large glass-block dressing room with a wall of storage drawers in the bedroom.
• White oak floors stained blond.
• The top floor has a wraparound terrace for street and lake views
• A main-floor shower and bathroom were added for easy access to the sandy beach.
• A massive terrace for entertaining faces Cedar Lake.
• Cedar Lake is part of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes and only 5 miles from downtown Minneapolis.
Bruce Birkeland of Coldwell Banker Burnet, 612-414-3957, has the listing.
Several home watch businesses joined together in the Minnesota Home Watch Collaborative to stay vigilant across the whole state.
