Photo by Meghan Doll Photography
How did you get started in the building industry?
Founder and principal designer, Kirsten Erickson, brings a trained architectural eye and an interior design background to the world of homebuilding. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, where she majored in architecture with minors in housing and construction management. After completing her graduate studies at the University of Colorado in Denver, she returned to Minnesota where she worked for a couple of builders before making her dream of starting Alma Homes a reality.
What sets your company apart?
Being a boutique builder, we intentionally take on fewer projects each year, so there’s more time to focus on our clients. As a design-build firm, we act as a one-stop shop in the homebuilding journey, which creates a very streamlined process. Before we begin designing a home, we take the time to get to know our clients and understand the way they live. This knowledge helps us create a home that’s tailored to their lifestyle.
How would you describe your team’s approach to a new project?
We take a collaborative approach to every project. From the beginning, we have all parties involved to make sure we have a thorough understanding of our clients’ wants, needs, budget, lifestyle, as well as any site conditions or limitations. This helps inform the plans and selections, so all the details are worked through and we have a solid scope before we move into construction.
What inspires and influences your work?
Our clients are hands down the biggest inspiration when it comes to the homes we build. We believe every home should be designed around the people that live in it, so their personalities and lifestyles are the key inspiration. Outside of that, we gain a lot of inspiration from traveling, whether that be through materials, construction methods, technology, or design.
How do you bring a client’s vision to life?
We spend a lot of time understanding the way our clients live and their design inspirations. Our goal is to bring out their personalities in the design, and not force design ideals on them. This allows us to create a home that complements their daily habits and finish it in a way that exudes their style. We pair that with quality materials and construction practices that will stand the test of time. We enjoy building a wide range of styles, as it keeps our team on our toes!
What do you enjoy most about building custom homes?
We love the fact that every home we build is unique and we’ll never build another home like it again. It’s incredibly rewarding seeing the fruits of your labor and being able to bring the clients’ visions to life.
What are the most important elements of a successful build team?
We believe that effective communication, collaboration, organization, and trust are the most important elements to a successful build team. We work very closely with our clients to earn their trust, and at the end of the day, many of them become lifelong friends.
What are some of your favorite trends and styles in new construction?
We focus on creating timeless spaces that reflect our clients’ styles more than we worry about what’s trending. That being said, trends are fun to incorporate when they are congruent with what our clients are looking for. We have loved the resurgence of natural wood tones, especially white oak, and are glad to see a warmer palette of neutrals with rich undertones making their way back into homes.
