River + Ranch Magazine - Volume 7: Issue 1 February/March 2024

THE REMODEL ISSUE

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1

Plainview FULL

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BEFORE

KEEPING BISMARCK/MANDAN

OUT OF THE 90’s SINCE 2013

2 RIVER + RANCH MAGAZINE | February - March 2024

Lori Malloy

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RIVER + RANCH MAGAZINE

RIVER + RANCH TEAM

Volume 7: Issue 1 River + Ranch Magazine is a collaborative effort to showcase the creativity and design of the West. The two publishers of Bismarck Magazine decided to embark on a new adventure and create a different magazine focusing on design, art, and western living.

Publishers

Hannah Haynes hannah@bismarck-magazine.com Caroline Crary caroline@bismarck-magazine.com

Layout Editor

Jenna Kluting

Copy Editor

Jennifer Kranz

Contributors

Maria Fleck

Cover Image

Melanie Sioux Photography

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River + Ranch Magazine Corporation, Copyright 2018 River + Ranch and riverandranchmagazine.com. All rights reserved. This periodical cannot be reproduced without the written permission of River + Ranch Magazine. River + Ranch Magazine will not be held responsible for any errors found in the magazine.

Bismarck Magazine Corporation accepts no liability for statements made by advertisers.

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Publisher/Co-Founder

Hannah Haynes

Publisher/Co-Founder

Caroline Crary

Jenna Kluting

Karel Sovak

Jennifer Kranz

Maria Fleck

Writer

Editor

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

14

Melanie Sioux Photography

Good Bones This issue is all about taking something well-loved and making it fresh and new. Hear from our builders, designers, and homeowners for your next remodeling inspo!

13 Pain View Design + Build 26 An Epic Remodel 38 Thoughtful Redesign 50 A DIY Update 64 Creative Wood

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M A KE RO O M FO R M O R E FIBT.com

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8 RIVER + RANCH MAGAZINE | February - March 2024

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LETTER

FROM THE PUBLISHERS Remodeling a house or any space can be overwhelming and always starts with questions: How can we rework the floor plan? Where do we stop? Where do we start? And of course…How much is this going to cost?

In the following pages you will find projects that range from simply one or two rooms to entire homes. See how these designers, subcontractors and homeowners find solutions to blend portions of the older home with a newer, fresh look and how some rooms get a facelift and others get a complete gut.

Find out how these projects can be done on a tight budget and others spend a little more to get their dream home. You will see Plain View Designs take on three separate remodel projects pertaining to a single space, each space capitalizing on what the homeowner already has and blending the old with the new.

Check out how Studio One Designs takes the tragedy of a house fire and brings a bright light into a complete home makeover… on a strict budget; turning a 1970s home into a modern, upscale dream.

This issue is filled with so much more! In the dead of winter maybe you are looking for a new project, big or small. Read through and get inspired by design and ambition, your next project could be on the next page.

Always a big thanks for being an avid reader of River + Ranch Magazine!

River + Ranch Magazine is a publication is a locally produced publication and collaborative effort to showcase the creativity and design of the West. River + Ranch is a home magazine dedicated to highlighting design, art and Western Living. Based in Bismarck, ND, but showcasing everything Westward. You can find River + Ranch Magazine at any local grocery store in Bismarck, Mandan, Minot, Dickinson, Williston, Watford City, Medora and smaller cities in between. Thank you for reading.

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PLAIN VIEW DESIGN + BUILD story by Maria Fleck

I

f there’s one thing Plain View Design + Build has become known for, it’s their unique approach to building and their wholehearted dedication to effective, functional designs. It doesn’t matter the style of home you want. Plain View can turn your dream

home into a reality even better than your dreams thanks to their expert team.

The team at Plain View has grown to include five people, each with a specific set of skills that contribute to the success of their designs, builds, and remodels. Tanner Reidman, partner and designer at Plain View, opened Plain View in 2013. Logan Hauff joined the team in 2020 as partner and project manager. Tanner’s wife, Erin Reidman, officially joined the team in 2021 as operations manager and 2022 saw the addition of two more team members, Travis Zachmann, site supervisor, and Kayla Cahoon, interior designer.

“We can design many different styles, but I think our bigger point is the team that we now have,” describes Tanner. “You’re with the same team the whole time and it’s a relationship that we establish. We have the ability to walk a client from design through the process making sure every step of the way they understand everything. We stick to schedules as best as we possibly can and the client’s overall budget. That is a huge part of what we do and often that gets overlooked.”

Each addition to the team, each change to their business, is with the goal of improving Plain View’s design and building process. Having an in-house interior designer like Kayla helps narrow down the selection process as she guides clients through the potentially overwhelming number of details. “Everything is turned around so much faster now because now the design phase is much more condensed,” describes Erin.

Another way Plain View has streamlined the process of building is by carrying their own cabinetry line, Cabinet Haus. “For us, projects, especially remodels, almost always involve some level of carpentry. We talk about servicing clients from the first sketch to final nail.

This allows us to control that aspect, do that design, control the timeline because now we’re making ourselves the number one priority. We’re not competing with other projects to make sure this thing is on time and we’re controlling every one of those details that’s going into it,” describes Logan.

Each of the remodels featured in this article used cabinetry from Cabinet Haus. It is especially important for remodels to have a streamlined process to move along the project as quickly as possible. “We’re really trying to control that process as much as possible for a remodel because it’s so invasive,” describes Logan. “There’s someone in your house for however long, so we start when we’re ready to finish, and we execute as quickly as possible.”

One more reason the Plain View approach to remodels is enjoyable for their clients is their ability to not only show them 2D design plans, but also to create a 3D model. Having these digital renderings and models helps clients visualize a space, make better decisions, and avoids costly realizations later down the road. Logan explains, “To make those decisions with a 3D model where we are flying people through their space well before they’ve spent money finding out ‘oh this isn’t what we were thinking,’ even the small details… It’s a lot easier, a lot more affordable to pivot and make those changes versus at framing when we’re in there and realize we need to change this. It helps us avoid a lot of those situations.”

It’s with this combination of technology, expert knowledge, and teamwork that Plain View is able to design and construct beautiful remodels, like the three featured in the next pages of our magazine.

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THE OAK FLIP photos by Dana Middleton Photography

“This is the standard Bismarck home of the 90s, early 2000s,” says Erin. The before pictures of this remodel show a typical Bismarck home’s kitchen with golden oak cabinets and a half wall. While the style may look fine, the design is not as practical as it could be. These classic golden oak cabinets are usually poor quality, and the half wall creates an awkward space that usually goes underutilized. The homeowners came to Plain View with the hopes they could make the space much more functional. The homeowners loved their home’s location and didn’t want to move. After meeting with Plain View, the homeowners realized there was an achievable, budget-friendly way to renovate their space into a place that functioned for them.

BEFORE

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BEFORE

To provide their clients with a refreshed, functional space, the team at Plain View took out the half wall and replaced the cabinets. “They were thinking white.

They liked white oak too, so we had a few different ideas and options originally,” describes Tanner.

When the homeowners realized white oak wouldn’t fit in their budget, they went with lower cost but still high-quality white cabinets. Then, Plain View got creative with the finishing details by adding cus-

RENDERING

tom-made white oak floating shelves to still get some of the white oak look in the home.

Plain View didn’t want to do “good enough” on the remodel. They also wanted to turn the kitchen into a space the homeowners loved. They worked hard to find affordable ways to stay faithful to the homeowner’s remodel dreams. The rounded kitchen island with acoustic paneling is one of these extra details. “We framed out that rounded edge, and then we matched it with the countertop,” explains Erin. “It was just a different finishing detail. It did add a little cost, but it was still within their budget. That acoustic paneling is just a material overlay over the framing.” These finishing details create a totally new space that takes the kitchen to the next level.

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AFTER

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MIDCENTURY RESTORATION photos by Dana Middleton Photography

These homeowners first came to Plain View with hopes of adding a Three-Season room. Then, they considered renovating their master bedroom and bathroom. But, after much discussion with the team at Plain View, the homeowners decided to go with a kitchen remodel.

BEFORE

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BEFORE Like many of the homes in the Highland Acres area, the house has a midcentury design and layout.

Preserving the character of the home was important to the team at Plain View. Everything they added or took out was in the style of a midcentury home. The home’s red brick is one of its most prominent features. “The red brick could scare some people and tempt them to change that,” says Erin. Instead, they took down the soffit, exposing more red brick. They also finished the beams, added large windows, and swapped out cabinetry. Instead of changing the kitchen, Plain View made it more itself. “This is more how it should’ve been originally,” says Tanner.

In addition to style, the kitchen remodel involved re-thinking function. During the renovations, the white cabinetry underneath the windows was removed. However, despite this, the homeowners ended up with more storage than they had before. The team at Plain View updated the pantry wall with more

RENDERING

functional and practical cabinetry. The large island also has increased storage space. These increased storage spaces look incredible with the bourbon walnut wood finish. As with everything, Plain View ensured that style and function work hand-in-hand.

AFTER

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MODERN BATHROOM photos by Noctem Photography

When the current owners moved into this home, they quickly realized the layout of the bathroom wasn’t functional for their lifestyle.

In addition to wasted space and a lack of counter space, the tile in the oversized shower was buckling and coming up. Since replacing the shower tile was already a large and expensive project, the homeowners figured they might as well remodel the rest of the space to make it accommodate their lifestyles. “They knew it was a huge investment, so they didn’t want to skimp on it,” says Erin.

BEFORE

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BEFORE

The most important thing to the homeowners was making the space feel comfortable and luxurious.

“They wanted it to feel like a retreat. When they came home, they’d have somewhere to can relax,” describes Tanner. “[Before,] it was a huge bathroom, and it just had one big shower. It was cold. There wasn’t a tub.

RENDERING

They didn’t like the vanity setup… it was designed for someone else.” Without changing the footage of the bathroom, Plain View and their team added in a fireplace, a washer and dryer, a tub, and a makeup vanity.

To make the space warmer, they also dropped down the ceiling and added heated floors. And, as usual, Plain View made sure they had functional cabinetry to increase storage.

The bathroom underwent a complete transformation.

It went from cold and dysfunctional to warm, functional, and fun. “It’s definitely the homeowner’s style in terms of the colors, the wallpaper, etc,” says Erin.

With the help of Plain View, the homeowners designed a space personalized to their wants and needs.

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AFTER

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Jamestown Rem

AN EPIC REMODEL photos by Melanie Sioux Photography | story by Maria Fleck 26 RIVER + RANCH MAGAZINE | February - March 2024

Greg Meidinger Aspire Homes

model /Jeanne

T

he homeowners of this featured home first approached Epic Homes about a remodel because they wanted to add a pool to well-designed backyard living space. However, the homeowners realized they had other areas of the home they wanted to improve. As a larger family who enjoys hosting, having

additional space was crucial to them for a functional living space. “The main issue with their existing house was simply the kitchen, dining, and living rooms were too small. They didn’t have a lot of gathering space,” describes Parker Pladson, owner of Epic Homes. To create a more functional living space, the homeowners enlisted the help of Epic Homes.

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Over the course of the remodel, Epic Homes added 3,000 square feet of living space. This new square footage includes a playroom/sunroom, a living space, a new kitchen, and a new dining room upstairs, as well as a larger bar, a movie theater room, a workout room, and bathroom downstairs. Despite the large scale of the remodel, the original aspects of the home blend beautifully with the new aspects. This is largely due to the expert help of Jean Holwagner, owner of J Marie Design.

BEFORE

“IT MAKES A MUCH MORE SEAMLESS PROCESS WHEN YOU HAVE AN INTERIOR DESIGNER WHO YOU HAVE REPERTOIRE BUILT UP WITH ALREADY,” SAYS PARKER.

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Jean Holwagner does the majority of Epic Home’s interior design and is usually involved in the projects from the very beginning. “My role is different than a typical interior designer because I do work from construction phase all the way through making all the hard selections as compared to not as much of the fluff like pillows and décor,” explains Jean. Working hand-in-hand with an interior designer throughout a complicated and long process like a remodel makes it run smoother.

“It makes a much more seamless process when you have an interior designer who you have repertoire built up with already,” says Parker. A good interior designer also ensures the seamless transition between the home’s addition and original areas.

The home’s bold, dramatic style can be described as upscale classic, the homeowner’s personal style. “Clean, neutral finishes, great textures, pattern in the flooring,” says Jean. The inspiration piece for much of the design choices comes from the stunning island in the kitchen. The island is a mitered waterfall quartz countertop. “I can’t tell you how many meetings we had just about this one feature,” jokes Parker. “It took a lot but it turned out fantastic.” The rest of the open living space takes its inspiration from this focal piece, blending together a simple BEFORE

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“IT’S A UNIQUE CHALLENGE AND A UNIQUE DESIGN. IT MAKES YOU THINK IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN CREATING A NEW CONSTRUCTION”

Jamestown Remodel /Jeanne

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color palette with unique textures. “It’s a blend of textures, creating interest in a simple color palette but in creating the different textures that create interest, like the brick on the fireplace, the limestone on the great room fireplace, the herringbone in the oak floors, so just the combination of textures and subtlety in colors with black as our pop, our accent,” describes Jean. The same colors and textures are used repetitively throughout the house, in different ways to create uniqueness within uniformity.

Jean is an expert at creating this uniformity and helping guide her clients through what can be an overwhelming process. “I think the service that a really, really good interior designer like Jean provides and the influence she has on a project is that when you walk in, everything just flows,” says Parker. “There’s not one part that’s like okay I like that but it doesn’t fit with the rest of the project. I think that’s what a really good interior designer does.” A good designer understands the flow of the house and knows how to make design seamless throughout. “Those one offs can sometimes really throw you, so using materials receptively, using the black accents repetitively, creates uniformity in the space,” says Jean.

While remodels are a unique challenge due to their limitations as compared to a new build, Parker and Jean enjoy the creativity required of them when designing one. “It’s a unique challenge and a unique design. It makes you think in a different way than creating a new construction,” describes Jean. The large scope of the remodel can also add an additional challenge, but the intentional design by Jean and Parker ensured the spaces still feel welcoming. “We added 3,000 square feet of living space, but it doesn’t feel giant. It’s a big house and there’s a lot of living space, but it doesn’t feel huge. It still has that cozy feel,” says Parker. “It turned out great,” says Parker. “It was a lot of work, but definitely worth the end-result of the design.”

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THOUGHTFUL REDESIGN photos by Melanie Sioux Photography | story by Maria Fleck

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Greg Meidinger Aspire Homes

S

ometimes the greatest challenges for a designer become the catalyst for their success. Shannon Koski, owner and designer of Studio One Designs, was referred to this family because their home had

been destroyed by a fire. This meant that not only did the homeowners not want to undergo a renovation, but also that the remodel’s budget came from insurance. “I had never worked with insurance to this degree before, so it was an interesting process because anything that insurance gives you sometimes isn’t even what things cost,” explains Shannon. www.riverandranchmagazine.com

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BEFORE

“So not only was there a budget, it was harder than that in a way.”

However, Shannon remained optimistic. “Budgets are good for a designer because they make us more creative,” she explains. Shannon was also working under a tight timeline as the family lived in a hotel during the remodel. However, Shannon took these complications in stride, designing a beautiful remodel for this family.

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Because she knew how difficult this remodel was for her clients, Shannon worked tirelessly to ensure they ended up with a home they loved within their strict budget. “This was really a passion project for me because I fell in love with that family, and I needed it to be better than they imagined coming from what they had,” describes Shannon. The home, originally built in the 1970s, had to be stripped down to the studs before the remodel could begin due to the damage caused by the fire. Extensive renovations also needed to be done to the exterior. Due to the extensive nature of the remodel, Shannon really had to approach it like a new build.

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Shannons Remodel BEFORE

While the home underwent a complete renovation, it was important to the homeowner to preserve the midcentury style, and Shannon was right there with her. “I love the character of those old houses, the vault in the ceiling and the little den room with all the natural light in it, all those details,” says Shannon. “We don’t always do that now, so this was for me so great to work with because the character in those houses is so cool. You can’t replicate that. It had the right bones. We just had to put it together.” However, to make the house function better, Shannon did modernize some parts of the home, like adding a new kitchen island, a new sitting room, and knocking down a few walls to open up the space.

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“WE REALLY GOT CLOSE. I ENJOYED WORKING WITH THE HOMEOWNER AND HER FAMILY SO MUCH. IT TURNED OUT TO BE ONE OF MY FAVORITE HOUSES, AND THEY DESERVE IT.”

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The home also has a balance between light and dark accents. “She wanted darker doors, darker trim, wood cabinets, dark stone,” describes Shannon. “She wanted other parts really light and bright.

She liked the lodge feel which it really turned out like. There’s lots of wood.” Looking at the cohesiveness of the home’s design and style, you would never expect that the design was so budget conscious. “I think it completely demonstrates the fact that if it’s done right, it doesn’t matter the budget,” says Shannon.

Shannon’s years of experience in the interior design world made her invaluable in the process of balancing budget with style. She knew where to spend extra money and where they did not need to. “I might say we need the detail here but not there, let’s save the money here,” describes Shannon. She also always knew how to get the most bang for her buck. “I would say these are the best-looking blinds for the best price we are going to get,” explains Shannon,” or cabinet-wise, I know these are the best price range, so if we do these everywhere, and we put the wood just right here, we will meet your budget.”

Having someone like Shannon on your side makes any design process undeniably easier. She makes it her job to know the design market so you don’t need to worry. “I know the new products. I know what they cost, so I know when a carpet that is a $1.50 a square foot looks good.

How would my clients know the new products?” says Shannon.

Because of her passion for the family whose lives were upended when their home was destroyed, Shannon says this was one of her most rewarding projects to work on. “We really got close. I enjoyed working with the homeowner and her family so much. It turned out to be one of my favorite houses, and they deserve it.”

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Cra

A DIY UPDATE

photos by Melanie Sioux Photography | story by Maria Fleck 50 RIVER + RANCH MAGAZINE | February - March 2024

arBnb

W

hen the homeowners first walked through this home, it was clear to them that it was going to require a lot of hard work to get the house back into shape. On top of outdated appliances and decor, the home’s neglect had caused some of the mechanical systems to fall into disrepair and

extensive mold problems to develop. “Everywhere you went there was a problem,” describes the homeowner.

“The plumbing bill was the highest plumbing bill I’ve ever paid because once we opened plumbing up, a lot of it was not going to function. Everything was leaking and dripping. We ended up turning the water off for nine months because everything was dripping.” However, the homeowners were able to see past the problems to the reasons this home used to be one of the nicest homes in Bismarck. “It’s a cool house, and you can tell it was built well,” they explain. “It has a lot of character of a midcentury modern house.” www.riverandranchmagazine.com

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BEFORE

Even without all the major issues, due to its size alone, the remodel was a massive undertaking. The home sits at 3,500 square feet, two stories, five beds, and three baths. Thankfully, many of the major functional pieces had been recently replaced by the seller, including the windows, roof, siding, furnace, and water heater. So, besides the plumbing, most of the work on the home was cosmetic. Before the homeowners could start making these changes, they first had to tear out everything, leaving the walls but not much else. They were even forced to rip out and replace sheet rock 52 RIVER + RANCH MAGAZINE | February - March 2024

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in all the bathrooms due to mold. “It’s hard to describe the sheer volume of material that was taken out the house,” says the homeowner. “We should’ve been keeping track of how many times we went to the dump and how many tons we dumped.”

BEFORE

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BEFORE

The mold was a consistent problem throughout the house, forcing a much more extensive remodel than they were hoping for. “I didn’t realize how big the house was, how much material needed to come out of it, and what was behind that material. We found a lot of drywall issues, mold, and old water damage,” explains the homeowner. What was initially going to be a remodel in the $40,000-$50,000 range turned into one closer to $60,000. “We’ve done house flipping before, but this was by far our most extreme situation,” the homeowner explains.

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While the home’s state of disrepair and neglect forced them to complete extensive renovations, the homeowners valued the home’s midcentury character and wanted to bring the home back to its former glory. “These homes on Divide were THE houses back in the day because they overlooked all of Bismarck,” explains the homeowner, “and this was the top of Bismarck here on Divide.” The homeowners said that as they worked to renovate the home, they recognized several high-end finishes, such as built-ins, doors with grass cloth wallpaper, hardwood louvered doors, and light-up stairs.

“This house had all the bells and whistles,” says the homeowner. “You can tell that it was THE house back when it was built.” Every room in the house had wallpaper in it, except one. “I think that speaks to the era of the home,” says the homeowner. “Even the kitchen cabinets had wallpaper on them… Everything matched, everything was done.”

To preserve the home’s character, the new homeowners left many of the home’s defining characteristics like the built-ins, cast iron sink and tub, and louvered doors while decorating in the style of a midcentury home. They put wallpaper back up in the dining room, laundry room, and half bath. When flooring the laundry room and bathrooms, they used hexagonal tiling. They used gold fixtures and accents, circular light fixtures, and put in floating vanities. The home is now a testament to its time period and an example of what restoration can do for a home when done by the right people. While the sheer amount of work that went into the remodel was overwhelming, the homeowners’ perseverance and vision enabled them to save a historic Bismarck home that likely would have otherwise fallen into ruin.

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“THIS HOUSE HAD ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES,” SAYS THE HOMEOWNER. “YOU CAN TELL THAT IT WAS THE HOUSE BACK WHEN IT WAS BUILT.”

Shannons Rem

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model

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Creative Wood Designs

story by Maria Fleck photos by Melanie Sioux Photography

Remodels are usually the most cost-

the remodel from getting out of control

feels open and bright. “I love the new

the other parts of the home while still

effective option when you realize your

was essential, so the team at Creative

layout with the fridge on its own wall,

elevating them. Creative Wood’s team

home no longer fits your lifestyle.

Wood Designs got innovative to ensure a

and just the openness it brings to the

made sure to choose complementary

However, remodels are infamous for

seamless kitchen remodel.

space... It’s so bright and it doesn’t look

colors, patterns, and materials. “[If]

cluttered. I always wanted it to be like

you want to limit the scope of the

this,” describes the homeowner.

remodel, try picking out something that’s

growing into larger projects as you realize how hard it can be to merge the

Before renovations, the kitchen had

new renovations with the pre-existing

mission-style oak cabinets, previously

areas of your home. For the homeowners

remodeled in the early 2000s. The space

However, the most impressive part of the

design style that you want,” explains

of this remodel, keeping “the creep” of

felt dark and cluttered. Now the space

remodel is how perfectly it fits in with

Mike Ness, owner of Creative Wood

64 RIVER + RANCH MAGAZINE | February - March 2024

complementary and still moving in the

BEFORE Designs. For example, Creative Wood Designs chose a darker stain for the island. This helped create continuity with the rest of the home and to pull out pops of other wood tones from the baseboards to the hand railing on the staircase.

Remodels are all about compromise. That doesn’t mean you can’t have your dream kitchen, but rather that you need to carefully plan what you are willing to pay for. “How far are you willing to go to get that look of your inspiration photo? If you’re willing to go the whole way, then great, but if you’re not, then you have to bridge the old and the new and make it jive,” explains Danielle Kemmesat, draftsmen and design consultant at Creative Wood Designs. And Creative did an impressive job of managing both their client’s hopes and their budget. “Creative Wood listened to us,” describes the homeowner. “They helped us design exactly what we wanted. It was great.”

@creativewooddesignsnd www.riverandranchmagazine.com

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