Spring has Sprung!
April 26, 2012
Last weekend my mom’s family gathered to provide a clean sweep of Grandma and Grandpa’s basement. Ranging in age from 1.5 to 87 years old, we picked up, cleared out, found treasures, bugged each other and also laughed; a lot. It was a great success and the old adage, “many hands makes light work,” was uttered more than once.
My grandma, Lucille, has been a source of inspiration since the birth of my first son, eleven years ago. Inadvertently, I started paying attention to the things she was cooking, what she was planting, calling her for recipe and laundry advice; often. Each time the season changes, as it’s been doing here in the Midwest for a month, I watch to see what she’s up to. Without knowing it, she puts rhythm into my calendar and it’s a wonderful, grounding, heart-happy thing.
In design, we look at color to inspire the seasonal shift. Pastels arrive, this year with neon mixed in, soft neutrals providing a base for these brighter shocks of color. When I try to combine what Grandma’s doing out in Stearns county with the latest on-trend happenings, I see a happy woman in a vintage shirt dress with neon rubber boots out in the garden. There’s mud on her boots, clean laundry on the clothesline and the grass is the most vivid shade of green!
If you’re itching for inspiration I recommend calling your Grandma, hopping on Pinterest -where I pin five inspiration images each morning- and visiting our 2012 ASID Showcase Home on Lake of the Isles. Let me know what inspires you! This year’s home is another example of how designers transform space, for the good of the house, its occupants and the earth. That’s right, you’ll see all kinds of environmentally-kind solutions. Like Grandma Lucille, the homeowners are avid gardners… in fact you’ll find them too, in the garden. See you at the house!
http://mspmag.com/Contests-Promotions/ASID/Home/
xo, hb
master bathroom project: in progress
March 19, 2012
One of our current projects is getting a new master suite… see pictures of the progress so far!
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.
condo kitchen remodel in minneapolis
March 9, 2012
Josh and Amy needed a little more pizzazz and a little more function out of their kitchen in their condo near the Chain of Lakes. They decided it was definitely time for some improvements while, during a dinner party, one of their cabinet doors fell completely off its hinges! They called on the help of hauthaus and cabinet-makers-extraordinaire Modern Design. We, along with Contractor Brad, transformed the dated and non-functioning space into a beautiful space that works well for the couple.
Changes we made:
- The half wall divider between the dining room and kitchen was removed to open up the spaces and to allow for a breakfast bar.
- The kitchen was completely gutted; we added in new bamboo flooring, dark stained Alder cabinets, granite counter tops, stacked stone back splash, new appliances, hardware and plumbing fixtures, and a new coat of paint to the walls and the ceiling.
- Adding new recessed cans and under cabinet lighting really improved the space by adding layers of light.
Now the space functions great for the couple, who like to entertain. Along with their kitchen we worked on their entry, living room, guest bathroom and master bathroom. more pictures to come, so stay tuned!
look what holly found!
March 6, 2012

Holly and her brother Jon... at about the age she was playing with her (very sophisticated) doll house!
Last night Holly found something special from one of her very first toys she can remember… an Eero Saarinen Tulip Table and Chair set from her first Fisher Price doll house!
It seemed she was destined for great design stardom from an early age…
How cute!
ch-ch-ch-changes
March 5, 2012
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…
oscar fashions reinterpreted by hauthaus
February 27, 2012
Did you watch the Oscars red carpet coverage last night? If you were like me, you were glued to the TV noting the disasters and the beautiful dresses. Today we are wondering… “what if Oscar dresses were light fixtures, what would they look like?” Well wonder no more… here is our take on some of the fashions…
Which fashions made your hits and misses lists?