A Place For Everything...and Everything In Its Place

The Motivations to Build a New Home

There are so many exciting things about building a new home—the new kitchen, the gorgeous finishes, those brand new windows, heated floors, the energy efficiency—all this and more, plus a brand new place to call home.  The list of motivations that prompts people to build new is long.

One such motivation surfaces time and again when we work with our clients...the storage of the stuff.  So much stuff needs to be contained, and needs a home of its own.  Good design accounts for all these things that we need to manage.  Thereby, good planning and design ultimately brings peace and order to our lives.

So Much Stuff!

As we dive into the design process, we often analyze where things will be kept, and try to create spaces that support the lifestyles and habits of the people who live there.  Hockey bags for example.  We have heard the complaint of many a mom about the bulky, smelly hockey bag.  We often suggest a locker located in the garage that prevents the bag from coming in (and allows it to air out).  In addition, mudrooms are important filters for the home, and when well-designed, they bridge the garage with the rest of the home.  Mudrooms prevent throw-off items from migrating into (and cluttering up) the living spaces.

Closet design is another key lifestyle enhancer.  The proper closet design is not just an element of size, it is reflected in the built-in storage to house the shoes, scarves, ties, folded items, hanging items—all in the right mix for the individuals.  What a difference this makes in your every day comings and goings.

Organization + Order = Relaxation

Toys, kitchen gadgets, linens, cookbooks, reading books, magazines, cell phones, school projects, bills, tools...the list goes on and on.  When a custom built home takes all these things into account, your life runs more smoothly.  Organization allows you more time to come home and relax.  And that is what your home should ultimately do—support your every day so you can recharge your batteries when you are home, as opposed to drain them.  It is a wonderful thing to create a place for everything...and have everything in its place.

From Cape Cod...With Love

"One family brings a little piece of Massachusetts coastline to Lake Minnetonka"

Such begins the recent article in the October issue of Lake Minnetonka magazine.  We are so pleased that this exceptional home we built for an active family of five was featured prominently, and thank you to our clients that made the project exceptional!

Beyond cooking.....

Kitchen have evolved from the once typical galley space dedicated to cooking and cleaning.  Throughout the years, lifestyle and design trends have significantly impacted the way we design and layout kitchen space.  There are multiple functions that kitchens accommodate in today's custom design, and getting this space right largely impacts the liveability of a new home.

We encourage our clients to envision all the family/friend functions that will take place in their kitchen.  It seems universal that people congregate in this space during everyday family gatherings, holidays, and parties—so the space needs to accommodate meal preparation in combination with these unavoidable congregations.  Homework also happens frequently at the kitchen island, as well as craft projects, coffee breaks, and casual meals.  So islands can be designed with these activities in mind as well.

We are seeing office spaces close to the kitchen, as well as open family gathering and conversation rooms that adjoin the kitchen as well.  When the design is open to other living spaces, distinctive architectural details such as ceiling treatments and arched openings help define and add interest to the spaces.

Kitchens definitely need to cook—and so much more.  When the design takes into account your lifestyle, your lifestyle flows seamlessly in your new home.

The ingredients of exceptional design...

Everyone is quick to agree that exceptional design is a recognizable thing in several categories—from computer products to magazine layouts to seasonal fashions.  But in custom home design, what are the benefits of exceptional design beyond visual composition?

Custom home design is personal.  It is the process of discovery, inspiration, and the reflection of our individual personalities, hobbies, and habits.  This reflection then supports our daily activities, organizes our days, influences our moods, and ultimately—makes us feel at home in our home.  What a treat it is to wake up every morning to spaces that delight you, and spaces that accommodate your life.

It is a tall order to achieve this type of tailored design that influences how you live and feel each day.  The key ingredient?  

Careful, comprehensive, and detailed thought.  It does not happen without discovery and process—the time spent in the design process is most definitely, time spent well.

A little space—a lot of detail.

Powder rooms are a great space to feature unique details.  From light fixture selection, vanity design, wall finishes, and floor and ceiling treatments—you can create big drama within a small space.

Together we can find your style...

When we meet with new clients, they typically have been dreaming about their future home for quite some time.  They may have a file folder full of random, unorganized tear sheets—and are not quite sure how to present their collection of images.

We welcome these messy file folders—in fact—it is one of the best ways to communicate a lot of ideas effectively.  There are so many resources available now to collect ideas:  Facebook, Pinterest, Houzz, many magazines, coffee table books (to name just a few), and they all serve a purpose.  We find a great deal of order within these seemingly random pictures and ideas.

Our job is to extrapolate the common threads that may run throughout your

favorites.  Things that may seem unrelated are often within the same family.  If our client knows they like it, yet they do not know why—we can often decipher nuances that resonate.

We welcome the display of inspiration in all it's forms.  Bring us a messy file, and we will get to work.

The rich impact of an espresso wood floor stain..

The dark espresso color of this upper hall oak floor was achieved through a process called water popping.  This process applies water (to open the wood grain) prior to staining—this allows the stain to be absorbed better.  The result is a color that adds richness and impact to the space.

What makes exceptional design exceptional?

A recent article by Diego Rodriquez explored the parallels between the creative process of Jerry Seinfeld and the team that designs Porsches.  Both are dedicated to their craft, and I found similarities in both of their processes and the process of creating exceptional custom home design.

1.  Insist on great fundamentals

To start the design process off right—you need to point the rocket in the right direction.  That is why we spend a great deal of time upfront with our clients during the architectural design process to determine the essential objectives of the design function and feel.

2.  Obsess over details

Even things that the average person may not specifically notice—are noticed.  The overall experience of the joke, or the car, or the custom home is "shaped by myriad details whose sum is greater than its parts."  Details always matter.

3.  1% inspiration and 99% perspiration

The path of least resistance does not lead to exceptional design.  Put in hard work and thought and review, and then put in some more hard work and thought and review.  After the fundamentals are established and the details are evaluated, think and review multiple times to elevate the design to the extraordinary.

Home Values are on the Rise....

Trulia researches and track trends in the real estate market.  According to their recent findings, the listing price for homes on the market rose 7% within the last year.  At the same time as these prices were rising, the affordability gap between renting and owning a home remains very favorable for home ownership.  In fact, their research indicates that it is 44% less expensive to own a home than to rent.

Low mortgage rates play an important role in the price of current home ownership.  Although rates were rising in March, the 30-year fixed rate (according to Freddie Mac) dropped from 3.9% to 3.5% between February 2012-2013.  These rates are historically quite low, and make the current home buying and building market quite attractive.

We are encouraged by the increase in the market activity, and are optimistic that we will continue to see an increase in the market demand for home ownership and home building.

Spring is a good time for...

April is here and spring is on the way.  When the weather warms up and the buds start to pop—it is a good time to make sure your home is in good shape.  Here are a few ideas:

1.  Inspect the outside of your home to determine if the roof, chimneys, exterior walls, and windows need attention and maintenance.

2.  If you have a battery back up on a sump pump system, it is a good idea to make sure it is in working order.

3.  Change your HVAC filters or schedule your spring maintenance with your HVAC service provider.

4.  Clean the range hood to eliminate accumulated grease build-up.

5.  Clean your dryer vent and vacuum lint out of the edges of your lint filter.

6.  Make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order with fresh batteries.

7.  Double check that you have fire extinguishers placed in key areas throughout your home.

8.  Clean your deck, patio, or screen porch.  Then as the weather improves, kick back with family and friends and appreciate the breeze and blooms of the new season.

50 Shades of Green

Color trends come and go in interior design just as in fashion.  And it makes sense - color is an easy way to change the mood and personality of a space.

We are seeing splashes of color making their way into our client's homes, including variations of blues and greens, teal, yellows, poppy reds, orange, and violet.  Happy little punches of color add interest and energy.

Pantone has designated emerald green to be the 2013 color of the year.  Emerald green is bold and beautiful, and works well in small doses.  We have seen a big range of greens used for years, from light and soft to rich and deep—green is the color of nature, and is uniquely neutral and colorful at the same time.

Whether you prefer sage, kelly, moss, olive, emerald—or all the blue/green to gray/green variations in between—green is likely here to stay well past the designated year of 2013.

Why we love to do what we do...

It is always exciting to meet new clients and learn what they would like in their new home.  Every client is different, so every project is different.  It begins with words that express what would make a new home exciting, beautiful, and user friendly for those that will live there.  Those early notes launch the project into designs, specifications, plans — and eventually the special place that becomes a happy home.

We built a home for a wonderful family and recently received a thank you note.  Actually, this was the second thank you note — the first one came fifteen years ago when we built the home.  This second note was to let us know the time had come for them to downsize, and they were moving into a town home.  As they were reflecting on the memories they had made in their home, they graciously took the time to write to us again.  Their note underscored for us the reason we love to do what we do.

February 17, 2013

Dear Larry,

It's been 15 years since we moved into the home you built for us.  Doesn't seem possible.  And we've decided it's time to make some changes (downsizing, less space, simpler maintenance, etc.) so we're moving to a town home.

But in the process of getting ready to move, we've been going through some things—including documents relating to the building of this home.  We were struck by how perfectly this house fit the dreams and ideas we expressed to you from the start.  We've always loved it and love it still—but it's time to move on.

You built the perfect home for us and you did it in the most gentlemanly, easy-to-work with way we could imagine.

We hope the next owner will love it as much as we have.  We've added a little paint here and there, but the home is otherwise as solid and sound as the day you finished.  (A realtor touring the house the other day remarked, coming down the stairs, "Wow—not a creak anywhere in the house!")

Hope things are going well for you.  Thanks again for creating this very important part of our life.

All the best,

J and S