River + Ranch Magazine - Volume 5: Issue 5 October/November 2022

RIVER + RANCH

RIVER + RANCH TEAM

Hannah Haynes

Jennifer Kranz

Caroline Crary

Jenna Kluting Editor

Karel Sovak Writer Maria Fleck

Trust Texperience. rust experience.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Redevelopment & Infill the past few years builders and investors are filling in the town’s vacant and underutilized  lots in the core of Bismarck and Mandan. Existing urban areas that are already developed with water, sewer, and electricity are being filled with new construction homes bringing modern living to old neighborhoods. We are featuring six infill and redevelopment projects in this area.

JE Homes’ philosophy is to build homes with a team approach, addressing the client’s wants and needs. Placing emphasis and achieving practical results in a timely and skillful manner at an affordable price. This could be your new place to gather

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHERS

Often times when we think of growth, we think expansion, growing the city wider, not more dense. It takes all types of development to grow a city into a prospering environment for all age groups. There are those that like acreage and suburban neighborhoods and those who thrive closer to the city center. All types are necessary. As cities continue to grow outward, some developers look to redevelop and enhance the properties that exist in already developed areas. This is called “infill development.” Infill development in its simplest form is the development or redevelopment of land that has been bypassed, remained vacant, and/or is underutilized as a result of the continuing development process.

Check out how local developers and builders are taking on projects that help redevelop vacant lots to bring different forms of needed housing across many different neighborhoods. See how downtown living will be accessible to all living styles, including rental apartment units and purchasable townhomes. If downtown living isn’t for you, see how an investor took an old burnt down lot and transformed it into easy living.

You don’t want to miss another Master Bedroom Makeover reveal. The Professional Women in Building are at it again for year two. The transformation is truly incredible. Another deserving community member received a bedroom transformation, and it is amazing.

Follow us our Facebook and Instagram for all the behind-the-scenes photos that don’t always make the magazine.

SWEET ROW

story:

Residential infill and redevelopment projects are beneficial to their communities for a number of reasons. They bring new life to neighborhoods, make the properties taxgenerating, and uses existing infrastructure that would otherwise remain unused. This project, taken on by Plain View Design + Build, is one of these residential infill projects that breathed life into a previously vacant lot close to downtown Bismarck.

The initial idea for this project started with Cody Strothman who purchased the lot in 2013. “I began to make plans to invest in a four-unit apartment house, but the zoning set-back ordinances were one-size-fits-all which left a very small, oddly placed footprint,” describes Cody. “A couple of forward-thinking city employees in the Planning Department found guidelines used in other cities that accommodated infill rebuilds that were in context with the surrounding properties. But it wasn’t until 2017 that the city adopted them.” Shortly after this, Cody approached Tanner Reidman and Logan Hauf, partners at Plain View Design + Build with her idea.

Tanner and Logan have plenty of experience dealing with infill projects, and this experience, along with their exceptional designs and quality construction, inspired Cody to entrust this project to them, and her trust in them paid off. “Working with Tanner Reidman and Logan Hauf on SweetRow produced a residential complex beyond my expectations and resulted in the highest and best use of this RM lot. There’s nothing on the real estate market like these row houses today,” Cody says.

Together, the three of them figured out how to make Cody’s idea a reality. The project went from a four-unit apartment house to a five-unit complex. “We started in terms of what can we actually pull off, and then started designing around those parameters,” Logan describes. “You need projects like this to be well-designed because of the budget constraints and needing to hit certain numbers, and you have to be efficient in the square footage that you’re utilizing.” From there, the rest of the complex came together.

SweetRow has two different kinds of units. There are three larger units with a garage stall, two bedrooms, a loft, laundry room, and front and backyard patios. The two smaller units have one bedroom and a loft, as well as laundry and front and backyard patios. All the units have large windows that pour in natural light. Largely thanks to this, the units are bright, open, and airy. The prominent white theme makes the units a clean slate and gives the owner the opportunity to make the unit feel like home. These units will be available to buy rather than rent. “If you look on the market to try and find units like this close to downtown, there’s not much out there that you can buy,” describes Tanner. They’re building a bunch of stuff that’s rentals, so this is a great project for us.”

Infill projects always come with their own unique set of challenges and setbacks. Thankfully, this project was more straightforward than others. “The site was pretty straightforward. We had to do a site plan for the city because of the multifamily, but we pretty much worked within the confinements of all the contextual setbacks,” explains Tanner. However, infills are a much more challenging construction project than a new build in a new development. Logan explains, “It’s way more time consuming. There are way more hoops to jump through… I love the idea of infill and what it does for the community, but it takes a toll.”

On the flip side, infills are more meaningful than new builds. “They’re fun and unique projects,” says Tanner. “There are simpler ways to run a construction company, but these projects are more meaningful. You feel like you’re doing something unique and different and challenging.”

The hard work of Tanner, Logan and Cody turned a previously vacant, purposeless lot into a beautiful complex.

THE

Full Scale Design

Infill projects are developments within unused or underutilized plots of land within a pre-existing typically urban development. Infill projects help accommodate growth and create opportunities for environmental and social sustainability. However, building within existing developments, like in the middle of downtown Bismarck, comes with a unique set of challenges. Ensuring the new building will blend in with the existing neighborhood and satisfy all the zoning requirements and city codes is not a simple or easy task. Thankfully, there are several developers in the Bismarck area who are willing to take on these challenges. The Mill is a new infill project in downtown Bismarck that will join the growing number of redevelopment projects in the area.

Full Scale Design

Located on Thayer Avenue, the Mill will be two separate buildings each with three units. Each unit is 1,600 square feet with a customizable interior based on the owner’s preferences. The homes are two bedroom, with a third room that can be used as either another bedroom or a large office. These units also come with two baths and an optional half bath on the main floor. All the homes have stained concrete floors on the first floor, custom cabinets, and three floors with a loft area on the third one.

The project’s developer, Bryan Dean, explains why they decided to build taller rather than wider: “The crazy thing about that property is we could’ve built that 90 feet high, so nine stories… so we were able to build ridiculously high. I was trying to figure out how do I cram as many doors on this lot without making it seem like we’re literally building a skyscraper with apartments because I wanted it to be an individual home rather than an apartment.” Because the units are tall, they still have a large square footage while all of them also having direct access inside like a traditional home.

From the outside, the home will blend in with the existing neighborhood while still bringing a new look to the area. The idea for the Mill came from out of state. Bryan explains, “The Mill idea came from a trip to Oregon my wife and I took for a couple different conferences out there. Literally, we drove by a building and took pictures of it, and I was like, that’s what we’re building in Bismarck. And it’s the exact same replica of the building that’s in Oregon, in downtown Portland.”

The response to this design plan was immediate. Construction on the first building is not complete, but all the units have already been sold. The first building with the first three units will be complete by the end of this year. The second building with the other three units should be finished by the middle of 2023.

Bryan’s passion for infill is fueled by its intrinsically challenging nature, and he’s been doing similar work for several years now. “We’ve been flipping houses in Bismarck for like eight years. We were probably one of the first ones to do it,” says Bryan. “Infill projects are nice because you can take something that looks like this and turn it into something that is really appealing rather than just remodeling a house.” Bryan enjoyed the Mill project so much; he’s currently working on two similar infill projects on the east end of Bryantown.also

stressed the role infill has in bringing new people to our area. He explains, “If you have somewhere they can live that’s super nice, we will get the talent into Bismarck. But if you don’t, we’re not going to be able to bring those people. We were trying to open up an area where people would want to come to Bismarck to live, even if it’s just six to eight months.”

These units are all priced reasonably, so regardless of profession, the Mill is an option for anyone looking for downtown living in a beautiful home.

Inline Design

story:

Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood near downtown Bismarck is a charming newly built duplex with white siding and black trim. Owners Mikaela and Nathan Schlosser were looking for both a building opportunity and a home with rental possibilities when they came across this location. This once empty lot turned out to be exactly what the couple was looking for.

This property had an interesting past long before the Schlossers found it. The empty lot at one time held a house built in the 1940s. In 2014 or 2016, the original home burned down, and what little remained of the structure had to be cleared away. The lot then sat vacant until it was bought by new owners who lived out of town. It was from these owners that Mikaela and Nathan bought the lot in 2018.

The property was a perfect fit for the couple, who were looking to not only build, but to also begin renting to others. When they found the empty lot already zoned for a two unit dwelling, they knew they had found their new home. “This was just a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone,” describes Nathan.

The location is also ideal. The duplex is only a short drive away from downtown restaurants, stores, the Capitol, the Bismarck Event Center, and local hospitals. While the couple debated doing longterm rentals, they ultimately decided to offer their second unit as a short-term rental. “You can keep a really close eye on things, and it worked out so much better with our personality types,” explains Nathan. “We like to meet new people, and that was a perfect way to meet people from all over the country.”

Before construction officially began, the Schlossers met up with the City to walk through the infill process. “We sat down with them for two hours before we got going, and they walked us through the process,” Mikaela describes. Actual construction started July of 2020, and the Schlossers were their own general contractors. “That timing was right when the pandemic was starting to hit hot and heavy, so every day there was something new, from materials, to deliveries, to guys not being able to work. There were a lot of challenges with it,” Nathan recalls. Despite the challenges, Nathan says it was all for the best: “It probably truly is a blessing that we got to deal with all that because now it should get a little bit easier.” Construction took about a year to complete, and the Schlossers have been living in their new home for over a year now.

One of the biggest changes for the Schlossers from their previous home was the size difference. “We had this 3,600 square foot home with a pretty good backyard and then when we moved in here it was like culture shock,” says Mikaela. “But now it’s so nice, especially with our little guy, the simplicity of not having a large house to clean and just the simplicity of us having to downsize. That’s what I’ve loved.” Another positive change was moving into a well-developed neighborhood. “We came from a house that didn’t have big trees or anything like that. No shade really,” describes Nathan. “Well, now it can be 30 mph winds and we can go hang out in the backyard. We have a lot of cover here, we have great neighbors, so the dynamic has just been excellent.”

The welcoming neighbors are another reason Nathan and Mikaela are loving their new home. “Everybody was very welcoming. We had neighbors coming over asking if we needed help with anything,” describes Nathan. The neighbors were also welcoming of the addition of a new build. “It’s a new build, it’s tall, so it obviously stands out, but people have told us, it actually fits the neighborhood, the way you’ve put it together, the look of it, it just fits. That was nice to hear because we were worried what the neighbors would think,” describes Mikaela. And the interior of the duplex is as welcoming as its exterior.

Inside, the duplex’s style feels modern mid-century. Both units have the same layout as each other. Both the Schlosser’s side and the renter’s side have two bedrooms that can sleep four people. The units also have 1.5 baths, 20 foot ceilings, and tons of natural light. Each unit has its own private patio with a grill and furniture. Because of how the Schlossers built their home, the backyard is quite large with enough room for a firepit near the back. The entire backyard is sheltered and private, with large trees providing plenty of shade.

The entire duplex, from the interior to the exterior, was crafted with care. Every detail put into the house was well-thought out to make the most of a small lot. Thankfully, the location was a perfect fit for the Schlossers who were able to turn what was once a barren lot into a beautiful home.

HOMECUSTOMBUIDLING

Two new living spaces are coming to downtown Bismarck, the Grove and the Renaissance. Both are situated on East Avenue A in downtown Bismarck. While Covid has put the project a few months behind, the initial concept for these two developments has remained the same, and the hard work of both the Lander Group and Tobias Marman Construction (on the Grove project) has preserved the quality of these two unique rental opportunities.

Before this land became the site of the Grove and the Renaissance, it was a parking lot. Michael Lander, the founder and president of the Lander Group, explains that the land has been in his wife’s family for 100 years and was used for a variety of purposes.

“When we came along, it was mostly a parking lot with a couple of existing buildings on the east end. We demolished those buildings and the existing houses on the Grove side to start with an open site,” he explains.

While the property was already owned by the Lander Group, the site’s location makes it ideal for the project. “If someone had asked me, go pick out a good site to do some downtown housing, this would’ve been the site, even though we already owned it,” says Michael. “It’s right on the shoulder of downtown. It’s only a block until the action starts and yet you really are in a neighborhood… it’s very green, it’s low density. It’s really to us a perfect spot.” Revitalizing downtown areas is a vital part of the Lander Group’s work. “We’re in the original core of the city, rebuilding it, because people want to live there, but they want new housing with open floor plans, and big windows. All the characteristics of 2020 housing but in the neighborhood of 1920,” Michael explains.

Infill projects fit perfectly alongside this push to provide opportunities for downtown living. Instead of continuously building on the edge of town, infill and redevelopment creates opportunities for growth within the core of the city. Living within the heart of the city and within walking distance of businesses, restaurants, shops, and more, it promotes local business and a love for community, while also being a more convenient and practical location. Michael founded the Lander Group for this very reason. He explains, “Before 1920, before the car became so prominent… buildings were closer together and there was a mix of things. There was living and working and recreation and all of that in one place. You could walk or bike to most other places and… I’ve always been attracted to that kind of pattern.” Recently, Michael has noticed a trend in this direction. “People have the same response I did, ‘I’d like to live in a place like that, but I want a new house. I don’t want an old house,’” he describes. “‘I like that floor plan I saw in that new house or apartment on the edge of town, could I get something nice like that downtown?’” The Grove and Renaissance are one of several projects the Lander Group is doing to fill this growing desire.

The Grove and Renaissance are two completely different developments in looks, size, and structure. The Renaissance looks more like a traditional apartment complex. Four stories high, the building will have 68 loft-style apartments available to rent. The fourth story will be set further back than the other three stories, and the extra space this leaves will be used as private decks for these tenants. The Renaissance will also have a community room and rooftop deck.

The Grove will look completely different from the outside than the Renaissance. Instead of a traditional complex, the Grove will be composed of four different buildings built to resemble large traditional homes. Each building will be two and a half stories with five units, four of which will be one bed, one bath and one will be a larger two bed, two bath unit.

The completion of the Grove project wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated hard work of the team at Tobias Marman Construction. As always, the challenges of the build were what drew them to build such a unique project. “We love the challenging projects,” explains Tobias Marman. “Most of our projects are challenges. We end up, for whatever reason, because of our experience, knowledge base, skill level, just taking more challenging projects on. I don’t really have a desire to do easy.” Beyond the complications that come with being an infill project, additional challenges were the small size of the site and the topographic irregularities.

Together, the Lander Group and Tobias Marman Construction have made an important contribution to the continued growth and life of downtown Bismarck. For these two companies, that is the whole point of doing a project like this. “We want to be sure we’re improving communities,” says Michael.

THE PRINCE

story: Maria Fleck NewAge

Newly renovated and ready for tenants, The Prince, more recently known as the Sunrise Apartments on Third Street, is an exciting redevelopment project in downtown Bismarck. The name, The Prince, is a nod to the building’s long history. Built in 1916, the building was constructed as a hotel. Originally named the Van Horn Hotel, it was renamed the Prince Hotel in 1926 which is what inspired the building’s new name.

Over the years, the hotel hosted a number of noteworthy guests, including Shirley Temple and Eleanor Roosevelt. It was also home to the memorable Blue Blazer Lounge where the famous Smith and Curran drink was invented. The Prince Hotel remained in operation until the late 1970s. From 1999-2005, the building housed Sunrise Senior Living before it was converted into efficiency apartments in 2010.

Most recently, the building was bought by Rolf Eggers who wants to breathe new life into this historic building. “I’m a Bismarck history buff, and I wanted to make sure it was saved and done right. This place used to be pretty rough,” describes Rolf. As a kid, Rolf used to visit the Prince restaurant with his father, so another dream of his is to bring back the iconic Blue Blazer Lounge. “I own the name Blue Blazer in North Dakota, so if someone wants to open a Blue Blazer, they can lease the space and the name. Hopefully that will happen,” says Rolf.

In total, The Prince has four floors. The first floor, where the Blue Blazer Lounge once operated, has space for a restaurant or bar that can be leased. The building’s old ballroom called the Princess Room, can also be leased. The remaining three floors all have apartments in them.

The Prince has 74 micro-apartments available for rent. They are newly renovated and completely updated. Rolf describes, “We changed out absolutely every bit of mechanical stuff everywhere. Every apartment has its own water heater, so you never run out of water. New heater, new electrical, high-efficiency heating and air.” Additionally, the plumbing is all new, and all the apartments come with their own microwave and fridge.

Rolf also took additional safety precautions when updating the apartments. They now have key fob access and are under constant camera surveillance. “We want to keep this a place where people feel safe,” he explains. Another practical feature of these apartments is the use of an app that allows you to enter the apartments or let someone visiting enter.

The apartments are efficiency, so they are geared more towards a younger demographic. The space is ideal for anyone who enjoy traveling or often does for work. Since the apartments are located in the heart of downtown Bismarck, one can enjoys downtown living at an affordable price. The demand for these affordable newly renovated apartments is already high. Construction is not even totally finished on the building, and tenants have already begun moving into the south half of the building. “We’ve had a tremendous response renting apartments, so we’re pretty excited about that,” says Rolf. If you’re interested in renting one of these apartments, contact Missouri River Rentals for more information.

On the commercial side of it, the Prince’s location in central downtown Bismarck is a large selling point for the first-floor spaces. Like previously said, Rolf hopes to find someone who wants to reopen the Blue Blazer Lounge in that space.

Otherwise, its downtown location makes it a great option for any restaurant. The building’s front façade recently received a facelift, and the front now looks clean and appealing. All the renovations, from the inside out, have given the historic building a new chance at life in the modern era. Thanks to Rolf Eggers, The Prince will continue to hold a place of importance in the Bismarck community for years to come.

DAKOTA BREWING

story: Maria Fleck photos: Provided

On the corner of 26th Street and Main Street in Bismarck, across from Big Boy and Little Cottage, sits a large warehouse. This building will soon be undergoing a massive renovation that will completely transform it. The history of why the building was first built and how it ended up essentially sitting empty for so many years is fascinating.

The idea that would eventually result in the construction of this warehouse came from a local Bismarck businessman, Clyde Johnson. On a visit to Montana, he stopped at the Great Falls Brewing Company where the brewery president suggested he start a brewery in North Dakota. At the time, there were no breweries in North Dakota.

Beer was being shipped in from neighboring states like Montana, Wisconsin, and Missouri. In addition to the high demand, North Dakota had an abundance of locally grown barley which prompted Johnson to bring this idea to a group of businessmen in Bismarck. After doing some further market research, the group went ahead with the plan, and Dakota Malting and Brewing was officially incorporated at the end of 1959.

In order to raise money for the brewery, Dakota Malting and Brewing offered common stock to the public. Shares were exclusively sold to North Dakota residents for the price of $1. With support from over 3,600 investors, which included 267 taverns, they raised one million dollars in capital. After a long search for the best site for the brewery, Bismarck was finally chosen, and construction on the site began in June of 1960. The brewery’s design was inspired by the Great Falls Brewing Company with a capacity of 65,000 barrels per year.

Dakota Malting and Brewing’s flagship product was Dakota Beer which became available for purchase on July 1st, 1961. The beer was met with generally high praise, and demand for the beer began to climb. However, in the spring of 1962, not even a year after opening, the brewery began receiving numerous complaints about the beer, saying it was unpalatable and caused diarrhea. Investigation by the brewery revealed the water systems did not have an activated carbon filter installed. The brewery was pumping over 90,000 gallons of water from the Missouri River which has an oil base. The Brewmaster had been told the filter was required to remove the phenol taste; however, he believed the boiling process would steam off the phenol. He was fired, and the issue was quickly resolved, but the brewery’s reputation was damaged.

As a result, beer sales in July and August (peek beer selling months) plummeted. The brewery operated at a loss for almost two years before they finally broke even in 1963. Dakota Beer began to grow in popularity again, and sales began to improve. Sadly, this wasn’t enough to overcome their huge financial debt and inadequate financing, and Dakota Malting and Brewing was forced to close their doors September 1965 after only four years of brewing. The building was sold in 1970 to help repay part of the debt, and it still stands to this day.

Now, thanks to the effort of Tobias Marman, owner of Tobias Marman Construction, this building will be given new life and brought into the 21st century. “This is an iconic building in Bismarck with a cool aesthetic, great location, and high traffic count that has sat obsolete for a long time. On top of being a special building, we took on this project to give the building purpose,” explains Tobias. To make the old brewery a usable space, Tobias plans to take off half the building to make room for parking. After renovating the inside, and giving the outside a new look, he hopes to turn the old brewery into a new space for restaurants, boutiques, even medical offices. The layout will resemble an open-air mall, simply enclosed due to North Dakota’s climate. Tobias hopes to have the building completely renovated and ready for tenants by next July.

Home Again

a bedroom makeover

The Bismarck Mandan Professional Women in Building Council (BMPWB) did it again and embarked on yet another large project this summer to not only give back to the community, but also celebrate the National PWB week. BMPWB represents women who are actively involved in all aspects of the building industry such as builders, developers, remodelers, suppliers, architects, marketing experts, interior designers, realtors, mortgage lenders and trade contractors.

The Council is an affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders. Their mission is to promote, enhance and support women within the construction industry as well as the next generation of industry professionals.

Every year they celebrate PWB week nationally during September. This year’s PWB week was September 12th-16th, and as a local council they decided to do it again and give away a master bedroom makeover. This year they not only allowed people to apply for the giveaway, but even opened it up to nominations, allowing others to nominate those who were deserving of this remodel.

The BMPWB partnered with local builders, sub-contractors and other local businesses to make someone’s master bedroom dreams come true. This large undertaking included new flooring, paint, light fixtures, furniture, bedding, décor, custom cabinetry and so much more.

This year the winner was Kristin Wentz-

Krumwiede. Kristin is a child welfare social worker and has been for many years. She has lived in her home since 2003 and spends most of her time caring for the needs of others, including her husband, four children and her children through work. “I cried a lot. I was so honored to receive this gift. I couldn’t believe that someone nominated me,”

“The whole process has been so fun. All the ladies are so great and were great to work with. It was definitely hard not to sneak a peek, but it was so worth it in the end. I don’t have a set style or anything, and I am always so busy with work or the kids that decorating was just last on my list

of things to do. I really wanted something cozy, and I really only had one request no pinks or paisley flowers,” laughed Kirstin.

Over the course of many months of planning and weeks of demo and remodeling, the Master Bedroom Makeover transformed Kirstin’s room into a cozy, family-friendly bedroom,

exclaims Kristin.

ready for family movie nights, late night mom talks and snuggles with the dogs. This project was no easy task and had many volunteers and community sponsors. “Kristin has some really important pieces in her room that meant a lot to her, including art pieces she had received from children over the years, memorial flowers from her grandfather’s funeral and then her dog’s ashes. It was so fun to be able to incorporate those pieces into the room in a unique way,” says Kassy Landis with Starion Bank.

“Kristin gives so much of herself to others, she takes in kids who need a place to stay, she is all about the kids, her own and others,” says Lori Willson, Northern Plains Plumbing and Heating. “We all got so close to Kristin over the last few weeks shes an amazing women who truly deserves this new space,” exclaims Frankie Sue Pierson with Verity Homes.

It was a daunting task at first, but well worth it in the end. The PWB Bismarck Mandan Chapter is excited to have finished up another project and give another deserving community member a beautiful space.

Collaborate [col lab o rate] verb: to work jointly on an activity, especially to produce or create something

Creative Wood Designs

Building a home is an exciting time that can also be overwhelming with seemingly endless decisions to make. Paint colors, finishes, layouts, and décor are all choices that need to be made, and

with apps like Pinterest and Houzz at your fingertips, how can one ever decide exactly what they want? When it comes to cabinetry, Creative Wood Designs is the answer to all your hopes and dreams for the perfect touch of custom that they are able to bring to your home.

cabinetry needs for her new home built by Prestige Homes and Design, she found herself overwhelmed with choices. “I had never built a house before,” Laci explains.

“When I went to Creative Wood Designs’ shop, they walked us through step-bystep what we were going to be doing.”

what sets Creative Wood Designs apart.

“We work very much hand in hand with clients to take their visions to reality,” explains Mike Ness. Collaboration with clients is certainly a key to Creative Wood Designs’ success.

When Laci Dorval was planning the

Patience and attention to client needs are

Laci spent about 40 hours with the Creative Wood Designs team designing

story by Jennifer Kranz photos by Melanie Sioux Photography

every aspect of her house. “I had a lot of Pinterest pictures saved; my album was kind of ridiculous. I had a lot of ideas, but it really came down to dimensions and they helped a lot in saying what we could do where,” Laci says. “They just know everything inside and

Duringout.”

one of those visits to the Creative Wood Designs’ shop Laci mentioned that she would be making salsa in her pantry. “I remember Laci saying that, so we created a walk through in her pantry and there’s another little room for her canning kitchen,” Mike says.

For Laci, the coolest part of her kitchen is the custom hood the Creative Wood Designs team crafted. “The kitchen is my absolute favorite. The hood is perfect and what makes it even cooler is that we had stopped in one day and got to see the process of it being made,” explains Laci. “Those corbels are tiny pieces of wood they glued together, then pressed together. I don’t know how they made it so perfect, but it just tells you that you really get what you’re paying for because everything is so custom.”

A few of Laci’s other favorite details are the under cabinet lighting, a must-have according to Laci, the drawer microwave in the kitchen, as well as the custom hair tool drawer in the master bath.

“I’m a hairdresser, so having a custom drawer to store my curling irons, flat iron, and hair dryer was important. This drawer has metal salon cups to hold my hair tools, along with a plugin so everything is right there,” Laci says smiling.

Having an open space under each sink is a great way to break up the standard vanity look, and gives a spa-like feel with the rolled up towels. The custom floating shelves above the tub are a few more expertly crafted details in the Dorval’s master bath.

In the end, Creative Wood Designs had a hand in the design of 14 different rooms in the Dorval’s home. “If I thought I wanted something and showed them pictures they didn’t say this isn’t going to work. They were honest and found a way to make it work,” Laci

Laci’ssays.

favorite part of working with the Creative Wood Designs team was just that, working with the team. “My favorite part was the help they give you. They really guide you in the right direction with literally everything from help with selecting the right shade of paint or stain color, to the style of pulls on the cabinets. The overall experience was