THE REMODEL ISSUE
Story Inside on Page 58
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RIVER + RANCH MAGAZINE volume 5: Issue 1
RIVER + RANCH TEAM
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
Publisher/Co-Founder
Caroline Crary
Publisher/Co-Founder
Jenna Kluting Layout Editor
Jenna Kluting
Copy Editor
Jennifer Kranz
Contributors
Maria Fleck Jennifer Kranz
Cover Image
NewAge Creative
Advertising
Hannah Haynes
Caroline Crary caroline@bismarck-magazine.com
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.
Karel Sovak Writer
Jennifer Kranz Editor
Maria Fleck Intern
Don’t be Afraid, Embrace Custom!
701.220.7884 | redfordsignaturehomes.com
Helping build the community you call home for over 40 years.
Mark Barstad | barstadbuilders@gmail.com 701-774-8465 | 2301 North Main Ct. Williston, ND
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5
TABLE OF CONTENTS
12
58 Home Away from Home
Real-Life Renovations
60 Make it Minimal
Join us on a tour through four local homes that have had beautiful facelifts.
Newage Creative
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stop searching for your oasis... let us create it
BE INSPIRED. DARE TO ASPIRE. www.daretoaspirend.com
701.400.4010 | next2naturend.com
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Stairways • Beams • Mantels • Rustic Lumber
GENERAL CONTRACTING | REMODELING | NEW CONSTRUCTION DESIGN | SALES | INSTALLS
INTERIORFINISHANDREMODEL.COM
701.955.8670 701.955.4454 Interiorfinishandremodel@gmail.com
1903 Morrison Ave. Bismarck, ND
•
701.258.5201
Please visit our website stair photo gallery at www.roughriderhardwoods.com
LETTER
FROM THE PUBLISHERS Happy New Year River and Ranch readers. We are excited to start year five of publishing with you. This year is filled with fun remodels, iconic homes, stunning condos and unique rooms. Be sure to follow along with us on year five either reading online or picking up a physical copy at any local grocery store across the western side of the state! As we enter into the new year we find ourselves wanting to start fresh. We set new goals, and start to refresh. The same goes for our homes. The bones can be great, but it may just need a facelift. As you read through this issue you will see how a family fell in love with the property of a house and completely transformed their home by taking an entire wing off the home and reconstructing the layout. Check out our sneak peak into the iconic Clairmont home on the hill in Bismarck. Read the incredible history behind the home and see how modern and ahead of its time this 1970s beauty was. Also see the plans for the new homeowners and how they will be keeping the integrity of the home with a little bit of updates. If you’re into organizing, and think you need some help, Erin Reidman with Essential Haus is going to change your whole outlook on “organizing.” See how she takes the minimalism approach to refreshing your rooms. Enjoy the issue as you compare and contrast changes made with all the before and after photos!
*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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Clairmont Haus
Plain View Design + Build has taken on a project of a lifetime, taking the Clairmont home into this century while maintaining its uniqueness and originality.
S T O R Y : J E N N I F E R K R A N Z | P H O T O S S U B M I T T E D B Y C H R I S T I N E R I V I N I U S , G O L D S T O N E R E A LT Y | R E N D E R I N G S : P L A I N V I E W D E S I G N + B U I L D
MID-CENTURY MARVEL Hidden on top of a butte in northwest Bismarck is a
“It’s an interesting house,” says Tanner Reidman, owner
home known by many as the Clairmont House. The
and project designer at Plain View, of the house on
mid-century masterpiece was built by notable local
Santa Gertrudus. “It’s probably one of the coolest sites
William Clairmont in the late 1970s and enjoyed by
in Bismarck. There’s not another lot or place that’s as
his family and friends for over 40 years. With special
interesting.”
considerations given to sight lines and the expansive valley views, William’s vision for his home was far
William Clairmont was a property developer and
ahead of its time. Sold in August of 2021 the home
worked in commercial construction. His company,
will be enjoyed by a new family and is currently being
William Clairmont, Inc developed land throughout
remodeled by Plain View Design + Build.
the region. In 1978 William founded Country West Real Estate and began buying and developing land
in Bismarck. Of all the land and real estate that William was exposed to through his businesses, he chose this incredible piece of property to build his home. “It’s almost 5 acres so it’s a huge property. Part of the reason its tucked away is the tree growth over the years. It’s a mid-century gem tucked away with unique materials, locally sourced granite and tons of red wood,” explains Logan Hauff, partner at Plain View. William enjoyed entertaining and the Clairmont home reflects that. A welcoming entrance, wide hallways, and expansive rooms created a haven for both friends and family to enjoy. Patricia, William’s wife, loved playing the piano and her grand piano sat in the great room. The acoustics of the home are such that you could hear Patricia playing from almost anywhere in the home. Now the Clairmont house will become a young family’s home. This history and the mid-century design of the Clairmont house are what first attracted the new buyers. It was important to both the Clairmont family and the new buyers that the integrity and character of the house be maintained. The team at Plain View is more than happy to make sure that happens.
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Choose a Designer & Custom Home Builder You Can Trust 701-516-4386 | prestigend.com
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Originally drawn up by Edina, MN architect Lloyd Jafvert, the Clairmont house is a wonder, and the make-up of the 6,700 square foot home is incredibly sound. “One of the coolest things when we first had the opportunity to look at the project it was like oh man this is an insane house, there’s a ton of stuff going on, but to basically draw this up and come up with a plan would have been a huge undertaking. Thankfully they had all the original architectural drawings, structural and everything,” Tanner explains. Because of the drawings, Tanner and Logan had a good head start on planning the remodel. “They’re original hand drawn documents and
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“
I have full confidence that when they’re done this will be one of the most spectacular houses in our city.”
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have every detail,” Logan explains. “It saved us. So many times, with a remodel you have no idea what you’re opening up as far as what’s behind some of the stuff and we only had a couple surprises.” The Plain View team has been involved since the new homeowners, who currently live out of state, saw the house for sale online. “They had the right mentality from the beginning of like alright how can we approach this together and have your understanding, so we know what we’re getting ourselves into. It was helpful for them and exciting for us,” Logan explains. After posting some photos of demo on social media, Logan and Tanner want to make sure that people know they have worked with the new homeowners on a design that will stay true to the original character and integrity of the Clairmont house. Because of some deferred maintenance and layout changes to the kitchen and primary suite, some demo and updating needed to be done. “We massively improved the flow of the dining room, living room, and kitchen by opening that up and the structural changes, but other than that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to really change the character of the house,” Tanner says. Realtor Christine Rivinius of Goldstone
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Realty was the listing agent for this incredible property. “I have full confidence that when they’re done this will be one of the most spectacular houses in our city. And I have to say being a part of it that makes me really happy, and I know it made the family happy, too.” Join us back here for the full reveal of the extraordinarily updated Clairmont house in our October issue.
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Robust Renovation Tobias Marman removed hundreds of square feet from a home with multiple mismatched additions to bring it back to a better flowing and functional home.
S T O R Y : M A R I A F L E C K | P H O T O S : N E WA G E C R E AT I V E
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Worth the Challenges Set between two evergreens and overlooking a
The homeowners met with the team at Tobias Marman
creek, this bold home somehow both stands out
construction to figure out how they could renovate
and fits in with its surroundings. Bought in early
their new home. After much planning, debate, and
2020, the homeowners were immediately sold on
about 13 drafts, demo began in May of 2020. The plan
the house because of its property. “We were like, we
was to reduce the 8,000 square foot home down to
love this place, before we even went in,” explains the
5,000 square feet. “Bigger isn’t always better. Especially
homeowner. However, the inside was not as appealing
in this case. Their new layout works so much better
as the outside, and soon the homeowners realized
for them as a family of six,” explains Lindsey Ashley,
major renovations would be needed.
project manager at Tobias Marman Construction.
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As the renovations began, larger structural issues came to light, and at one point, there was even talk of tearing down and starting from scratch. Instead, the homeowners decided to move forward on a much larger renovation than they previously anticipated. While going back and forth on certain drafts, one thing remained constant throughout the process. “The sunroom is the best part of the house, so everything that we tried to design was kind of like trying to keep that room,” tells the homeowner. Renovations are inherently challenging, but they also have the potential for truly unique results. Tobias Marman, owner of Tobias Marman Construction, explains, “The cool
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Clean Lines. Space-Saving. Discreet. Did you leave your garage door open? Receive alerts from your garage door opener through the MyQ app that comes standard on all LiftMaster openers we sell. 701-223-7664 • www.MidwestDoors.com • Bismarck, ND
NEW CONSTRUCTION • RENOVATIONS • CUSTOM CARPENTRY • IN-HOUSE DESIGN Jordan Anderson • 701.391.0290 • bisbuilder@yahoo.com •
www.bigriverbuildersnd.com
B E FORE
thing about that house… is we wouldn’t have had that same footprint, feel, or look, if we had just gone new. So that house had two sunken living rooms, it had this weird sunroom on the second floor that overlooked the golf course valley, and had we started from scratch, we would have never put in a sunken living room. We would never have put in a sunroom on the second floor. Sometimes those design limitations can actually become the best part of the house. They can force it to be way better than what it ever could be.” Other examples are the vaulted ceilings in the master bedrooms and girls’ room which had been a train room. Without the previous owner’s interest in trains,
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“
The cool thing about that house… is we wouldn’t have had that same footprint, feel, or look, if we had just gone new”
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these rooms would never have been built with vaulted ceilings. Some challenges, however, that were simply that, challenges, included not truly knowing what was behind the walls until they were down. “When you open up all the walls, it’s funny what you find,” tells the homeowner. “Like on this wing, when we had gutted it, there was something that had at one point been living in the wall. Not like by a vent, but between two studs behind sheet rock… it had to be at least the size of a squirrel… There were baby toys back there, like it had retrieved stuff to make a nest. It was the most bizarre thing ever.”
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Another challenge was dealing with the poorly-done past renovations which resulted in many of the home’s structural inefficiencies. The home had undergone what seemed like four additions, and with each addition came another HVAC system, so by the time the current homeowners bought the home, it had about four furnaces. When the homeowners were finally able to move in, it had been well over a year since they had initially purchased the home. One of the easiest parts of the renovation was the homeowner’s clear sense of style. “[The homeowner] always started out with a good vision. She definitely knows what she likes which was so helpful going through all this,” explains Nataly Anderson, an interior decorator and drafter for Tobias Marman Construction. The home’s dark exterior is indicative of the homeowner’s personal style.
RE N DE RI NG
Her personal taste leans towards blacks, whites, golds, and natural woods. “I think more and more people are realizing if you like gold, just do it. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong with decor, finishes, anything like that,” says Nataly. The home’s permanent fixtures feel timeless while the decor and furniture give the home flair. A variety of textures and patterns are
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701-557-POOL (7665) | www.kernerconstructionandpools.com
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scattered throughout the home, and the dark theme makes the entire home feel cozy. The whites and natural woods keep it from feeling closed off or heavy. Most of the doors are reused and repainted, along with the cabinetry. “I love that it’s different and… how every window that you look out of you get a beautiful view,” describes Nataly. “I love [the homeowner’s] personal flair on everything. I loved her vision, so it was really fun to work with her.” The home’s enormous renovation could never have been accomplished without the guidance of Toby and his talented team. “Toby is just so knowledgeable that I couldn’t imagine doing this project with anyone other than him. He had a solution for everything that came up and he’s quick to think and figure it out,” describes Nataly. Toby himself is quick to attribute his success to the people who work with him on a daily basis. “You can’t do what we do without having a team,” says Toby. “I feel that I have some of the best people in the area that work for me. I really do.”
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Property with Potential Big River Builders took red carpet and honey oak and made it modern. See their impressive renovation.
S TO RY: M A R I A F L EC K | P H OTO S : M E L A N I E S I O U X P H OTO G R A P H Y
An Interior to Match the Exterior Mary and Steve Selzler were looking at homes when a
if you saw even the way it was when we first looked at
co-worker of Selzler’s purchased a new house. When
it, it was rough,” explains Steve. The home’s abundance
the Selzlers drove out to see Steve’s friend’s new home,
of natural light was one of the reasons the couple
the charming exterior of a neighboring home for
eventually settled on the property.
sale drew Steve and Mary’s attention. “The lot had everything we wanted, the location in the country but
The Selzlers moved in early October of 2020. Having
so close to town, a pond, trees in the summer, it was
seen Big River Builders’ work on other homes, they
just unreal,” explains Steve.
already knew they wanted them to help with their large remodel. “We picked our remodel builders before we
However, the home’s outdated interior gave the Selzlers pause. “We went into it having to see potential because
found the house,” says Steve.
On the flip side, Jordan and Kari Anderson, owners of Big River Builders, had been interested in this house for a long time. “We knew the house, and we knew what it looked like inside here, and we were like, ‘we want to get in there, whoever buys it.’ And it was interesting that they bought it and knew who we were right away, so it was kind of meant to be,” describes Kari. After the Selzlers met with Jordan and Kari, demo started the beginning of January 2021. The Selzlers worked closely with Jordan, Kari, and the rest of the team at Big River Builders throughout the design process. “I watch a lot of HGTV, and [Steve] complains about it a lot, but it paid off,” jokes Mary. “I had the vision.” There were an incredible amount of decisions required due to the size of the remodel, and Jordan said the vision the Selzlers had for their home helped direct the majority of the remodel, from the layout to the design of closets. “Projects always turn out so much better when clients really know what they want and come in with some strong ideas,” says Jordan. The Selzlers’ style draws on modern tastes while remaining rooted in traditional designs.
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The most noticeable change from the original home to now is the color scheme. The previous design incorporated oak into much of the home, along with red carpet in a handful of the rooms. The Selzlers’ new color scheme is black and white. They also updated appliances, cabinetry, flooring, and more. The bathrooms were a major part of the house which were given complete redesigns. While the Selzlers had a clear vision, Kari and Jordan were there with their own ideas and to help them make decisions every step of the way. “It was a partnership,” describes Steve. “I drew
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“
Projects always turn out so much better when clients really know what they want and come in with some strong ideas”
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out the idea for that fireplace and we had kind of thought like stacked stone or something but it was these guys’ idea, ‘hey we’ve seen something really cool, you should look at this’, and now after having the rolled steel, I’m so pleased with that versus what we were thinking.” When it came down to making tough decisions on the house, Kari was there to guide the couple through it. “Kari was a life saver… She saved our marriage numerous times,” jokes Mary. “She was the tie breaker,” explains Steve. Living in the house while it’s being remodeled has both benefits and drawbacks. As one would expect, living in the midst of construction causes many inconveniences. “The hardest part about remodeling is trying to keep these guys as comfortable as possible during what’s obviously going to be a hectic process,” explains Jordan. However, because
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the Selzlers were actually living in the space they were redesigning, they had better insight on what was conducive to their lifestyle. “The old kitchen had a little prep sink in it, and we thought, ‘oh, we don’t need that’ and then as we used the kitchen we were like, ‘oh, this is really nice’ so we put one in and things like that were helpful to actually use,” describes
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Healthy smiles start here.
Mary. This first-hand experience often helped them make decisions on questions that came up in the middle of the remodel process. Since the remodel took place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Big River Builders faced even more setbacks than normal. “Between like product delay, people getting sick, people having to quarantine, [the Selzlers] being sick at one point, it was crazy to do [in a pandemic]. In a remodel, they are here so it’s a very different stress level than a new construction,” says Kari. Despite the extra challenges, the Selzlers’ massive remodel was still completed within the year, and they are loving their new home.
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Realistic Remodel This slow but satisfying home remodel has taken three years to complete, turning a honey oak home into a more fresh feeling space.
S T O R Y : C A R O L I N E C R A R Y | P H O T O S : N E WA G E C R E AT I V E
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ROOM BY ROOM When this home was purchased by the owner it was stuck in the early 2000’s. Everywhere you looked was yellow oak. The floors, the cabinets, the trim. It’s taken the homeowners three years to slowly change out flooring, trim, paint, redo the kitchen, bathrooms and finish the basement off. The homeowners were drawn to the home because of the big lot, unfinished
The Kitchen The kitchen originally was very closed off from the rest of the house and had cabinets on all four walls. It was a cramped space consisting of outdated cabinetry and countertops. One wall was removed to open the space making room for a full kitchen island.
basement, south sun exposure and potential to make it
To begin the remodel process everything was removed
their own.
from the room, creating a large, open space. Plain View Design + Build came in and designed the layout for the
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newly opened kitchen. The homeowners must haves were a functional space for cooking meals, lots of storage, and a large island for gathering around. “Almost all kitchens we work on have some kind of functionality dilemma. It’s not very often we are just replacing cabinets and countertops. In this case the homeowner’s kitchen had great space to work with and just needed a more practical layout to take advantage of the space,” says Tanner Reidman, owner at Plain View Design + Build. The kitchen island has cabinets on both sides creating extra storage space. Big, deep drawers allow for pots and pans to be stacked and still close and the microwave is hidden in the island as well. There is room for five people to sit comfortably around the island for entertaining. The kitchen functions incredibly well with the garbage in the island for easy cleaning after chopping food for meals. With all the
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RIVER + RANCH MAGAZINE | February-March 2022
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drawers on either side of the stove it allows for quick access to pots and pans, measuring cups, and spices.
The Living Room A big outdated ceiling fan was taken down and never replaced so that the view to the large backyard was unobstructed. The flooring was changed, the room was painted and new baseboard installed and the popcorn ceilings were scraped. This room didn’t require much but has become the favorite room of the homeowner through décor.
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Dining Room Most people are taking out the formal dining rooms in homes and converting them into home offices or some other functional space, but the homeowners decided to remove the eat-in kitchen area and have island seating for casual dining and keep the traditional formal dining room. This room also got new flooring, paint and baseboard. A new light fixture and colorful decor spice up the traditional space.
The Basement When the home was purchased in February 2019 the basement was completely unfinished. One of the reasons the homeowners purchased the home was due to the amount of light let into the basement through all the windows so there really was no “basement
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feel.” The plans for the basement included two bedrooms, a full bathroom, workout room and a living space. A must for the bedrooms and bathroom was the need to have character. To help with this, the homeowner decided to wallpaper the ceiling in one of the bedrooms. Light fixtures were carefully selected to also bring interest to the rooms. The spacious living space has enough room for a game table
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AWA R D -W INNING QUA L IT Y. LOC A LLY O W N E D FO R O V E R 3 5 Y E A R S . Second Generation builder with long lasting relationships with local sub contractors
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and large couch. Lastly, the workout room has space for a few machines and ample floor space for free weights.
What’s Left: The homeowners are not quite finished with renovations. Now that the inside is redone it’s time to move outside. They have plans to remove and replace the outdoor lights with bigger, bolder black lights to contrast with the white siding. Now that the To Do list is finally down to a manageable size, the homeowners are excited to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the hard work they have put in over the last three years.
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Home Away From Home
A Look Into a Giving Heart’s Charity, and How You Can Give Back Story: Maria Fleck | Photos: Newage Creative
Giving Hearts Day is just around the corner, only
House provides a home away from home for families
the Tracey’s Sanctuary House is always willing to work
a few days away and as we get closer to this day of
and loved ones who have a patient in local hospital
with people in unusual circumstances.
giving it is important to get involved with charities
systems,” explains Kelsey Zottnick, executive director
around our community and see how we can give back.
at Tracy’s Sanctuary House. “We are calling ourselves a
The whole point of Tracy’s Sanctuary House is to
River + Ranch Magazine wanted to show you into our
medical Airbnb for those loved ones that are from out
provide a sanctuary for the family and friends of a
community’s home away from home and highlight one
of town that use Bismarck-Mandan hospital systems.”
hospitalized loved one while they deal with a traumatic
of our local Giving Heart’s Day charities.
In order to keep the home running, the non-profit has
experience. Kelsey explains, “We wanted a home, not
an emergency, need-based payment system. Those
just a hotel room.” Decorated in a style Kelsey jokes is
For those not from Bismarck and dealing with the
staying in the home for one week are asked to pay a
like Grandma’s house, Tracy’s Sanctuary House consists
hospitalization of a loved one in a local hospital, finding
free will donation. Anyone staying over three weeks
of a living room, two fully stocked kitchens, a dining
a place to stay is a major stressor on top of everything
is encouraged to pay $15 a night. If the family needs a
room, 5 private bedrooms with seven beds, multiple
else. Thankfully, there is a non-profit that offers an
place to stay before a scheduled surgery, the charge is
bathrooms, a washer and dryer, and a chapel. The people
affordable and comfortable option. “Tracy’s Sanctuary
$40 a night. However, all these charges are flexible, and
who stay here are encouraged to treat it like their own
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home and use it as a place of refuge, somewhere to
why isn’t there a home that someone could go to in the
recharge and hopefully get some peace between visits to
time of need without having to pay $90 a night for a
the hospital.
hotel room times six like we had, and then they could all be together and grieve together.” Kelsey’s dad decided
The idea for the Tracy’s Sanctuary House came from
to fully commit to this idea, and he bought the house
an experience in Kelsey’s own life. “The house is in
with his personal savings in 2005. Since then, the Tracy’s
memory of my mother Tracy. We were in a motor
Sanctuary House has welcomed over 4,000 families, and
vehicle accident a couple hours from home, and we
given them the gift of a home away from home while
ended up going to the local emergency room there while
they handle some of the worst experiences of their lives.
she was life flighted to that emergency room, and then we didn’t have a place to stay… We had multiple family
Tracy’s Sanctuary House is a huge gift to our community
members with us, and we had to get multiple hotel
and those who need it for more information on how to
rooms unexpectedly. So, this was brought up. I was like,
give back scan the QR code to the right.
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RIVER + RANCH MAGAZINE | February-March 2022
The Essential Haus with Erin Reidman S T O R Y : M A R I A F L E C K | P H O T O S : N E WA G E C R E AT I V E
R E T H I N K O R G A N I Z I N G A N D S TA RT T H I N K I N G M I N I M I Z I N G Simplicity in our homes always seems out of reach. Every year, people make New Year resolutions to simplify and organize, but these efforts often are unsuccessful at lasting. However, the root issue may not be lack of organization, but rather a need for minimalization. Erin Reidman started Essential Haus to help people learn how to let go and allow minimalization to change their life. “We help busy moms do more in their homes than just clean up messes and chase after clutter,” describes Erin. “We do that through in-home coaching on the process of decluttering and minimalizing and learning to let go of the things that don’t serve us… my ultimate goal [is] to let people know how they can feel after this process. Not just having a cleaner, organized space. It’s more than that. It’s your life.” Minimalizing radically changed the trajectory of Erin’s own life. After watching a documentary on minimalism, Erin decided to try it out for herself and reduced her home by 50%. “The outcome of that was not that I got rid of half of my belongings. The outcome was what I did after that,” Erin says. “I am a completely different human being than I was five years ago purely because that open environment helped me to be inspired and excited about pursuing different goals, different lifestyles, different wellness journeys.” A physical therapist by trade, Erin wanted to share this with others in order to help them better their own lives.
w w w . r i ver a n dr a nch m aga z i n e . com
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THE PROCESS When Erin coaches you through minimalizing your space, she starts by having you assess the space you need help with. Often, the assessing stage means pulling everything out. After assessing what you have, Erin then coaches you through the process of yes-no-maybe. You will begin organizing your items into three piles: one that is an automatic yes, another that is an automatic no, and a third pile that you will come back to and think about more later. After putting all your yes items back and throwing and boxing up your no items, the third pile of “maybes” becomes the focus. Rachel coaches you through this by helping you realize why you have been hanging onto some of these items and determine whether they are helpful or hurtful. “The perks of hiring Essential Haus to go through a process like this is number one accountability. Because I can coach you through the entire process and we literally skim every piece,” describes Erin. “I’m able to identify some of the things you might skim over. Also, I’m just there to coach and cause friction, and to be the devil’s advocate with some of the things. It’s not an easy process, it’s not necessarily enjoyable through all of it… this is about lifestyle coaching so it’s going to rub you because my goals are your goals.”
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RIVER + RANCH MAGAZINE | February-March 2022
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BEFORE
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RIVER + RANCH MAGAZINE | February-March 2022
AFTER
THE DIFFERENCE The end goal of Essential Haus is about more than minimalizing. It’s about developing a mindset that allows you to live a fuller life. “When you open up spaces around you it literally opens up your mind and clears out the excess,” says Erin. Learning to let go of unnecessary physical items results in the ability to let go of other unnecessary or harmful things in other areas of life. “When we are intentional about what’s in our home we are intentional about our life,” explains Erin. While organization is a happy consequence, the end goal of minimalizing is not simply organizing a space, but allowing yourself to let go of what is holding you back and clearing not only a physical space, but also a mental space in which you can pursue new ideas, find peace, and be energized. Having Erin by your side makes this life-changing process more effective. “I never could have done something like this myself because I wouldn’t have held myself accountable for even the spices,” describes Hannah Haynes. “Going through, I was like, oh well, what if I use that spice someday, or, there are multiple spices, we can’t get rid of one, and being okay with letting go of something, because if it expired, you’re wasting it anyway, so you need to get rid of it and move on with it. I think that’s really important, to have that accountability.” If you are interested in learning more or in utilizing Erin’s services, you can find more information at her website, essentialhausnd.com w w w . r i ver a n dr a nch m aga z i n e . com
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