Photography: Spacecrafting || Architecture & Design: PKA Architecture || Interior Design: Gabriela Laboy Interiors/O’Hara Interiors || Build: Lake Country Builders
What was once a cozy cabin built by the client’s parents in Luck, Wisconsin, is now a contemporary lakefront retreat that thoughtfully pays homage to the previous property while incorporating modern updates to support long-term, multigenerational living. Kristine Anderson, design principal and partner at Minneapolis’ PKA Architecture, collaborated on the project with Lake Country Builders out of Excelsior, and Minneapolis interior designer Gabriela Laboy, who was with O’Hara Interiors at the time of the project and is now founding principal designer of her own firm, Gabriela Laboy Interiors.
“This was a very sentimental, special place for them,” says Anderson. The client wanted to create a space where she and her family—including her siblings and extended family who live throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin, while she primarily resides in Chile—could come to relax amid the quiet outdoor landscape. “It was their parents’ property, their parents’ cabin they built themselves, so there are pieces of the old cabin that made their way into the new cabin.”
The new cabin sits at the end of a long, narrow, winding driveway that meanders through the woods, catching the eye with a bright yellow front door that welcomes family and guests alike. The architectural design is anchored by three “pavilions,” as Anderson refers to them, each comprising different rooms and amenities. The center pavilion houses the main living, kitchen, and dining spaces, with an adjacent outdoor deck that runs along the side of the house and faces the lake.
Where Color Shines
“In the main living area, the open-concept layout was designed for entertaining, with layered textures and an oversized coffee table which serves as the perfect gathering spot for board games around the fireplace,” Laboy describes. “The stone helped create a focal point that contrasts against the poplar walls, while high-performing fabrics in the furniture provide durability. Accent colors in the pillows and side tables add personality, creating a sophisticated, yet relaxed, atmosphere.”
Cambria quartz countertops with dark teal veins complement the vibrant green cabinetry in the kitchen, while zellige tile backsplash incorporates texture. The wood island and butcher block perimeter counters bring warmth and balance to the space. A grand dining table invites connection and conversation, elevated by expansive views of the outdoors, while an oversized rattan pendant hangs above for intimate evening lighting.
To one side of the center pavilion are the guest quarters and functional areas, such as the laundry room. The guest bedroom features original siding salvaged from the original cabin, complemented by warm wood accents and artfully patterned curtains that frame the forest landscape beyond. There also is a cozy space with four bunkbeds, perfect for when the grandkids visit.
On the opposite end of the center pavilion lie the primary suite, an office, a smaller living area, and a private outdoor patio space. The poplar used in the main living room was continued in the primary bedroom, “adding warmth, texture, and a Scandinavian sensibility that reinforced the home’s overall design concept,” Laboy says. Soft blue accent chairs sit opposite the bed, with a textural side table positioned between them. In the office are vibrant yellow display cabinets, balanced by a thoughtful gray desk and dusky blue office chair.
“Because her primary home is in South America, where bright colors are often embraced, she wanted to bring some of that into this second home” Laboy says. “I especially love incorporating color into second homes, and in this location, it helps bring warmth to the space during the winter months.” That desire for color continues into the primary bath, where rich red vanity cabinets define the room, illuminated by daylight pouring in from a tall window.
Embracing The Land
In addition to supporting family living, the client prioritized the cabin’s environmental footprint and maximizing the landscape, which shaped many of the design choices and material selections. “The client wanted to make the most of those views, so the whole design started with how the cabin would sit in that landscape,” says Pete Jacobson, founder of Lake Country Builders. “The cabin uses metal, stone, and recycled materials, and it’s heated and cooled with a geothermal system.”
“The whole thing about this house is having it feel like the outside is coming in,” Anderson adds. Big windows throughout blend the boundary between the indoors and out, while “large sliding doors throughout the main shared spaces frame the landscape and allow the family to enjoy indoor/outdoor living” Laboy says.
The project’s success was born out of a team effort, with all three partners collaborating from the earliest planning stages to the final walk through—not to mention the client participating in much of the planning process from the other side of the world.
“Managing a project from that distance isn’t easy, but she made it enjoyable from start to finish,” says Bruce Bebo, project manager with Lake Country Builders, who oversaw day-to-day construction of the cabin. Laboy adds, “Rather than approaching the interiors as a final step, the team worked all together from the outset, translating the architectural vision into a home that feels cohesive, considered, and personal to our client and her extended family. That early collaboration created a natural dialogue between the architecture, materials, furnishings, and the way the spaces would ultimately be experienced.”
Lake Country Builders’ Renee Aldecocea, vice president and director of marketing and administration, shares a similar sentiment: “This project strengthened our relationships with PKA Architecture and Gabriela Laboy. When a collaboration lasts beyond the finished home, that’s the best outcome we can ask for.”
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