the new CLASSIC

from Area Woman Magazine Aug/Sep '15

by Lake & Home Magazine | Area Woman Magazine

REBUILDING TOGETHER: REPAIRING HOMES AND IMPROVING LIVES

In the cozy spot in the corner of the leather sectional, twelve-year-old Drew plays on the iPad after a seemingly long day at school. His mother, behind him in the kitchen sitting at the island working on her laptop; his dad, nearby, feet kicked out on the sectional’s recliner watching TV and petting the family dog, Bailey (snuggled in as close as she can get). While careers and school life keep them busy each day, this scene is one of calm. Making my way between the rooms of the Jordahl custom home designed and built for Desi and Bob Fleming, I hear the occasional muffled exchange between family members. Each are winding down in their own way before supper―together, but in their own spaces. Among the wide spaces and the materials used in the nuances of the construction, and through talking with the Flemings, I get a real feel for how the layout was planned so perfectly for their lives.

Although their home is brand new, you get a feeling of a more historic home from the custom woodwork and the Fleming’s own well-loved pieces. “I wanted something warm and relaxing,” said Desi. “We went out and searched a few plans, would come back with an idea and they would tweak it. Jordahl helped us put it all together and this is what we landed on.”

Desi and Bob enjoyed utilizing the expertise of Jordahl Custom Homes designer Katie Kern in devising plans for colors and materials. “I love earthy colors,” said Desi, recalling the visionary process. “I wanted something inviting, that wouldn’t be a fad and wouldn’t go out of style.” With Kern’s guidance in achieving a desired neutral canvas, Desi was then able to bring in her own flair for décor. Cool Mediterranean blue hues for pillows and vase accents dot the living area, and rich, warm orange and brown accents of towels and flowers grace the kitchen―items easy to switch out with other accent colors when Desi gets the decorating bug again.

Kern loves her job as Jordahl Custom Homes’ designer, a job often requiring she helps clients find their true home style. When a person lives in a house for so long, years of lamps from this design trend, furniture from that decade, and heirlooms and gifted decorations accumulated over the years can become a mish-mash of design tastes. When the opportunity arises to build a home from scratch, Kern takes the time to recognize and understand her clients’ true style preferences.

In meetings with Desi to design the interior of her Jordahl custom home, Kern found her answers. “Desi’s style is more transitional, a nice mix between traditional and contemporary.” Ordinarily opposites in the design world, Kern proposed ways for the two to effortlessly complement each other. Rich, dark, mocha-stained wide shaker custom cabinetry is offset by a light-reflecting beveled subway tile backsplash. Large, vertically aligned tiles on the fireplace and built-in TV alcove extend to the vaulted ceiling and are surrounded on either side by impressive, nine-foot-tall custom bookshelves and cabinetry which tuck the TV wires and electronics out of sight. Touches of that melding of style can be seen everywhere. Pointing out the woven roman shades and wooden blinds in the dining and living areas, Desi explained, “I would run things like this by Katie and say, ‘This is what I’m thinking,’ and then she would give me her input.”

Follow home-building trends these days and you’ll quickly see that most people are looking for openness in the family living areas. We all know family members or friends who’ve knocked down walls in their homes to open the kitchen up to the dining or living room― removing valuable cabinet and counter space in the name of an open floor plan. The style is so prevalent that I asked Kern why it seemed so uncommon “then,” and so desirable now. Kern brought up two great points. Not only have building enhancements made the wide-open floor plan possible, but also, for most of us, our lifestyles are drastically different from those of generations past. “Families are found doing what you witnessed the Flemings doing,” explained Kern. “With advanced technology it is nice to keep a close eye on your children and this is done when you don’t have a separate room for everything.”

Bob and Desi let Drew help out with the design of his bedroom and bathroom as well. “It’s fun to get kids involved in the building process, as they are typically excited to get in a new space as well,” said Kern. “I recommend letting them pick things that are easier to change, like a paint color (with some design assistance) instead of a carpet color.”

Kern said the Flemings did a great job of keeping Drew in the loop on home design elements that would impact him the most. When Drew kicks back for fun, he and his friends take over the large finished basement that boasts a spacious TV area, a wet bar, two bedrooms, a full bath and―a must-have for the home-owner eager to entertain―a home theater. “That was Drew’s one request,” said Desi. Dimmable wall lighting and shaker seats that respond to the movie’s audio make this a deluxe entertainment venue right inside their home. And not just for Drew and his buddies, but the adults too. “Over Christmas time we had a whole bunch of us in there,” said Desi.

The basement space created by Jordahl Custom Homes also accommodated the Fargo Force hockey player the Flemings hosted during hockey season. Every year, young men come to Fargo to play a higher level of hockey both after and sometimes during high school. Host families like the Flemings provide a home away from home, a safe and caring place for these young men to live. “This is the third year we’ve done it,” explained Bob. “We’ve had a good experience. The guys we’ve hosted have been great.”

Bob and Desi were impressed with all the freedom and customization options they had with Jordahl Custom Homes. The main level laundry room’s pull-out ironing station; the master bedroom’s elegant tray-angled ceiling; the master bathroom’s pocket door and lowered vanity; and a solution for the kitchen area’s “drop zone”―that place in all our homes where we set our phone, mail, keys when we come home. To create some functionality to a space in the Fleming’s kitchen that might otherwise not have been so organized, Jordahl Custom Homes custom designed a catch-all area with drawers, extra closed and open shelving and outlets. Joking, Desi said that while she and Bob have the laptop and occasionally their phones to plug in, Drew seems to have upwards of six things to charge at night. Keeping the devices in the same area and organizing mail and other items, Desi said the area works out well.

The Flemings seem to have settled in nicely. The ease at which they go about their home life reflects how Jordahl Custom Homes seems to have gotten it just right. The Flemings realized their dream of an open floor plan and a home that had all the basic functionality and necessities on one level. “We were thinking about the future,” Desi recalled about the design process. “We wanted this to be the last home we had to build.” With traditional elements in the design and flow of the space, the Flemings achieved their new home dreams. Both Bob and Desi attribute the enjoyable home-building process to Jordahl Custom Homes. “Between the drafting department and the design,” said Bob, “the people over at Jordahl helped us get to where we are now.”

[AWM]

JORDAHL CUSTOM HOMES INC.