Sky Lane
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN
Completed 2023
These homeowners bought their large home in the brand new- development largely because it looked out over a pastoral preserve that can never be developed. But the foreground was nothing but an elevated screen porch on spindly posts and an expansive, flat lawn. They tasked this NARI member contractor to create an outdoor environment that could accommodate frequent 20- to 30-person events and extend the home’s lower level entertainment space outdoors. It needed to reflect their favorite travel destination, Tuscany, but fit the home’s modern farmhouse architecture. They credit the team with nailing the design and working into winter to have the magnificent space ready for 2019.
Designed by Heather Sweeney
Behind the Design
Design Notes
Before
They bought the house for what sat beyond it: a pastoral preserve that can never be developed. But the foreground was an elevated screen porch on spindly posts and a flat, empty lawn — with twenty-to-thirty-person gatherings on the calendar.
The Idea
Tuscany, tuned to a modern farmhouse. Three distinct paved rooms — lounging, sunning, dining — spill from the home’s lower level, anchored by a long custom fire feature with a remote-controlled 300k-BTU burner, a drink ledge, and an antiqued stain.
After
Natural limestone paving banks daytime warmth for evening dinners while the porcelain sundeck stays cool underfoot. A decorative lattice screen turns the underdeck into a finished room, layers of aspen and arborvitae swallow the neighbor’s fence — and the crew worked into winter snow to have it ready for spring.
The Brief
- —An outdoor environment for frequent 20–30 person events
- —Extend the lower-level entertainment space outdoors
- —Showcase the preserve, screen the neighbors
- —Tuscan spirit, modern farmhouse body
Materials & Craft
- Natural limestone paving
- Porcelain tile & plank surfaces
- Custom 300k-BTU gas fire feature
- Beadboard underdeck ceiling
- Aspen & arborvitae screening layers
01
Three rooms, no walls
Distinct paved areas for lounging, sunning, and dining — each oriented to its purpose: the sundeck to the sun, the dining and lounge to the preserve views.
02
The fire line
A long, elevated custom fire feature — remote control, adjustable 300k-BTU burner, drink ledge — gives the lounge its warmth, light, and center of gravity.
03
Warm stone, cool tile
Limestone holds the day’s heat for evening guests; porcelain tile and planks stay cool, uniform, and stain-resistant where bare feet gather.
04
The finished underdeck
A beadboard ceiling, proportioned columns, and a decorative lattice privacy panel turn the space under the porch into a real room that breathes.
The hard part
A November 1st snowfall landed mid-build with spring as the deadline — the team worked through winter to hand over the space in time for the season it was designed for.
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