skip to main content
OUTDOOR PREVIEW
0
Your shopping cart is empty.
Sign In
Join as a Pro
History of Houzz
GET IDEAS
PHOTOS
Kitchen & DiningKitchenDining RoomPantryGreat RoomBreakfast Nook
Bed & BathBathroomPowder RoomBedroomStorage & ClosetBaby & Kids
LivingLiving RoomFamily RoomSunroom
OutdoorLandscapePatioDeckPoolBackyardPorchExteriorOutdoor KitchenFront YardDrivewayPoolhouse
WalkwaysStaircaseEntryHall
Bar & WineHome BarWine Cellar
UtilityLaundryGarageMudroom
More RoomsGame RoomHome OfficeBasementCraftLibraryGym
Popular Design IdeasKitchen BacksplashFirepit
FireplaceDeck RailingPergolaPrivacy FenceSmall Closet
MAGAZINE
Stories and GuidesPopular StoriesRenovation Cost Guides
DISCUSSIONS
Get AdviceDesign DilemmasBefore & After
HOUZZ TV
HOUZZ RESEARCH
FIND PROFESSIONALS
PROFESSIONALS
DesignArchitects & Building DesignersKitchen & Bathroom DesignersInterior Designers & DecoratorsDesign-Build FirmsLighting Designers & Suppliers
RemodelingKitchen & Bathroom RemodelersGeneral ContractorsHome BuildersTile & Countertop ContractorsMasonry & Concrete ContractorsExterior & Siding ContractorsStair & Railing ContractorsFireplace Contractors
RenovationCarpentersCabinetry & Cabinet MakersFlooring ContractorsWindow ContractorsDoor ContractorsGlass & Shower Door ContractorsCarpet Contractors
OutdoorLandscape Architects & DesignersLandscape ContractorsDeck & Patio BuildersFence ContractorsDriveway & Paving ContractorsSwimming Pool BuildersHot Tub & Spa Dealers
ServicesPaintersRoofing & Gutter ContractorsOrganizers & Closet DesignersHome StagersGarage Door ServicesWindow Treatment ServicesPaint & Wall Covering Dealers
Appliances & SystemsAppliance Sales & ServicesHVAC ContractorsHome Theater & AutomationOutdoor Lighting & AV SpecialistsSolar Energy Contractors
All ProfessionalsAll ServicesFor Professionals
SHOP BY DEPARTMENT
KITCHEN & DINING
Kitchen & Dining FurnitureSinks & FaucetsKitchen AppliancesTabletopCabinets & StorageKnobs & PullsKitchen LightingTileCookware & BakewareTools & GadgetsView All
FURNITURE
Living RoomKitchen & DiningHome OfficeOutdoorBedroomStorageBathroomView All
BATH
Bathroom VanitiesShowersBathtubsBathroom LightingFaucetsBathroom SinksTileBath AccessoriesBath LinensMedicine CabinetsView All
DECOR
RugsMirrorsWall DecorDecorative AccentsArtworkPillows & ThrowsHoliday DecorView All
BEDROOM
Beds & HeadboardsBeddingDressersNightstandsBenchesBedroom DecorLampsCloset StorageFutonsChaisesView All
HOME IMPROVEMENT
HardwareTileBathroom FixturesKitchen FixturesHeating & CoolingBuilding MaterialsTools & EquipmentView All
LIVING
Coffee & Accent TablesRugsSofas & SectionalsArmchairs & Accent ChairsTV Stand & Media StorageHome DecorLampsArtworkBookcasesFireplaces & AccessoriesView All
OUTDOOR
Patio FurnitureOutdoor DecorOutdoor LightingPool & SpaLawn & GardenOutdoor StructuresOutdoor CookingView All
LIGHTING
ChandeliersPendant LightsFlush-MountsBathroom & VanityWall SconcesCeiling FansTable LampsFloor LampsKitchen & CabinetOutdoor LightingView All
MORE
Storage & OrganizationHome OfficeBaby & KidsHome BarCleaning & LaundryPet SuppliesHoliday DecorView All
Looking for the perfect gift? Send a Houzz Gift Card!
SALE
ON SALE - UP TO 75% OFF
Bathroom VanitiesChandeliersBar StoolsPendant LightsRugsLiving Room ChairsDining Room FurnitureWall LightingCoffee TablesSide & End TablesHome Office FurnitureSofasBedroom FurnitureLampsMirrors
OUTDOOR PREVIEW
Up to 45% Off
Outdoor Lounge Furniture 
Free Shipping
Bestselling Outdoor Furniture 
Up to 55% Off
Outdoor Rugs and Doormats 
Up to 65% Off
Outdoor Dining Furniture 
Before and Afters
Before and Afters
Yard of the Week: Midcentury-Inspired Lounge for Relaxing
Top Ideabooks
Yard of the Week: Midcentury-Inspired Lounge for RelaxingHouzz Tour: Fresh White Update Makes a Bright Family HomeKitchen of the Week: Redo for a Family That Cooks TogetherHouzz Tour: Dramatic Before-and-After Transformation
Appears in
Remodeling Guides
Porches
Porches
10 Ideas for Decorating Your Summer Porch
Top Ideabooks
10 Ideas for Decorating Your Summer Porch7 Ideas to Get You Back on the Front PorchGet the Hang of Hanging Flower BasketsExpert Talk: Porch Swings Sway Into Sweet Life
Appears in
Landscape Design
Porch of the Week
Porch of the Week
A Summer House With Prairie School Style
Top Ideabooks
A Summer House With Prairie School StyleScreened-In Porch and a Deck Under the Oaks in MinnesotaPorch of the Week: An Outdoor Room for Cooking and RelaxingA Wraparound Goes From Unwelcoming to Irresistible
Appears in
Landscape Design
Landscape Design
Landscape Design
Yard of the Week: Midcentury-Inspired Lounge for Relaxing
Top Ideabooks
Yard of the Week: Midcentury-Inspired Lounge for Relaxing10 Times to Hire a Landscape ContractorHow Much It Costs to Hire a Landscape Architect10 Times to Hire a Landscape Architect
Appears in
Latest From Houzz
See also
PoolsOutbuildingsGarden StylesPorchesOutdoor AccessoriesDecksPatiosPathsInspiring GardensFences and GatesOutdoor ProjectsUrban GardensFront Yard IdeasBackyard IdeasSide Yard IdeasOutdoor KitchensIdeas for Sloped LotsPergolasLawn AlternativesPatio of the WeekPorch of the Week

Screened-In Porch and a Deck Under the Oaks in Minnesota

An architect opens up views of Minnehaha Creek without disturbing the property’s mature trees

Becky Harris
Becky HarrisNovember 7, 2020
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.
More
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
Minnehaha Creek is a beautiful waterway that flows through pastoral, wooded and urban areas between Lake Minnetonka to the Mississippi River. So it’s easy to understand why this Edina, Minnesota, couple had dreamed of living along it for decades. When a home overlooking a split in the creek became available, they jumped at the chance to make their dream come true. Their decision was all about location, so their main concern with the house was making sure they were maximizing the views. Architect Christopher Strom helped them rework their deck, screened-in porch and landscaping to open up the views in a way that protected two mature oak trees on the property.
CHRISTOPHER STROM ARCHITECTS
“After” photos by Alyssa Lee Photography

Porch at a Glance

Who uses it: A couple of empty nesters
Location: Edina, Minnesota
Size: 256 square feet (24 square meters); 16 by 16 feet
Architect: Christopher Strom
Contractor: Crown Construction

This beautiful new screened-in porch is one of the homeowners’ favorite spots for enjoying the view of the waterway and watching the kayakers and canoeists that paddle by during the warmer months of the year. The 16-by-16-foot porch accommodates a small cafe table and chairs, an upholstered settee and an upholstered armchair. The furniture can be stored during the snowy months, but otherwise the porch doesn’t need to be winterized.

Shop for outdoor dining furniture
Before Photo
Before: The existing deck and screened-in porch overlooked the creek. But the railings, staircase and shrubs blocked views. Plus, “the back of the house looked like a big white box,” Strom says.

Find a local architect on Houzz
CHRISTOPHER STROM ARCHITECTS
After: A new deck and screened-in porch replace the old ones in the same locations. The protuding staircase has been removed and a new spiral staircase added behind the porch near the house.

“Our first order of business was to change the landscaping to engage the water’s edge,” Strom says. The new landscaping opens up the views from the patio and lower level of the house, and provides easy access down to the creek. The work included leveling off the area beneath the porch — the lattice in the previous photo was hiding a significant slope. Strom used retaining walls made of boulders to create a terraced landscape. New stairs ease the journey down to the water’s edge.

Local Edina and Minnehaha Creek Watershed District restrictions limited the amount of impervious surfaces allowed on the property. Strom made up for some of the new impervious surfaces in the landscaping by making the deck come toward the house at an oblique angle. The porch is in approximately the same spot as the original. “The homeowners liked it off to the side because it preserved the views from inside the house,” Strom says.

To mitigate the scale of the big white box, he used contrasting materials on the new deck and porch. He also got rid of the recessed bays on one side of the house, which weren’t doing anything for the interior spaces. He replaced the main level’s bay with double slider doors. A new three-foot-deep skirt roof between the main level and the second level also helps cut down the scale of the house. And the black painted aluminum beneath the porch blends in with the shadows.
CHRISTOPHER STROM ARCHITECTS
Preserving two mature oak trees was the top priority during construction. After consulting with an arborist and the pros at Crown Construction, Strom decided to use helical piers and and a steel frame to support the deck. Also known as screw piles, helical piers are corkscrewed deep into the ground, eliminating the need for excavation; here they minimized the impact on the trees. Because of the depth of these piers and the strength of the steel framing, only seven piers were required — four underneath the porch and three under the deck.

Hire a local general contractor
CHRISTOPHER STROM ARCHITECTS
Strom replaced the staircase with a spiral one, tucking it behind the deck. Because the deck needed just three supports, the staircase has a graceful floating appearance.

The homeowners wanted a shed space beneath the porch for kayaks, gardening tools and their grandchildren’s outdoor toys. The shed portion does not have a built floor, but Strom added a layer of mesh beneath the dirt to help keep critters out.
CHRISTOPHER STROM ARCHITECTS
New steel cable railings with a natural wood handrail keep the views open. “Because the impervious surface requirements limited the size of the deck, we used a facia-mounted system for the railings,” Strom says. This means that the railings are mounted on the face of the deck rather than on top, saving precious inches of deck surface.

The decking is a composite material made of recycled plastic and bamboo.

Decking: BamDeck, Cali Bamboo
CHRISTOPHER STROM ARCHITECTS
This photo provides a good view of the deck’s graceful hipped roof. The deck and porch have a pleasing mix of materials that blend with the natural surroundings. The roof material is cedar shingles, and the ceiling is pre-finished lodgepole pine. Strom used custom copper ridge pieces to avoid the clunky look of hanging cedar ridges. They give the roof “a really streamlined look,” he says.

The structural framing is a hot-dip galvanized steel that can stand up to water and weather. Around the porch, the architect filled the spaces between the steel frame’s flanges with the same composite material he used on the deck. The bottom portion of the shed is extruded aluminum painted black. “This makes it very low-maintenance,” Strom says.

Ceiling pine: Woodtone
CHRISTOPHER STROM ARCHITECTS
Look up near the ceiling fan to see the neat square pattern on the lodgepole pine ceiling.
CHRISTOPHER STROM ARCHITECTS
The homeowners love the comfortable shaded spot, where they can catch a breeze while they watch the world paddle by.

More on Houzz
Browse photos of screened-in porches
Find local deck and patio builders
Shop for your outdoor space
Print
Embed
Facebook
Twitter
Email
See 14 comments
Explore Related Topics
Before and AftersPorchesPorch of the WeekLandscape Design
Read Related Stories
Yard of the Week: Midcentury-Inspired Lounge for RelaxingYard of the Week: Midcentury-Inspired Lounge for Relaxing
By Wendy Helfenbaum·2
Landscape Design
Houzz Tour: Fresh White Update Makes a Bright Family HomeHouzz Tour: Fresh White Update Makes a Bright Family Home
By Nora Burba Trulsson·51
Houzz Tours
Kitchen of the Week: Redo for a Family That Cooks TogetherKitchen of the Week: Redo for a Family That Cooks Together
By Becky Harris·45
Kitchen Makeovers
Houzz Tour: Dramatic Before-and-After TransformationHouzz Tour: Dramatic Before-and-After Transformation
By Becky Harris·30
Contemporary Homes
Yard of the Week: Whimsical Walled Garden for Play and DiscoveryYard of the Week: Whimsical Walled Garden for Play and Discovery
By Annie Thornton·27
Landscape Design
Kitchen of the Week: Hand-Painted Range Hood and Classic FinishesKitchen of the Week: Hand-Painted Range Hood and Classic Finishes
By Erin Carlyle·33
Kitchen Makeovers
Bathroom of the Week: Black, White and a Touch of FloralBathroom of the Week: Black, White and a Touch of Floral
By Jeannie Matteucci·18
Bathroom Makeovers
Yard of the Week: Lush Aquatic Garden Welcomes WildlifeYard of the Week: Lush Aquatic Garden Welcomes Wildlife
By Sarah Alcroft·29
Landscape Design
Before and After: Family Home Refreshed for a New LifestyleBefore and After: Family Home Refreshed for a New Lifestyle
By Becky Harris·82
Houzz Tours
Patio of the Week: Former Trash Area Now a Luxe Outdoor LoungePatio of the Week: Former Trash Area Now a Luxe Outdoor Lounge
By Annie Thornton·22
Patio of the Week
Bathroom of the Week: Soft Neutrals With a Nod to HistoryBathroom of the Week: Soft Neutrals With a Nod to History
By Becky Harris·27
Bathroom Design
Houzz Tour: Home Returns to Its Modern RootsHouzz Tour: Home Returns to Its Modern Roots
By Becky Harris·33
Houzz Tours
Yard of the Week: Native and Low-Water Plants in ColoradoYard of the Week: Native and Low-Water Plants in Colorado
By Lauren Dunec Hoang·11
Landscape Design
Yard of the Week: Privacy, Seating and Lush PlantingsYard of the Week: Privacy, Seating and Lush Plantings
By Kate Burt·19
Landscape Design
Patio of the Week: Kitchen’s Cheerful Palette Goes OutsidePatio of the Week: Kitchen’s Cheerful Palette Goes Outside
By Becky Harris·5
Landscape Design
Shop Related Categories
Watering & Irrigation
Watering & Irrigation
Gardening Tools
Gardening Tools
Outdoor Decor
Outdoor Decor
Outdoor Pots & Planters
Outdoor Pots & Planters
Garden Statues & Yard Art
Garden Statues & Yard Art
Outdoor Power Equipment
Outdoor Power Equipment
Sponsored
Perfect Landscapes LLC
16 Reviews
Northern Virginia's Licensed, Local & Reliable Landscape Contractor
People who liked this story also liked
Yard of the Week: Midcentury-Inspired Lounge for Relaxing
Yard of the Week: Midcentury-Inspired Lounge for RelaxingFull Story
Houzz Tour: Fresh White Update Makes a Bright Family Home
Houzz Tour: Fresh White Update Makes a Bright Family HomeFull Story
Kitchen of the Week: Redo for a Family That Cooks Together
Kitchen of the Week: Redo for a Family That Cooks TogetherFull Story
Houzz Tour: Dramatic Before-and-After Transformation
Houzz Tour: Dramatic Before-and-After TransformationFull Story
Yard of the Week: Whimsical Walled Garden for Play and Discovery
Yard of the Week: Whimsical Walled Garden for Play and DiscoveryFull Story
Kitchen of the Week: Hand-Painted Range Hood and Classic Finishes
Kitchen of the Week: Hand-Painted Range Hood and Classic FinishesFull Story
Bathroom of the Week: Black, White and a Touch of Floral
Bathroom of the Week: Black, White and a Touch of FloralFull Story
Yard of the Week: Lush Aquatic Garden Welcomes Wildlife
Yard of the Week: Lush Aquatic Garden Welcomes WildlifeFull Story
Before and After: Family Home Refreshed for a New Lifestyle
Before and After: Family Home Refreshed for a New LifestyleFull Story
Patio of the Week: Former Trash Area Now a Luxe Outdoor Lounge
Patio of the Week: Former Trash Area Now a Luxe Outdoor LoungeFull Story
Sponsored
Bronson Home Improvements, LLC
11 Reviews
Northern Virginia's Top Home Improvement & Remodeling Contractor
  • United States
  • ABOUT
  • CAREERS
  • MOBILE APPS
  • PROFESSIONALS
  • BUTTONS
  • FOR BRANDS
  • SELL
  • Privacy & Notice
  • Terms
  • © 2021 Houzz Inc.