Crane Island Retreat by David Heide Design

Crane Island Retreat

Crane Island Retreat is a summer cottage completed in 2016 by David Heide Design Studio.

Project description: A summer cottage that perfectly encapsulates the lake tradition, this new house has the look and feel of a 1910 cottage, fitting in unobtrusively with its neighbors on Crane Island. We employed the scale, proportion, details, and materials of buildings of that early era as precedent in our design. An expansive screened porch adds to the leisure feeling of “cottage.”

Crane Island Retreat 1

Modern conveniences blend seamlessly with the design of the building. For example, the television in the living room hides behind a panel, operated by an historic window sash pulley and weight system.

Crane Island Retreat 2

For years, Crane Island on Lake Minnetonka has been the summer destination for city dwellers, moving to its cooler lake communities. Desiring a return to this lifestyle, our clients now spend long summer weekends on the island.

Crane Island Retreat 3

The island is small—only about 20 cottages—most of which were built at the beginning of the last century. Being there affords an extraordinary moment of pure timelessness.

Architect: David Heide Design Studio
Project: Crane Island Retreat
Location: Crane Island, Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota, US
Photography: Susan Gilmore Photography

Crane Island Retreat 4

Crane Island Retreat 5

Crane Island Retreat 6

Crane Island Retreat 7

Crane Island Retreat 8

Crane Island Retreat 9

Crane Island Retreat 10

Crane Island Retreat 11

Thank you for reading this article!

Scroll to Top