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.

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!

front living room: design in process

When you enter this new home, you are greeted by a front formal living room on the right and the formal dining room on the left.

This front living room will be highly used in this home. It’s where morning coffee, chatting with the neighbors, and general relaxing will happen. Large windows perpendicular to the fireplace look out to the street and let lots of sunshine in.

Let’s take a look at the progress so far…

This series of pictures shows the progress so far of the fireplace wall in the front living room.

Top picture: In August, the framing was complete and the windows were installed.

Second picture: A couple of weeks later the sheet rock was hung and the fireplace was installed. Also, you can see that the first coat of stain was put on the new wood floor.

Third picture: Late September/ early October the custom cabinetry arrived. In this picture you can see it as it’s being installed.

Bottom picture: Here we are at the end of November and the cabinets have been finished off in a soft white enamel. The iridescent glass tile, wood surround and mantle and stone hearth will finish off the fireplace.

The next step is paint on the wall!!

construction update: edina project

A couple more weeks have passed since our last project update . Check out the latest improvements on our project in Edina…

 

Top: Here is Izzy's bedroom earlier this summer before the windows went in. Bottom: This week her built in bookcases and bench were installed. What a great spot to sit and read!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top: The upstairs family room before the fireplace surround and bookcases. Bottom: Jeff is working on installing the custom bookcases and mantle.

 

 

 

Top: This shows the wonderful in floor heating system in the master bathroom. Bottom: This week the tile and cabinets are going in! It's going to be beautiful!

 

 

We’ll have more to come shortly…  This week granite is getting installed, paint will be started, the wood floor should get stained and much more.  

 

The family is looking forward to being able to move in around Thanksgiving!

mid-century mod color scheme

In an ode to Mid Century Modern design… here is a color scheme pulled from one of our past ASID Showcase house projects…

All paints are from the Benjamin Moore Classics collection:

HC- Willmington Tan

HC- 76 Davenport Tan

HC-49 Mayflower Red

Accent colors:

1666 In the Midnight Hour

076 Corlsbud Canyon

723 Spring Rain

Design tip: By adding splashes of color here and there, it gives your eye spots to rest on the neutrals. In this picture your eye can rest on the soft Willmington Tan background in the reading nook, or on the rich reddish-brown wood of the bookcase, while the pillows and back painted light blue glass give the little nook some pops of color and interest.

fall colors

Cooling temperatures means that it’s my favorite season of the year!

Fall!

I love it: I love the cool, sunny weather… being able to wear my boots…the wonderful smells of crispy leaves… AND the beautiful fall colors!

We perused one of our go-to showrooms at IMS, Francis King, for furniture, lighting, and accessories in the warm reds, oranges, and yellows of the season.  Here’s what we found to inspire you on how to bring these fall colors into your home this season and year round…

(1- Francis King Warehouse. 2- Currey & Co. 3- Somerset Bay. 4- Lee Industries. 5- Somerset bay. 6- Malibu Loft. 7- Lee Industries. 8- Currey & Co. 9- Somerset Bay. 10- Somerset Bay. 11- Somerset Bay. 12- Francis King Warehouse. 13- Lillian August.)

Happy fall!

on site: Mendota Heights remodel

We were recently out at a site visit to one of our remodeling projects in Mendota Heights. They have made it past the demo phase and are framing out the new rooms and spaces. Check out the progress!

From top to bottom:

• BEFORE: This picture shows the existing home, a farmhouse built in the early 1900s. In the living room, you can see the fireplace and the ceiling was in need a repair.
• DEMO: This was taken from the same spot as the top picture. The fireplace mantle is gone, as is the ceiling and walls – we are saving the amazing wood floor. It has peg and bow tie details in it! You can see the walls have been opened up to the new dining room beyond the living room.
• DEMO: This long shot is down the back hallway leading from back hall to the kitchen. The back door leads out to the back yard, pond, and pool.
• DEMO: This view is from the kitchen looking into the dining room. The dining room will have windows and doors on 3 sides with beautiful views out to the patios, pond and pool.
• DEMO: Here is a sneak peek through the existing foundation to where the new hallway to the lower level sport court will be. This is sure to be a room that gets lots of use during the long MN winters!

Stay tuned during the coming months as we finish completion!!! We’ll post pictures of our progress.

tip: use pillows for a pop of color

If you’re looking at your living room and thinking that it looks a little tired and needs a quick pick-me-up, we have the perfect solution for you… pillows!

Pillows are a great way to quickly change the look and feel of  your room or to add a pop of color where it’s needed.  They are easy to change in an out with the seasons and let’s face it, they are fun to shop for… all of the new colors, patterns, and textures… ooh! 

A tip for mixing and matching pillows: grab a couple in the same color family or that have colors that are repeated in a few. It’s good to make sure you have a variety of patterns: think maybe a stripe, an animal print or large floral, and a texture…  (And don’t forget to add in a solid velvet pillow or two – they are perfect for nap time on the sofa!)

(This is a collage of pillows from Anthropologie, CB2, Crate & Barrel, and West Elm. )

on site: Edina new construction

While we are knee-deep in selections this week, the construction crew at Fred Nordahl Construction is knee-deep in lumber!

 

One of our summer new-build projects is in full swing this month and this week we stopped out on the job site to snap a few pictures of the progress.

  

The new home from the end of the driveway. You can see the two garage stalls on the left, the large window in the dining room, and the two-story foyer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here you can see the crew hard at work. Andrew is lifting the plywood up to the second floor to be installed so the second floor walls can go in next.

Trusses in waiting. The roof trusses will go on after the second floor goes up at the end of this week.

View inside the kitchen. The large window by Holly is where the sink will be placed. This kitchen will feature wood floors, enamelled cabinets, and an eat-in table by the far window.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This will be the new home of a family of four and the matriarch of the family, DD. It features a main floor master suite for DD as well as a complete ADA bathroom and laundry room.  The second floor master suite is home to a free-standing cast iron tub and walk in closet. The kids each have their own rooms with walk in closets and built-in window seats as well as a ‘secret room’ in the lower level.

 

Stay tuned for pictures of this home’s progress as well as after shots when it’s finished!

color scheme: by the seaside

Let’s go down to the seaside…

This color scheme evokes the calm and serene feeling of being near the sea with its warm almost grey-almost violet walls, soft and gauzy fabric panels, and bright green paired with crisp white accents.

This palette is good for family rooms to create a calming effect in the hectic-ness that is our day-to-day life. Is also great for bedrooms for the same reason…  To create this look (first call us for a color consultation! 🙂 ) and then pair soft, nubby textures with hard ones like a fuzzy fern in a ceramic pot or a metal coffee table on a shaggy rug. 

It’s easy to imagine these fun, billowy window treatments blowing in the breeze on a day like today!

(the wall in this picture is Benjamin Moore’s Sweatshirt Grey paint 2126-40)