Castle Shores (Behind the Scenes!)
Waiting for the grass to turn green and the flowers to bloom here in Minnesota is a lot like watching paint dry. It’s always a roll of the dice as to when old man winter will loosen his grip and let our Spring blossom. I am so excited to share this stunning new build with you all. This special project is publish worthy, these homeowners pushed the envelope with every design detail, and the entire finished result is spectacular.
I’m beyond anxious to document this new construction in all her glory with pretty landscaping, fresh blooms and sunny skies. In the meantime, have a sneak peek and come behind the scenes with this talented team of pros as we bring this home to life.
I had the pleasure of working alongside the talented team from Streling Construction on this new construction. Streling has a deep bench of talent, they show up early, work hard, and they get dirty. Having their photo taken was not top of their punch list but they were troopers, and a lot of fun to work with. This custom staircase is the heart of this home and was welded and perfected by the talent behind Streling. The result is stunning!
You had me at hello, Cambria! Oh, the things that keep you up at night. These countertops were certainly one of them! I fell in love with the newly released Windsor Brass Satin Ridge in Cambria’s luxury collection and so did my homeowners. As Jay (homeowner) said, “this kitchen is a whole vibe!” It was Windsor or bust for this project and there was ‘A LOT’ of it being installed. I’ve worked side by side with Josh Steffl from Cambria many times before and honestly, I knew I could rest easy and Josh would handle the details. I’m a big Cambria fan! They do not disappoint, they are highly detailed, have gorgeous quartz, and we can’t wait to raise the curtain and reveal the grand finale on this kitchen in our next post.
A construction site isn’t often pretty during the building process, but these pros work hard and their product shows it. If you’ve worked with me, you know how much I love me some custom built-ins. I design with functional design worthy built-ins over pretty wall art any chance I get and Shawn and his team from SBC Woodworking embraced all these beautiful built-ins with determination and impeccable detail. I am certain I met with Shawn over 15-20 times to perfect stain tones, operation and details to bring the design vision to life and we couldn’t be more pleased with the final product.
The design concept I developed around the Donner family’s new construction was a simplistic modern aesthetic that embodied warm woods, natural elements and subtle textures. The fireplace alone was over 22’ high, applying a statement finish would be conflicting to the overall vision. I was determined to achieve a Roman Clay type of application but found it incredibly difficult to find a professional willing to complete this project on a scissor lift 22’ above concrete until I met Jonas Bakken from New London Painting. While Jonas is relatively new to the community, he has an extensive background of education in high-end finishes and over 20 years’ experience from the West Coast to the Midwest. Fun fact, Jonas was also featured on the Property Brothers TV show. Jonas pointed me in the direction of a Marmorino Palladino Travertine Application for the fireplace surround and needless to say, we are all simply obsessed.
Documenting all of the talent behind the scenes with this new build was an impossible task as there was quite an army moving about the job like busy bees. I also have to add that it never gets easy boarding a male-dominated build as the lone woman but I managed to depart this project with new friends and business allies. Win! I hope you enjoyed this sneak peek as this project and this sweet family have been a big part of my design work the past year. Stay tuned as we come back in a few weeks with the grand reveal! You won’t want to miss it!
“Building is not just about shelter. It’s about realizing dreams, making statements, and creating spaces where life happens.” — John “Architect” Aarons
Castle Shores is the new residential development located on Green Lake, Minnesota in Spicer that was once the home of the 123 year old historic Spicer Castle Inn and Restaurant.
Meet the Pros | Local Love
Construction + Contracting | Streling Construction
Custom Cabinetry | SBC Woodworking
Custom Plaster, Faux Finishing + Wallpaper | New London Painting
Electrician | Kings Electric
Flooring, Tile + Countertops | Floor to Ceiling
Fireplaces | Fireside Hearth and Home
Garage Doors | American Door Works
Photography | Brady Lindquist
Plumbing | Local Plumbing Pro
Quartz Countertops | Cambria