What inspires and influences your work?
Texture and color, maximizing natural light, connecting the indoors and outdoors in meaningful ways. As our society reinforces busy-ness and productivity, we need our homes to provide a sense of rest and calm.
What do you enjoy most about remodeling homes?
I believe remodeling is fundamentally an act of optimism. It asks a person to see the potential of a space
despite its current condition, and to trust in the power of a vision and process to carry it through — from
the first inkling to the finished space, without neglecting any detail.
How would you describe your team’s approach to a new project?
With every remodeling project we take on, we examine the original architecture of the home and overlay it
with the personality and lifestyle goals of our clients. We begin each project with an intensive planning phase to explore what inspires our clients, understand their pain points and vision for their space, and determine the feasibility and cost implications of the concepts we develop.
How did you get started in remodeling?
Growing up in a small town in eastern Iowa, my parents always had a home improvement project underfoot, so I was surrounded by construction and remodeling from a young age.
When my husband and I bought our first home in South Minneapolis, it needed a lot of work. We took on a few big projects with that property and really improved the value of the home. It was around this time that we were ready to start a family. We fell in love with the bones of a big 1950s rambler and set out on a mission to bring the property back to life, making it our family home. We carried out a complete overhaul, with me doing all the design and drafting work myself. I used the entry-level version of the same software that I still use today, Chief Architect Premier. I have a background in graphic design from my early career, so the transfer from one software to the next was pretty seamless.
What sets your company apart?
We are a woman-owned, women-led company that approaches home renovation and building with a design-driven process that respects the lived experiences of our clients — before, during, and long after their project is completed. We consider it an incredible honor to be entrusted with someone’s home, and care for it as though it were our own.
How do you bring a client’s vision to life?
Our client kickoff and inspiration session is a critical first step to help our team fast-track the sensibilities, risk tolerance, and lifestyle needs of each new client. Over the course of our planning and selection process, we utilize 3D renderings to help our clients envision their material selections in their actual space — a valuable feedback loop that gives them confidence and helps alleviate the stress of decision-making.
What are the most important elements of a successful remodeling team?
Renovation work is incredibly complex. The tools necessary to manage a remodel are not what you traditionally expect to belong in the contractor’s workshop. Specification software, for example, is used to organize item data, manage budget, procurement, tracking, and receiving. Project management software organizes the tradespeople and construction schedule and manages tasks and issues that need resolution. As you interview a prospective builder, ask them how they track and manage the more complex data that will keep your project on track.
What are some of your favorite trends and styles in remodeling?
Our team is comprised of many non-construction industry professionals from the fine dining and restaurant industry, with backgrounds in fine art and philosophy. We always aim to create spaces that are a true reflection of our homeowners’ sense of style, while pushing the envelope on what is “front of trend.”
Photo by K.E.A. Photography
