master bathroom project: in progress

One of our current projects is getting a new master suite… see pictures of the progress so far!

Progress shots of the master bathroom.

a. This picture shows the toilet room floor. We used a 12″ x 24″ tile with a glass mosaic as an accent on the floor.

b.The master walk-in shower features a waterfall of mosaic tiles in shades of watery blues, earthy greens, crisp whites, and soft browns. It adds a nice detail to the shower wall while giving us a chance to put some interest and color on the wall.

c. Here, you can see the beginnings of the custom, curved edge vanity. The cabinet will be finished with enamel and entire back wall and side walls will get mirror applied to them.

d. This is a sweet little ‘beauty’ shot of the vanity up close. The curves add a nice feminine touch to the bathroom. This will be the perfect place to sit to enjoy coffee and get ready for the day, or to unwind in the evening.

color inspiration from Pantone’s 2012 trends

Taking more inspiration from Pantone’s prediction of the hot color trends for spring 2012, we’ve showcased two more color combos on the blog today. Take a look…

The first scheme features a daring Ikat fabric from Schumacher that features navy, margarita, tangerine, and grape. Along with this fabric, there is a white Tulip chair with green cushion from Design Within Reach, a tangerine glass pendant from Francis King, and a blue console table from Room and Board.

Our second color combo is also a bold one! This graphic print from KDR showcases tangerine, marigold, grape, hot pink, margarita, navy, bright blue, and sandy taupe. Furnishings that go along with this color scheme include a painted cabinet from KDR, a ceramic based lamp from Crate and Barrel, and a stylish blue chair from Blu Dot.

Would you use either of these color schemes in your home? If so, which room?

ch-ch-ch-changes

Changes are a-happening outside and we don’t mean with the weather!

Exterior changes have been taking place at our Mendota Heights project. We have snapped some pictures of the progress so far…

Below, the top pictures shows the existing exterior in December 2010 when we came to the project. The front door is currently hard to distinguish, so we wanted to redesign the front of the house to make it feel more balanced and more pronounced.

The middle picture shows the progress shot from April last year with the trees in full leaves; you can see a shoot was placed in the upper floor window to make removing the debris easier.

The bottom picture was snapped last week (before the snow!). You can see the new front of the house taking shape.  The screens from the loggia are removed and one of the arches was brought forward to make the front door stand out. The windows on the second floor were repositioned to be centered over the front door.  And all the way on the left side of the picture, you can see the second garage stall that was added.

We’re expecting the full remodel to be completed this spring!

Stay tuned for updates as we snap pictures of the interior…

project update; rathskeller progress

What are you doing with your Leap Day today?

If you had your very own rathskeller, you might think of spending the day down there cuddled on a comfy sofa with a blanket and a pint and perhaps a movie! A ‘rathskeller’ is the German word for a bar or restaurant located in a basement or lower level… well we are in the midst of designing and building one of these delightful in-home pubs for some of our lovely clients!

Take a look at some of the progress…

It all started with an idea, and then a drawing... here our drawing shows the wall of the stairs and the door to the wine cellar. It shows horizontal plank paneling along with a custom built-in tufted bench.

Here the guys are working on the ax-hewn posts that will find their new home as support posts in the family's new lower level rathskeller.

Top: Ax-hewn posts in waiting. Middle: A close up 'beauty shot' of the aged and labored wood. Bottom: One of the posts installed under the barrel vault with a peek-a-boo shot into the wine cellar.

In progress! The space is on its way to be something spectacular!

ways to dress your windows

Have you ever wondered how you can dress your large, two-story windows? There are a couple different ways to do it. We have seen our share of window challenges over the past 10 years…

Here are some of the solutions we have come up with…

These tall windows are dressed with flowy sheer panels. We added a detail of shell trim towards the top to bring your eye up. The family wanted privacy but wanted light to still be able to filter through so we selected this subtle striped trevira sheer - it's beautiful AND durable to stand the beating sun.

This large two story hearth room needed some privacy and sophistication. We designed silk panels that open in the center, so the clients can take advantage of the great views. By bringing the panels down to the second tier of windows it makes the room seem more cozy. Since the fabric is silk, we had the panels interlined so the silk fibers will be protected.

In this large two story living room, the client wanted a way to soften the windows and still have privacy. We designed and installed four stationary panels on a long rod along with some honeycomb Hunter Douglas shades. By mounting the rod under the 1st set of windows, we brought the visual ceiling of the space down to make the tall space seem more cozy. The stationary panels feature an exotic pattern to bring in some attitude.

Pantone’s spring 2012 color trends

Welcome to our analysis of Pantone’s color trends for spring, 2012.

We’ve taken the colors that Pantone picked to be hot this spring and matched them up with new fabrics and furnishings to show you how you can incorporate these new colors into your home.

The first color scheme features pinks, blues and neutrals.

The items from this color scheme can be found at: fabric at Schumacher showroom at IMS, blue table and pink vanity at KDR Showroom at IMS, and blue chair at Room and Board.
The second color scheme picked from the spring colors features the new color of the season, Tangerine Tango, along with olive, grape and navy.

The Items from this color scheme can be found at: fabric at Schumacher showroom at IMS, chair from Design Within Reach, lamp from Francis King at IMS, blue chest from KDR Showrooms at IMS.

 

More color examples to come…

home goods; valentine’s day style

It’s Valentine’s Day.  The roses, chocolate, and handmade poems are in full swing, it’s true. Here are some lighting, furniture, accessories, and more pulled together with this day of love in mind.  These pieces could add a splash of color (and love) to your home everyday!

1. Fuchsia chandelier from Francis King; 2. Kissing Giraffes Rug from Jonathan Adler; 3. Red lacquer bench from Bolier; 4. Mr. & Mrs. Salt and Pepper shakers from Jonathan Adler; 5. Red painted chest from Francis King; 6. Magenta pendant from Francis King; 7. Poppies floral tile mosaic from BonTon Tile at Rubble Tile; 8. Red cocktail table from Francis King; 9. Pink indoor/ outdoor stackable chair from Rich Rosenberg; 10. Flamingo writing desk from KDR Showrooms.

tips for your home office

These tips are good to keep in mind for your desk in your home office or even your desk at work. They are tips and guides from the principles of feng shui. Over many, many years fen shui has helped to create balance and restore creativity, wealth, relationships and more.

Use these tips and guides to re-engergize your workspace:

• Sit in your chair and look at your desk. What do you see? The objects that you see should be inspiring and not cluttering. The top of your desk is the key to your creativity.
• De-clutter; if pictures of family and friends inspire you take one picture and set it on your desk. You can rotate it out with others, but multiple pictures on your desk can cause distractions instead of inspirations.
• Instead of piling things; file things! This might be easier said than done, but filed items are out of your way and they clear space on your desk and your mind.
• Look at your desk through the eyes of a special client. Have only purposeful and inspiring objects on your desk that speak to you and to the people that will meet you at your office.

Pay attention to the wealth corner of your desk. Take a look at the feng shui map above. All spaces in feng shui are set up and managed according to this map. It applies to whole houses, to rooms, even to pieces of furniture. If you're sitting at your desk; the top left corner would be your wealth corner. Make sure to put purposeful things in each section. For example; you wouldn't want an old plant or dirty coffee cups cluttering up your wealth corner.

what style is closest to yours?

Which of these four former hauthaus designs is closest to your own personal design style?

Take the poll and share your comments with us below!

2012 City of Lakes Loppet

Wondering what to do this weekend?  Getting outside and enjoying this unseasonably warm weather is just the ticket! Visit the City of Lakes Loppet!

The Loppet is held every year, but this year, due to the non-Minnesotan weather we’ve been having, it will take place completely in Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis. Every other year, there are festivities in Uptown as well, but the ice is too unstable.

There is lots to do – fun for the whole family!

Saturday, February 4th 9am – 11pm

Some of the MOA’s Family Day events include; snow sculpture contest, The Penn Cycle Loppet, Skijorling Loppet, the super carnival, sprints and the Luminary Loppet and it’s after party. For a detailed event page click here.

Sunday, February 5th 7:30am – 4pm

Some of the Sunday events include; Hoigaard Classic, Freestyle Loppet, Skijorling Championship, and the carnival.

There are many participants in the snow sculpture contest each year. It is fun to walk down the ally of snow art.

Each day, the Surly Beer and Vendor Village is open, serving up hot treats, cold beers, and more!

The most events are free to attend and watch. For detailed parking rules click here; and note that there will be a shuttle every 10 minutes from the Mortenson Construction parking lot. Biking and walking to the event are highly encouraged!

And last by not least, all visitors of the Loppet can enjoy free snow tubing at the park. Kids under 5 should be accompanied by an adult.

For more information about the event, visit their website at: www.cityoflakesloppet.com

Remember to bundle up!