The Aurora, a stunning new organic contemporary with a full view of the harbor.

Time to get Hygge! The Aurora is local couple Todd and Susan Miller’s newest addition to their exclusive list of vacation rental property in the heart of Grand Marais near the harbor. Designed by celebrated Minnesota architect David Salmela, to capture all the needs and dreams of a visitor to Grand Marias. The Aurora is the smaller sister to The SkyHouse and the Horizon, two sibling properties to Aurora in the small but exclusive enclave called "tre søstra" which means "three sisters" in Danish. Aurora is one bedroom, one bath, plus a very nice sleeper sofa for two single sleepers. There is a roomy main living space that seems to float above the area buildings and has wonderful view of the harbor. Although designed ideally as an upscale oasis for two, 4 people can stay here nicely. The Aurora provides an inspiring modern space that allows for privacy among those sharing the lodging, and also provides a breathtaking great room area on the top floor with fantastic views of the Grand Marais harbor, the neighborhood, and the town close by. She has a desk area in the bedroom, a walk out blue stone patio from the bedroom, a planning desk in the hall, an all tile modern bathroom with walk in shower and modern recessed appliances, a large entry area, a laundry, a beautiful flight of stairs to the upper level, clear grained Douglas fir ceilings, steps and trim, heated slate floors, a balcony, panoramic windows, fully modern kitchen with top of the line appliances, lighted drawers and butcher block countertops; dining for 4 with 6 possible, a custom sofa that sleeps one adult, or two children, a custom floor bed for one, and a cozy 3 sided gas fireplace. Everything is in walking distance from our little micro community in the heart of Grand Marais. Imagine the best exclusive lodge experience without sharing walls or having to pass through a front desk. Every restaurant, bar, coffee shop, gallery and Grand Marais' famous beach are all within a very short stroll from your private residence. The home is designed in modern Nordic fashion based on the original Stabur design- a work building commonly seen in Northern Europe. This design culminates a timeline of Scandinavian and Nordic design that the Miller’s began on the property next door that also honored northern work buildings in the roots of their designs. There is off street parking under a sod roofed car port. Here is a brief tour of the property and the Aurora: Begin by driving right in to the heart of Grand Marais and pause by the harbor. You will be turning left up the hill. Pull in to the parking area just outside of the lodging and pull in under the protective car port. Walk up to the entry area past the nordic arch to the first deck where there is room to store bikes in summer, and once inside, plenty of room for the whole group to shake off the snow, hang the coats and set down the skis or snowshoes. Head down David Salmela’s trademark stairway one half flight to the bedroom and bath floor. On the way there is plenty of cabinetry, as well as a bathroom and your bedroom with built in cabinets, desk, and walk out to your own private dry stacked bluestone patio. The floors are heated. Continuing up the inspiring staircase leads you to the primary gathering area on the top floor. There are examples of locally produced art and sculpture and descriptions of them in the guide book on the table. This area is breathtaking with its expansive windows, view of the town and harbor, Lake Superior and the private grounds. There is a fully modern and capable kitchen, an architect designed built in sofa and contemporary gas fireplace. Note the unique skylight with modern light box treatments and the push button electronic pop up television that you can leave hidden if you wish. There is also a wrap around deck. The entire home has slate floors and modern cabinets. There is a utility room with full size washer and dryer. Everything about The Aurora is designed with environmental sustainability in mind. These homes have an incredibly small footprint both structurally and environmentally. The foundations were designed to take up as little of the yard as possible- by being small at the start and increasing as you go up just like the old Stabur upon which this design is based. The energy efficiency is profound because these are composed of structurally insulated panels which are incredibly efficient. No cost has been spared to make the Aurora the highest quality, most significant architectural addition to Grand Marais’ beautiful landscape. We hope you will find it warm, welcoming, and a once in a lifetime experience in one of the world’s most magical places. We have written a detailed guide to what we consider the most special "secret" places in the area. You can pick and chose your own adventures with it for reference depending on your tastes and the weather. That guide is available to you inside the home.