2020 Dream Homes

Dream

H MES

Sunday, February 2, 2020 globegazette.com | Section C

‘Both of us love old, historic homes’ Mason City couple loves prairie school home’s setting MARY PIEPER

Special to the Globe

Gary and Anne Schmit bought a Prairie School home in Mason City’s Rock Glen in 2010 as their first residence together as a married couple.

“Both of us love old, historic homes,” Gary said.

The house at 21 Rock Glen, which was built in 1912, was designed by Walter Burley Griffin.

The original owner was Harry D. Page.

Mason City is famous for its prairie school homes located in the Rock Glen-Rock Crest neighborhood along Willow Creek.

A key feature of the prairie school style of architecture is the integration of the design of a home with its natural setting.

The Page House is the only one in Rock Glen where the whole neighborhood can be seen from the windows, according to the Schmits.

Gary said the view from the living room windows is even more spectacular in the winter when the trees are bare because the limestone cliffs of Rock Crest can be seen.

“It’s a beautiful setting,” Anne said.

One of the things Gary and Anne like most about their home is the lighting.

The living room gets lots of natural light on sunny days. In the evening the dimmable lights along the perimeter of the room give it a soft, warm glow.

The sun room has large windows along three sides, letting in even more natural light. The family’s cats love this room because they can doze in the sun, according to Gary.

The original red tile in the sun room is still there. Gary said it’s the same kind of tile used in Mason City’s Historic Park Inn. Please see SCHMIT, Page C11

LISA GROUETTE PHOTOS/GLOBE GAZETTE

One of the many centerpieces of Cupola Inn Bed & Breakfast is the round stone barn that has served as a rehearsal hall for a church choir and a cello performer, dining center for family reunions and wedding parties, baby showers, a meeting place, as well as a unique and tranquil breakfast area.

‘FALLING IN LOVE WITH WHAT YOU DO’

Hospitality is in the blood of Cupola Inn owners JERRY SMITH

jerry.smith@globegazette.com

Hospitality runs in Judy Mills’ family.

She can remember growing up in Spencer and watching her mother offer complete strangers a warm bed and a meal if they were stranded on cold winter nights.

While Judy had to give up her bed on many of those nights, she grew to love having visitors and listening to the stories they would tell about places other than her little slice of the world in western Iowa.

“My mom was a very hospitable person and I guess I got that trait from her,” Mills said. “It was a lot of fun because everybody was from somewhere different.”

The hospitality her mother

“I purposefully went last because I knew my husband and friends would be stunned. I was right.”

That idea was the spark that ignited the opening of the Cupola Inn Bed & Breakfast just outside of Mason City in rural Nora Springs.

Dale said he and his friends couldn’t let go of the earlier conversation, and at 1 a.m. they found themselves out in the barn taking measurements to see if Judy’s idea was viable.

“We looked at each other and said this could work,” Dale said.

“The cattle barn was indeed big enough. The next morning we The four spacious rooms that make up the Cupola Inn Bed & Breakfast were once a cattle shed that was built in the 1940s as a 500 hen laying pulled out the graph paper and sketched what it could look like. house.

We had enough space for four good-sized rooms.” offered strangers stayed with Nora Springs in 1976.

Fast forward nearly two years Mills her entire life, and on New “Someone asked us all what Year’s Eve 1995, she let her hus- we thought we would be doing to Labor Day 1996 when conband Dale and a group of friends in 10 years and I said I wanted struction began on the Cupola in on a little secret she had been to open and operate a bed and harboring since they moved to breakfast on our farm,” she said.

Please see CUPOLA, Page C9

GuestBarn offers immersive experience You can sleep with the cows at New Day Dairy B&B JERRY SMITH

jerry.smith@globegazette.com

Lynn Bolin is banking on people being a little bit curious about cows.

Not being from the farm herself, she and her husband Dan, who comes from a long line of dairy farmers, had “a crazy” idea a while back of opening a guest barn for folks like Lynn who are curious about where food comes from.

That crazy idea is now a reality as the Bolins are offering people a chance to sleep with the cows in their newly-opened New Day

Dairy GuestBarn in Clarksville.

The GuestBarn offers three bedrooms with private bathrooms, a kitchen, dining area and an area on the second floor where large picture windows offer a view of a real working dairy barn with nearly 150 cows.

“I’m not from the farm and that piece of sharing it with others is wonderful,” Bolin said. “The idea to add the space to a working dairy barn was born from that.”

Bolin said she and her family, which includes Dan and three children – Amara, 9; Vance, 6; and Judah, 2 – have traveled quite a bit. She said that opportunity to travel has allowed her to see new

places and experience new things.

It also hatched the idea to build onto the barn to allow other people to learn about cows and a dairy operation up close and personal.

For many, the first stop in their stay at the GuestBarn is up the stairs of the spacious, high-ceiling bed and breakfast to the two large picture windows to see all of the cows doing their thing. You can sit down at a pub table and gaze at the cows while playing a board game or just relaxing.

Everybody who stays at the GuestBarn is treated to a 30-minute introductory tour the evening Please see GUESTBARN, Page C10

New Day Dairy co-owner Lynn Bolin sits at a pub table where folks can gaze out at a real working dairy barn with nearly 150 cows.

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Dream homes highlighted in Real Estate Extra JERRY SMITH

jerry.smith@globegazette.com

Each month in the Globe Gazette, we feature a worthy North Iowa home in our Real Estate Extra special section.

Many of the homes featured are considered “dream homes” and are worth looking at a second time.

Here are three of those homes (in no particular order of importance):

Historic Nora Springs home becomes living legacy (Published in July 2019) Rich and Rita Paxson thought it was time to let go of their “dream home” in rural Nora Springs that has given them a lifetime of memories in the 44 years they have inhabited the transformed farmhouse.

“We think it’s time for some young energy to come in like we did,” Rita said in a June interview. “It’s been wonderful making this old farmhouse ours, with all the special touches and nuances. We’ve had our fun, though, so it’s time for someone else to enjoy this wonderful place.”

The Paxsons not only expanded the home known as the “Old Bitterman Place,” they also transformed it into a warm, inviting space meant for entertaining.

The redesign of their old 1870s farmhouse on Spott’s Corner a few miles west of Nora Springs, which Rich says is one of the first in Cerro Gordo County, began immediately when they purchased it in 1975 as it was “showing its age.”

At first it was renovations, but then in 1986 and again in 1999, Rich and Rita went all in, first gutting the house, and then adding onto it.

“We gutted it down to the studs,” Rich said. “It’s like a brand new house was built in 1999.”

The Paxsons were drawn to the house because of the home’s history. Manies Bitterman, a descendant of William Penn, built the house in the 1870s. Historians say it was a convenient overnight stop for settlers pushing west.

Rich and Rita added some family history of their own in their time living in the sprawling home, not only putting their own touches in the design of the house, but also in how it has been furnished with family heirlooms and period pieces they’ve picked up in their travels.

“We wanted it to be ours in look and feel,” Rita said. “We wanted a home that is beautiful and large enough to host our family and friends on special occasions.”

The Paxsons made that happen as they added a large screened in porch in 1999 and a big patio just outside for relaxing and entertaining.

The nearly 5 acres of property also includes a walking trail through the woods with serenity stops along the way, a horseshoe pit and a large hammock for those lazy summer days.

But the crème de la crème of the outdoor entertaining possibilities is the fully renovated original horse barn that has been turned into a guest house, complete with a full kitchen, wood-burning stove and a loft bedroom. As an added bonus, Rita said the furniture will stay when the Paxsons move.

In the four decades the Paxsons have called 23044 260th St. in rural Nora Springs home, Rich has been able to watch the 44 varieties of trees he planted in the first years mature and blossom into a beautiful backdrop.

“The trees are a special part of this property,” he said. “They have grown to provide wonderful shade and to become a part of our story.”

“We’ve enjoyed creating

LISA GROUETTE PHOTOS, LISA.GROUETTE@GLOBEGAZETTE.COM

A vintage three-story home at 204 7th St. NW in Mason City offered plenty of character and possibilities.

Rich and Rita Paxson transformed an old farmhouse into a warm, inviting space meant for entertaining.

Three-story homes are a rarity in Mason City.

In fact, RE/MAX Heartland Realtors’ Shannon Anderson says there are only two in the city, with one standing right behind the Mason City Public Library near downtown.

The other, she says, is at 204 7th St. NW. Anderson said just as rare as three-story houses in Mason City are Georgian Revival homes with as much character and possibilities as the four-bedroom, 5,691-square foot dwelling she is listing.

“This is a one-of-a-kind The crème de la crème of the outdoor entertaining home,” she said of the house possibilities is the fully renovated original horse barn that built in 1910. “If you like old, has been turned into a guest house. quality homes, you’ll fall in love with this unique propour own space here and will erty. take many memories with Vintage Mason City us,” Rita said. “We hope home has character, The house sits on the someone will come in and corner of 2nd Street NW enjoy all the love and care possibilities and North Adams Avenue we have put into the place.

(Published in September in a quiet, beautiful neighIt’s time.”

2019) borhood. Across the street

Remodel

Reward

is the Adas Israel Synagogue, and directly behind is the Holy Family Catholic Church of Epiphany Parish.

One look at the outside of the old gray house – with its gambrel roof, symmetrical design, brick pillars, vibrant blue trim and attached twocar garage – gives you a glimpse of what you’ll see when you walk under the large leaded glass window over the front door in the foyer.

You are instantly transformed to another time as you are greeted by a wide ornate staircase leading up to a spacious second level.

On the landing before the staircase turns is a beautiful built-in stained glass window that leaves no doubt that it once was a part of a local church.

The ground level offers spacious areas for family time and entertaining, including a large living room

with a sun room, complete with French-style doors and plenty of windows.

The dining room is as unique as the house itself, with rich woodwork and leather in-lays to accent the chair rail that allows for ornate plates to be placed all around the room.

A built-in hutch taking up the entire back wall, a window seat across the entire front window and a large pocket door complete the warm, rich room.

Just off the dining room leading into the refinished kitchen – complete with Woodharbor custom cabinetry and a parquet flooring – is a butler’s pantry that was essential in 1910 when the house was built.

The large kitchen allows for new owners to add an island that would perfectly accentuate plenty of cabinet space.

The second level is accessible from the front staircase, but also from the kitchen. In the early 20th century, it was normal for affluent families to have live-in maids, and the back staircase off the kitchen leads up to once was the maid’s quarters.

The large master bedroom is a dwelling onto itself. Just off the room is a sun room with punched tin ceiling an plenty of windows to let in the early morning sun.

Please see REAL ESTATE EXTRA, Page C4

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Davenport grain bin is now a spectacular penthouse Airbnb ALMA GAUL

agaul@qctimes.com

Standing on Davenport’s E. Second Street, facing The Half Nelson restaurant, one would never guess there’s a penthouse tower rising five stories at the back of the building.

But go around to the alley, and — yes! — there’s a three-story, stairstepped addition built atop the original two-story building that isn’t visible from the front.

And when Pete Stopulos bought the building for development into a restaurant, meadery and apartments, he knew the addition he calls the penthouse tower had spectacular redevelopment potential as a residence.

Now that the penthouse is finished, he’s renting it as an Airbnb rather than a leased apartment as he has with the seven units he built on the second floor.

The tower offers a place to stay in downtown Davenport with spectacular views of the Mississipppi River and lots of architectural character that sets it apart from run-of-the-mill hotel rooms. It sleeps six, has 2½ bathrooms and a full kitchen.

That’s quite a change for a space that was built in 1934 by a seed company to use for cleaning grain.

Step through the front door and the first impression may be that, wow, this place is bright!

While the tower was full of grain bins when Stopulos took possession, it also contained many windows. Today these windows let in light that brings out the warmth of the red clay block walls and the Douglas fir floors.

Retrofitting this space wasn’t easy, though.

The tower posed many challenges, mainly because — with the metal grain bins still in place — it was initially impossible for Stopulos or architect Andrew Dasso, owner of Streamline Architects,

KEVIN SCHMIDT PHOTOS, KSCHMIDT@QCTIMES.COM

The bedroom on the second level of the penthouse tower includes an office area and lots of sunlight.

Blue sky and downtown Davenport are visible from a window on the main level of the penthouse tower Airbnb. Looking out the other side, one would see the Mississippi River.

East Moline, to see what they were working with.

Even access was difficult, as there were no staircases per se, just a 16-foot metal ladder and grain chutes that had to be crawled through from one level to another.

“It was like a Chutes and Ladders game,” Dasso said.

As workmen cut out the heavy gauge steel bins with torches and the space revealed itself, Dasso had to change some of his design plans to fit reality. He also found “more

Five windows bring in bright natural light and a warm glow to the Douglas fir floor and red clay block walls of the penthouse tower Airbnb.

The main level/living room of the penthouse tower has 16-foot ceilings and a Douglas fir floor. It is furnished with a couch, large screen TV and dining table and chairs. neat nooks we weren’t aware of because the bins were there. It was also a lot bigger than we thought.”

The first level of the unit contains a living room with a 16-foot ceiling and five windows with river views.

Up two steps, there is the kitchen —

a long, narrow space that is laid out the way it is because that is what the structure dictated. It’s outfitted with white cabinets, black granite countertops and a microwave, stove, dishwasher, refrigerator and coffee maker.

“The kitchen is in a nook,” Dasso said. “It’s hard to understand how it (the building) went together.”

Between the living room and kitchen there’s a wide, switchback staircase that leads up to the second and third floors.

The second level has a bedroom, office area, sitting room with futon that can be opened for sleeping, laundry and full bath.

The third level has a bedroom, full bath and a private deck off what is the fifth floor of the building, facing west.

The two full baths and the handicapped accessible half-bath on the first floor are outfitted in similar fashion — gray walls; white vanities with black granite countertops; white toilets, sinks and showers; white tile floors with black diamond insets and brushed gold hardware.

“This place is going to be good for a long time to come,” Stopulos said. “We didn’t skimp.”

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Room with a view

W

ith a bright 2020 already in full swing, I thought there was no better way to celebrate than with a mini makeover. I had the pleasure of working with the talented Anna Petrow, who is a photographer in Kansas City, Missouri, in giving her sunroom a little update. She had never KATIE LAUGHRIDGE worked with a designer before, and I wanted to make sure she had a wonderful time from the initial home visit to the final reveal.

Anna has a lovely house in Brookside that has all the charm and character you could ask for. One thing I loved about her space is how she mixes antiques and older pieces with new items and modern touches. We love doing that, too! She mentioned she has been trying to figure out how to update an antique daybed she had picked up years ago and had not been able to successfully place in a room. Upon hearing this, I knew we could be of service.

Anna’s home is so light and airy that the dark, necktie-inspired fabrics on the daybed were creating a heavy visual space that didn’t quite fit. We agreed that once reupholstered, it would be perfect for her adorable sunroom. Anna herself has a great eye for design, color and spacing, so I knew this would be a fun project.

How one interior designer transformed a sunroom

cents, it plays perfectly with the plants that line the sunny space and the natural woven elements throughout the room. We knew almost immediately this was going to be our winner. The playful jungle elements fit perfectly in her sunroom, and the bursts of color helped tie in her existing decor. We choose a deep green performance fabric for her daybed cushion (she has a new puppy who loves to keep watch in this room, so it must be durable) and used some lighter TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE PHOTOS textured patterns to effortlessly tie in her denim chair. We even threw in her favorite The sunroom, following its transformation, featured playful jungle elements and some pops fabric from the chambray collection to add of color. another light element to balance everything After some chatting, I had her come into room theme. Ultimately we decided it was out. In the end, it was the perfect way to too familiar, though she did spy one of her the shop to peruse our fabric room to find enhance her room and create a space in out what colors and patterns she gravitated favorite fabrics (which luckily we could fit which she would love to spend time. toward. It can be easy to get comfortable in into our finished look).

I had so much fun working on this project As a second option, we went in the opyour decor choices, so I thought it would be with Anna. One of the things we strive for is posite direction. The look was a collection fun to shake things up by presenting three bringing out our customers’ own styles and very different options for her. We wanted to of spicy reds, eye-catching jewel tones and enhancing their already beautiful homes. whimsical prints that we named “Southhelp her complete her space but also push We want to create a fun and stress-free west Spice.” Full of color and texture, the her out of her comfort zone. space to get creative and step outside your collection was a new direction for her home comfort zone to find the perfect design Our first look is one we called “Calming Chambray” and is made up of muted blues, but one that created interest and added match. dark denims and light creams for a dreamy depth. While this was not the look we finalBeing able to play around with fun ized, it did offer a nod to her love of animal looks to find the perfect fit reminds me and casual appearance. The collection is light on color variety but heavy on texture. prints. why I love design in the first place.

The final option was the fresh and fierce We thought this would tie in her existing “Jungle Bungalow” look. denim chair beautifully to her new reupContact Katie Laughridge Full of animal prints and soft leafy acholstered piece and fit with her current at info@nellhills.com.

AFTER

BEFORE

‘Real Estate Extra’

are limited only by your imagination on what can be done to make it yours,” Anderson said.

From C2 “This house is beautiful as is and has so much character. When you walk through the front Before moving, the current owners used door, you are transported back to a different the space as a TV room, where he could time.” spend his fall and winter Sunday afternoons watching Green bay Packers games in peace. Mason City home offers space, The master suite is just one of four bed- space and more space rooms on the house’s middle level. There are three other bedrooms on that level that (Published in December 2019) could accommodate a family looking for When you walk into the property at 310 room to spread out.

Woodbine Rd. in Mason City, the first thing The third floor has endless possibilities. you notice is how much space there is.

According to Anderson, the owners used Your eye is immediately drawn to the it as a master bedroom suite with enough doubled-sided brick fireplace that divides room to even accommodate a pool table. a mammoth living space into two smaller Making the room even more unique is – but still large – rooms with big arched the barn wood doors along both sides of windows on both ends and vaulted ceilings the room that open up into endless storage perfectly complementing the space. space.

And then you notice that everything is The third floor also has a small deck and brand new. comes complete with its own heating and From the carpeting to the lighting, the trim cooling systems. in every room to the doors, and the new cab“There is a lot of living space here and you inets to the appliances in the kitchen, every-

This home on Woodbine Road in Mason City offers tons of space and everything is new. thing has been updated in this 4,236-squarefoot home.

“There is definitely a lot of living space for a big family,” said owner and listing agent Tim Latham of Hildebrand Real Estate. “The big arch windows and vaulted ceilings really set the living space off and the space flows so nice.”

Latham even joked that the first floor could have two sizable living rooms.

“One person who I showed the house to said that the double-sided fireplace is

the perfect midpoint to his and hers living spaces,” he said.

After passing through the living area and large dining area, a perfectly appointed kitchen awaits, with new cabinets, granite counter tops, flooring and stainless steel appliances.

Latham said the house that sits on a corner lot in the quiet Asbury neighborhood that is close to schools is perfect for a big family, with four bedrooms and two full bathrooms on the main level, and another bedroom and bath in the lower level.

“The house is very open with the majority of the bedrooms upstairs,” Latham said.

“There is just a lot of space to mingle, and even the biggest of families won’t be on top of each other.”

Also new are the furnace, central air conditioner, and water heater.

“We totally re-did this house and it is updated with quality materials,” Latham said.

“It’s a nice ranch with four bedrooms on the main floor and lots of space in the lower level. It is a great house for a large family.”

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| SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

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CUSTOM BUILT HOME IS EXCEPTIONAL

SPECTACULAR LAKE VIEWS

• 4 Bedrooms and 4.5 Baths • Beautifully Decorated • Spacious open floor plan, 2 gas log fireplaces • Elegance and Luxury • Gourmet kitchen

• 4 Bedrooms and 4 Baths • Spacious open bright and airy floor plan • Delightful decor • Gorgeous Views • Hot tub and pontoon negotiable!

2609 E Lake St - Ventura $724,876 | 3062 Sq. ft. | 4 Bedrooms | 4 Baths

SPECTACULAR LAKE VIEWS!! 70 FOOT OF LAKE SHORE! YOUR BOAT CAN STAY ON THE CANAL YEAR ROUND! 136x72 LOT 70x22 LAKE SHORE! This well designed home is perfect for your lake lifestyle! Spacious open BRIGHT AND AIRY floor plan, delightful decor, nice updates include quartz island counter top, new back splash, newer shingles, newer LR carpet and so much more! ENJOY cozy evenings at home by the fireplace! Entertain or have your relaxing morning coffee on one of the decks all featuring GORGEOUS VIEWS! Call Dodie for a showing today!!

2225 Country Club Dr - Mason City $519,000 | 5621 Sq. ft. | 4 Bedrooms | 4.5 Baths

EXQUISITE ONE OF A KIND HOME!! TRULY A MUST SEE! THIS CUSTOM BUILT HOME IS EXCEPTIONAL!! Nestled on picturesque Country Club lot with such a prestigious presence! New landscaped lighting and many impressive improvements! BEAUTIFULLY DECORATED! Gourmet kitchen with all the extras, double gas range, professional espresso machine and more! Spacious open floor plan, 2 gas log fireplaces for cozy evenings at home! ELEGANCE AND LUXURY without compromising WARMTH AND CHARM! Master Suite, 2 walk in closets with built ins! Elevator & ramp for accessibility. Call Dodie for a showing today!!

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• 5 Bedrooms and 3.25 Baths • Theater room and 4 season room will be enjoyed by friends and family!

• The room sizes will amaze you!

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• 5 Bedrooms and 4 Baths • Bright and airy sun room • Own park with play equipment included!

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• Affordable Storybook Dream Home

6 Cairnbrae Hills - Mason City $649,000 | 8528 Sq. ft. | 5 Bedrooms | 3.25 Baths

DESIGNED WITH DISTINCTION AND A RARE FIND! THIS QUALITY EWERS AND POPE BUILT HOME WITH CUSTOM ADDITION FEATURES OVER 8,000 SQUARE FEET SITUATED IN PICTURESQUE CAIRNBRAE HILLS! Enjoy the comfort and beauty of this secluded upscale countryside neighborhood!

Living room features built ins and fireplace for warm cozy evenings at home! Theater room and 4 season room will be enjoyed by friends and family!

Gorgeous kitchen with all appliances included! Laundry room will make your daily chores a breeze! Call Dodie for a showing today!!

7 Deer Creek Ct - Mason City $497,730 | 5211 Sq. ft. | 5 Bedrooms | 4 Baths

THIS HOME HAS THE WARMTH, ELEGANCE AND CHARM FOR A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES WITH YOUR LOVED ONES! ENCHANTING AND BEAUTIFULLY SITUATED ON ALMOST 1 ACRE ~ PICTURESQUE PEACEFUL COUNTRY SETTING in the Fox Meadows Subdivision! STUNNING foyer with open staircase and soaring ceilings! Welcoming kitchen, gorgeous cabinetry, all appliances included, cheery breakfast area ~ perfect for the gourmet cook in the family! Natural gas generator, 20’ of driveway heated! Call Dodie for a showing today!!

AMAZING SANDY BEACH!

HALF ACRE LOT!

• 3 Bedrooms and 3 Baths • Spacious home with updated kitchen, quartz counter tops, stainless steel appliances included!

• Stone fireplace for warm cozy evenings at home!

4116 S Shore Dr - Clear Lake $778,800 | 2415 Sq. ft. | 3 Bedrooms | 3 Baths

ALL YOUR DREAMS WITHIN YOUR MEANS!! Stunning And Affordable Year Round Lakeside Home With 50’ Of Lake Frontage! Amazing Sandy Beach! Feel Like Vacation Everyday in this charming, delightful home nestled in such a gorgeous tranquil setting! ENJOY walks along the beach, fishing, swimming, boating or just relax entertaining family and friends! Spacious home with updated kitchen, quartz counter tops, stainless steel appliances included! Stone fireplace for warm cozy evenings at home! You’ll never tire of the AMAZING VIEWS! Call Dodie for a showing today!!

• 3-seasons porch • Attached 1-car garage • Includes a full set of appliances • Partly finished basement • 0.53-acre corner lot

531 Beelar Street, Marble Rock $63,500 | 1112 sq. ft. | 3 Bedrooms | 1.75 Baths

Come see the pride of ownership in this 3-bedroom, 1.75 bath home in Marble Rock! This 1,112 sq ft ranch offers convenient main level living. The basement offers a large family room, laundry area, ¾ bath and storage/utility room. The 3-seasons porch has sliding doors to the backyard and patio or the driveway.Space for all types of outdoor enjoyment!

Veronica Litterer 641-330-6732

Realty Company Veronica@StewartRealtySells.com Stewart 641-2281111

LOVELY HOME!

WALKOUT RANCH!

• 0.42 acre yard with mature trees • Multiple living spaces for today’s lifestyle • Fresh finishes • 1,176 sqft building ready for a business or living space

1301 Pearl Street, Floyd $173,000 | 1699 Sq. ft. | 4 Bedrooms | 2.5 Baths

The updated kitchen flows into a family room featuring fireplace with brick surround & walkout to a wood deck & backyard. A half bath is conveniently tucked off the kitchen & family room. Also on the main floor are 2 bedrooms & a full bath. Upstairs has 2 more bedrooms & a ¾ bath. The full basement is ready for finishing.

Veronica Litterer 641-330-6732

Realty Company Veronica@StewartRealtySells.com Stewart 641-2281111

• 2.98 acres • City water and sewer • 3,316 total sq. ft.

• 3 stall attached garage • In-floor heat

3018 Clark Street, Charles City $335,000 | 1766 sq. ft. | 4 Bedrooms | 3 Baths Custom built in 2003, this four bedroom walk-out ranch home is nestled upon 2.98 acres along the Cedar River featuring spectacular views. Four bedrooms including a large master suite with whirlpool tub, Jack and Jill sink, walk-in closet and separate shower. The lower level features a huge family room with sitting area and wet bar, a Ledgestone gas fireplace, separate storage room and mechanical room. It’s all here and waiting for you!

Lori L Stewart 641-257-9990 Lori@StewartRealtySells.com

EXECUTIVE MANSION!

SINGLE FAMILY RANCH!

• Luxury Home Theater • 1.2 acres, Beautifully Landscaped • Custom Cherry Cabinetry • In-Floor Heat

• Full basement with family room • Workshop • Large lot on quiet street • Deck with beautiful back yard

1208 Eastmoor Drive, Mason City $162,500 | 2440 sq. ft. | 3 Bedrooms | 1.5 Baths

Lovely 3BR home close to schools and shopping. Fully equipped kitchen with newer cabinets and Corian countertops. Built-ins galore.

1/2 bath off the master bedroom, dining room has many built in cabinets and sliding doors to deck and back yard. Full basement has family room, den/office, huge laundry area plus workshop with plenty of room! Large lot and quiet street invite you to take a look

Dave Guetzko 641-201-0055 daveguetzko@gmail.com

Stewart Realty Company 641-2281111

145 Pebble Creek Drive, Mason City $979,000 | 5983 sq. ft. | 5 Bedrooms | 3.5 Baths

Incredible custom-built executive mansion with no detail omitted. Stunning 2-story entry foyer leading to a large living room with 18’ ceiling.Complete main floor master suite. Formal dining room, plus kitchen nook and lovely breakfast bar. Lower level boasts a complete home theater, fireplace, 2 bedrooms, bath, exercise room, game room AND a 2nd complete kitchen. WOW!!

Dave Guetzko 641-201-0055 641-484-6705

daveguetzko@gmail.com

641-484-6705

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GLOBE GAZETTE

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 |

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HUNTERS DREAM • 10 acres with home nestled among mature trees • Main floor master bedroom w/master bath walk-in closet • Knotty pine sun room northside looking toward the Winnebago River

2335 300th St - Ventura $349,900 | 2,800 Sq. ft. | 3 Bedrooms | 2.75 Baths

PEACEFUL SETTING, full screened front porch, open staircase, bath on each floor, geothermal heating makes this homes energy cost efficient. You will also find a 30x60 steel garage/heated shop and a 16x24 Wood Framed Cabin. Call today!

SERVING ALL OF NORTH IOWA A Donna Eckard

641-529-1525

Mason City 641.424.9400

HISTORIC AMERICAN BUNGALOW!

• Landscape With Fond Du Lac Stone/Waterfall • Built In Cabinets Everywhere • River View • Koi Pond/Gas Generator • Frank Lloyd Wright Inspired

THIS HOME WAS DESIGNED TO MIMIC THE WATERFALL FROM FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT. OVERLOOKING THE WINNEBAGO RIVER, THE HOME AND VIEW IS ONE OF A KIND. AS YOU WALK IN, TO YOUR RIGHT IS THE BEAUTIFUL OFFICE WITH BUILT IN CABINETS. YOU WILL THEN SEE THE ROCK WALL FOR THE SEE-THROUGH FIREPLACE AND BEYOND THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE UP IN THE TREES OVERLOOKING THE RIVER.

Zelda Elwood 641-201-9664

Exit Realty Mason City 641-424-3005

www.exitrealtymc.com

• Located in Forest Park Addition • Wonderful Hardwood Floors!

• Fieldstone Kitchen • Wood Burning Fireplace & Custom Built-ins • Basement Family Room

85 Linden Dr., Mason City $225,000 | 3,450 Sq. ft. | 4 Bedrooms | 2.25 Baths Call this Brick Beauty home. Great old world charm located in the Forest Park addition. Great combination of New & Old. Kitchen features Fieldstone cabinets & corian counter tops. Wonderful hardwoods, formal dining, built-ins, woodburning fireplace & extra large master bedroom.

Main floor office- den or 4th bedroom w/ 1/2 bath. Full finished basement w/ family room, craft room & shower. Patio and well landscaped yard.

Jane Fischer 641-425-4900 EXIT REALTY MASON CITY

641-424-HOME (4663)

www.janefischer.com

BEAUTIFUL LAKE HOME!

CHARM-LOCATION AND CONVENIENCE. Move right into this family home with beautiful view of Lake Cona Toma. You will love the freshness of this home with new carpeting and new paint. The charm is amazing with the 1st floor family room with custom built ins and wood burning fireplace. There is also an updated 1/2 bath and a nice formal living and dining room with an enclosed 3 season room with nice privacy. Four bedrooms up with a master bed and newly updated 3/4 master bath.

Jane Fischer 641-425-4900

641-424-HOME (4663)

www.janefischer.com

1002 East State St., Suite B, Mason City

• Just under 2 acres • Master loft bedroom • Enclosed front porch • Log walls w/franklin burner • Large BA w/walk in shower • Pond & waterfall

305 College St - Plymouth $210,000 | 2,010 Sq. ft. | 2 Bedrooms | 1.5 Baths NO OTHER HOME WILL COMPARE - ONE IN A MILLION family log home with all the extras inside and out! Beautiful lot w/ trees,waterfall pond & creek situated on approx. 1.6 acres. Generous room sizes w open staircase to Master bedroom which has an open loft over looking the living room with vaulted ceiling, windows to the back yard & a slider to the rear decking. One of a kind bathroom with over sized walk-in shower & heated tub. Slate tiled floor & stone wall and double vanity. New barn that is designed for entertainment or could be a business. You need to walk through this one! Call today to see all this one has to offer!

Jane Fischer 641-425-4900

641-424-HOME (4663)

www.janefischer.com

ONE IN A MILLION • Beautiful Log Home on 1.6 Acres on Land • Master Bedroom Overlooking the Living Room • Vaulted Ceiling • One of a Kind Bathroom with Oversized Walk-in Shower & Heated Tub • New Barn that is Designed for Entertainment or Could be a Business

305 College St - Plymouth $210,000 | 2,010 Sq. ft. | 2 Bedrooms | 1.5 Baths

NO OTHER HOME WILL COMPARE - ONE IN A MILLION family log home with all the extras inside and out! Beautiful lot w/ trees, waterfall pond & creek situated on approx. 1.6 acres. Generous room sizes w open staircase to Master bedroom which has an open loft over looking the living room with vaulted ceiling, windows to the back yard & a slider to the rear decking. One of a kind bathroom with over sized walk-in shower & heated tub. Slate tiled floor & stone wall and double vanity. New barn that is designed for entertainment or could be a business. You need to walk through this one! Call today to see all this one has to offer!

Jane Fischer 641-425-4900

641-424-HOME (4663)

www.janefischer.com

1002 East State St., Suite B, Mason City

1692 S Rhode Island Ct., Mason City $448,500 | 4,386 Sq. ft. | 4 Bedrooms | 3 Baths ONE OWNER custom built home by Mike Momberg Construction. This family home sits on 1.5 lots with beautiful treed grove in the backyard. This one has all the extras. Woodharbor cabinets throughout and Pella windows and doors. Main floor master suite with his and hers walk in closets, soaker jet tub and super sized walk in shower with body jets. Main floor also features see through gas fireplace separating the kitchen/dining and living room. A cook’s kitchen and main floor laundry.

Jane Fischer 641-425-4900

641-424-HOME (4663)

www.janefischer.com

1002 East State St., Suite B, Mason City

• Master Bed/Bath • Oversized Updated Kitchen • Brick Fireplace • Double Stall Attached Garage • Basement Rec & Shop

1100 Brentwood Dr., Mason City $230,000 | 3,464 Sq. ft. | 3 Bedrooms | 2.5 Baths FIRST CLASS FAMILY RANCH located in Briarstone. You will love the size with a floor family room family room that has a slider to ap rivate patio and brick fireplace. Nice formal living room that flows into the dining and kitchen. Eat-in updated kitchen with tons ofcupboard space. Additional feature include a Master bed & bath, newly updated full hall bath, lower level super sized family room, 3/4 bath, shop and bonus room Appliances to stay.

Jane Fischer 641-425-4900

• Wonderful Golf Course View • Master Bed/Bath • Stunning Hardwood Floors Throughout Home • Double Stall Attached Garage

212 Fairway Dr - Belmond $150,000 | 2,880 Sq. ft. | 3 Bedrooms | 2.25 Baths

THE VIEW IS SURE TO PLEASE - BEAUTIFUL GOLF COURSE RIGHT OFF YOUR BACK DECK! Quiet neighborhood tucked back off the Belmond Golf Course & Country Club. Open concept on the main floor with stunning newer hardwood flooring throughout. The diningroom features a large slider to the oversized rear deck is located just off the kitchen with loads of cabinet and counter top space. Natural light pours into all the windows in the living room and shines off the gorgeous hardwoods.

The upstairs includes a master bedroom with a master bath along with two additional bedrooms and a full bath Great closet space can be found in all the bedrooms.

Jenna Sheriff 641-420-1955 jenna.janefischer.com

jenna.janefischer.com

641-424-HOME (4663) 1002 East State St., Suite B, Mason City

CHARM AND CHARACTER • Newer appliances • Beautiful hardwood floors and Built-ins • Large Enclosed Porch • Spectacular Fireplace • Oversized 2 stall detached garage

106 10th St NW - Mason City $125,000 | 2,304 Sq. ft. | 3 Bedrooms | 1.5 Baths CHARMING HOME FILLED WITH CHARACTER ON A BEAUTIFULLY TREE LINED STREET. Prepare to be impressed by the homes space & character beginning with the large enclosed front porch that welcomes you into the living room with a spectacular fireplace, mantle & built-ins on each side then opens into the dining room with a one of a kind built in hutch perfect to display your fine china pieces. The kitchen includes newer appliances & hickory cabinetry with a view out to the back patio and rear yard. Newer windows throughout the main floor. The lower level has workbench & laundry area along with several storage room spaces.

Jenna Sheriff 641-420-1955

Jenna Sheriff 641-420-1955 00 1

1002 East State St., Suite B, Mason City

BEAUTIFUL GOLF COURSE VIEW!

• Several new updates • Oversized back patio with fenced in yard • Welcoming front porch • Main floor master bedroom with laundry

WHERE FAMILY FUN BEGINS! If you’ve been looking for a charming home with all the updates and loads of space located across the street from the park - THIS ONE IS FOR YOU! Adorable front porch, oversized back patio with fenced in yard & second lot with detached garage and basketball hoop. Recent updates include: interior doors, flooring, attic area, banister/steps refinished, and bathroom vanities. Bright and airy living room connects to the dining room and continues on into the kitchen featuring newer appliances. The bedroom on the main floor is being used as the master suite with a full bath and laundry.

641-424-HOME (4663)

www.janefischer.com

FAMILY SIZED HOME!

8 S. Virginia Ave - Mason City $159,500 | 3,538 Sq. ft. | 4 Bedrooms | 1.75 Baths

1002 East State St., Suite B, Mason City

AMAZING RANCH HOME!

CUSTOM BUILT DREAM HOME!

• Beautiful 1.5 Lots with Treed Grove • Main Floor Master Suite • A Cook’s Kitchen with Wood Harbor Cabinets • Gas Fireplace Separating Kitchen/ Dinning Room & Living Room • Lower Level Family Room with Fireplace & Walkout

1002 East State St., Suite B, Mason City

IN TOWN ACREAGE

• Several New Updates • View of Lake Cona Toma • Wood Burning Fireplace & Custom Built-ins • Enclosed 3 Season Room • Master Bed and Bath

137 Lakeview Dr., Mason City $215,000 | 2,864 Sq. ft. | 4 Bedrooms | 2.25 Baths

Northwood 641.324.2733 .324.2733

www.c21northiowa.com

EXQUISITE HOME

1446 N Carolina, MASON CITY, Iowa 50401 $537,500 | 4,124 Sq. ft. | 4 Bedrooms | 3 Baths

Clear Lake 641.357.9400

641-424-HOME (4663) 1002 East State St., Suite B, Mason City

jenna.janefischer.com

641-424-HOME (4663) 1002 East State St., Suite B, Mason City

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| SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

GLOBE GAZETTE

Reclaimed wood’s past adds character to decor Designers creating new narrative in dream homes

ABOVE: This photo shows Rhinebeck, N.Y based Sawkille Co.’s salvaged tree trunks made into stump tables and seating.

KIM COOK

Associated Press

In their new book, “Reclaimed Wood: A Field Guide” (Abrams, 2019), woodworkers Alan Solomon and Klaas Armster close with an imagined recounting of one tree’s story from sprout to salvage.

The tale begins in the 1500s, when longleaf pine covered a vast area from North Carolina down to the tip of Texas and the Florida Panhandle — “the largest forested lands in North America,” the authors say.

Over the next few hundred years, their pine tree grows to 120 feet. Naturally fire-resistant, it survives storms, woodpeckers, hunters and the Civil War, until it succumbs to loggers in the 1880s. The tree is then brought to a mill, shipped to New York, and taken by horse cart along cobblestone streets to lower Manhattan. For the next couple of hundred years, its wood frames commercial lofts that hold hat shops and daguerreotype salons. After demolition in the mid2000s, the pine boards are salvaged by builders to clad the floors of the Park Avenue Armory and make gym bleachers in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

As the authors write, “the longleaf that had grown in the South and then went North, ultimately kept roots in both places.”

The story describes what could be the life’s journey of many trees whose long-lasting wood was a primary building material in the development of towns and cities.

These days, although many new buildings are made of concrete or brick, there’s a resurgence in using reclaimed wood in everything from ceiling beams to feature walls, furniture, flooring or exterior cladding.

Architects and designers appreciate the narrative that salvaged wood brings to a project, and the physi-

LEFT: The Hudson Company salvages framing from mushroom farms in the mid-Atlantic., like the paneling shown here.

HONS PHOTOS

The Hudson Company salvages timbers and boards from various cities’ water towers, industrial buildings and agrarian structures. cal charm of planed boards with the patina and markings of their life stories.

Solomon and Armster run Sawkill Lumber in Brooklyn, New York, supplying wood salvaged from barns, commercial and industrial sites, and homes to architects, contractors and woodworkers. Sometimes their hardwoods or softwoods are left in their natural state, but the team also ``rehabs’’ beams and boards by refinishing, sanding and giving them coats of protective stains, oils or waxes.

In one case, Solomon says, they acquired wood from dismantled Worcestershire sauce tanks at an old Lea & Perrins plant in New Jersey.

“The wood is high-quality, old-growth Douglas fir, free of knots, with a strong scent of sauce after re-sawing,” says Solomon, who used some of the wood to clad his own home.

The Hudson Company, which has a mill and showroom in Pine Plains, New York, and showrooms in Manhattan and Ridgefield, Connecticut, salvages timbers and boards from various cities’ water towers, industrial buildings and agrarian structures. It has also salvaged framing from mushroom farms; the woods — mostly hemlock and cypress — develop unique characteristics over the fungi’s growth cycle.

Company president Jamie Hammel likes the idea that the wood, often used as paneling in residential and commercial projects, is

FOR ALL YOUR

salvaged from an ongoing agricultural process.

“So, in a sense it’s a renewable resource, because the farmers are continuously updating and replacing the boards from the growing beds. In addition, the caramel color wood tones, fine grain, and sculptural textures offer a unique aesthetic,’’ he says.

Jonah Meyer, who owns Sawkille Company, a furniture design studio in Rhinebeck, New York, praises heart pine for its ``wonderful stripes. Heart pines come from the beams of America’s first factories, and of course, these were old growth forests that were being cut. Old growth also means slow growth; the rings of the trees are very tight. Nothing grows like that anymore.”

Meyer crafts chairs, tables and other furniture, some of which he paints with woodland scenes or decorative motifs.

When nature sends something his way, he’ll make the most of it.

“Occasionally we find a huge tree that has come down in a storm, so we cut it up for coffee tables and start drying the pieces.

They’re amazing to work with — some are almost 45 inches across,’’ he says. ``Over time we get to know the tree, and it’s a good feeling to have saved it from the firewood pile.”

PLUMBING & HEATING NEEDS...

CLAUSEN

Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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UPDATE LIKE A PRO Renovations that add value to your home

during a renovation. hancing trend. If your new For more extreme — and blueprint requires you to expensive — upgrades, remove walls, it’s best to GREEN SHOOT MEDIA redesigning the layout of hire an expert who can enWhether you’re planning cabinets or adding an is- sure load-bearing stabilizto sell your property or wish land is another value-en- ers remain unaltered. to invest in your forever home, fall is a great time to renovate.

As the distractions of having fun in the sun pass with summer, take advantage of cooler weather to improve the appearance and increase the value of your house.

While not all renovations break the bank, those on Our experienced mortgage lenders tight budgets can benefit from financing. will be glad to help you through While searching for a the loan process lender, you should plan to shop around for competiFree Pre-approval tive interest rates, reasonable terms and manageable payment obligations. Look into acquiring a home improvement loan as they can feature attractive benefits to borrowers.

Here are a few common repairs that homeowners perform to add value to their home, according to the experts at Consumer Reports.

210 N. 4th St., Clear Lake www.woodfordlumber.com

MORTGAGE AND HOME EQUITY LOANS MADE SIMPLE!

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Kitchen upgrades

The kitchen has long been regarded as a room that attracts the most attention. If your cabinets or appliances are outdated, refreshing them to more modern standards can change the entire aesthetic of your room. You can also use an attractive backsplash to tie together countertops and cabinets

Andy Julseth

Bill Cody

2650 4th St. SW, Mason City, IA 50401 • 641-423-7638 451 S. Illinois Ave., Mason City, IA 50401 • 641-423-1432 900 Central Ave., Northwood, IA 50459 • 641-324-1023 00 1

DREAM HOMES

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SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 |

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Cupola From C1

Inn Bed & Breakfast. Dale’s love of architecture, and especially old barns and the cupolas that sit on top of many of them, has been the foundation of the Cupola Inn’s feel.

The Cupola Inn opened 13 months later.

Judy knew that Dale had spent a lifetime playing and working in barns, and that turned into a hobby of thousands of photographs, barn books, a collection of barn calendars and a wide variety of functional as well as decorative barn items.

“I had the name picked out and I knew my husband has loved barns since he was a teenager,” said Judy, who noted that each of the four room has a mini library of barn books, statues and trinkets. “It kept him interested.”

To that end, Dale says each of the nearly 50 cupolas he has collected and the ones that dot the property have a story. For the avid collector, each has to be unique. His favorite is the cupola he picked up 10 years ago from his great grandfather’s farm.

“That is a special cupola,” he said. “It has the most character.

But all of them have an interesting story.”

The bed and breakfast opened in October 1996 with four rooms in the former cattle shed that was built in the 1940s as a 500 hen laying house. It later became a cattle shed when the rest of the buildings on the farm were full of hogs.

Dale’s passion for barns continues to this day, and he and Judy have met so many people who share in the passion of barns and old farms.

“People come here to see the gardens, the barn and the round stone barn,” Judy said. “We’re not sure how many people have stayed here, but they seem to love it. It’s really neat to have somebody enjoy what you enjoy so much.”

Rural features

Walk around the grounds of the Cupola Inn Bed & Breakfast with its collection of metal and wooden cupolas and you will be reminded of the eroding rural heritage of North Iowa.

An inviting wrap-around covered deck surrounds the inn, which

COURTESY OF CUPOLA INN

The round stone barn that is uniquely the Cupola Inn Bed & Breakfast is the backdrop for beautiful flower gardens complete with fountains and COURTESY OF CUPOLA INN small ponds.

Cupola Inn Bed & Breakfast owner Judy Mills said her favorite part of the B&B business, beside the people, is fixing and serving breakfast in the round stone barn.

“It’s really neat to have somebody enjoy what you enjoy so much.”

– Judy Mills, owner of the Cupola Inn Bed & Breakfast is a favorite spot for bird watching.

You can also take advantage of a shaded sitting area, complete with a bench swing, and flower clusters around a water lily filled pond and fountain.

Judy said she tries to have unique flowers each year that are conversation starters. And in the center of the unique gardens full of perennials and wild flowers, Judy said a fire ring draws guests to roast marshmallows and star gaze.

“We have a lot of garden art and have been on the North Iowa tour of gardens,” Judy said. “Women gravitate to the flowers, so we’ve created four sitting areas just for that. We wanted to find a niche to please everybody.”

Early on, one of the Mills’ neighbors stopped by and offered to give the couple perennials for their garden projects. The inn keepers thought they would be getting a few flats, but it turned out to be two pick-up truckloads.

“To this day, she will drive by slowly and look at the flowers,” Judy said.

Another centerpiece of the Mills’ “dream” property is the round stone barn that has served as a rehearsal hall for a church choir and a cello performer, dining center for family reunions and wedding parties, baby showers, a meeting place,

as well as a unique and tranquil breakfast area.

“We’ve had so many great memories in the round barn,” Judy said.

“We once had a country artist write songs in there. He would play his guitar and sing while taking his breakfast. We didn’t want him to stop.”

For Dale, the round stone barn was a labor of love.

While reading a barn book and pencil doodling one evening, Dale decided it was time to build his own round stone barn to compliment the B&B. With no real area where guests could gather inside to socialize, the project would fit right in with his passion for barns and serve a valuable purpose.

Dale helped one of his brothers tear down an 1860s barn and rebuild it to about two-thirds its original size on the B&B property.

“We saved the stones from the double-wall lime rock foundation not really knowing what we would do with them, but they were too good to bury,” Dale said.

“When you take something so old apart, it’s really a spiritual thing.”

The stone was put to good use in Nora Springs as Dale made a perfect circle out of the rock as the foundation of round stone barn.

The project took more than a year,

LISA GROUETTE/GLOBE GAZETTE

Each of the four rooms at the Cupola Inn Bed & Breakfast have a mini library of barn books, statues and trinkets. but it was worth every minute to Dale.

“We had fun building that old round stone barn,” he said. “It offers a good history lesson and offers peace and tranquility.”

On the water

Another draw to the Cupola Inn Bed & Breakfast is the Winnebago River, which flows right across the road from the Mills’ property.

For years, Dale had been too busy raising hogs and cattle and raising a family, among other commitments, to take advantage of the gently winding body of water just a feet away from his home.

But in 1997, he canoed for the first time and has been on the Winnebago or other rivers and bodies of water throughout the country at least one time a month ever since.

A sign in Dale’s special room says it all: “The River is my Happy Place” “I started canoeing with my brother and just couldn’t stay off the river after that first time,” Dale

said. “I found canoeing to be a huge stress release. Now I have to have that escape.”

Dale and Judy turned Dale’s passion for canoeing into something their guests could also enjoy. There is a tandem canoe for each of the rooms and other solo canoes for those who want to enjoy nature on their own.

“Dale takes people from the bed and breakfast canoeing and is able to show them the unique history and nature of this area,” Judy said.

“He loves it, and they do, too.”

Judy has come full circle since her days in Spencer watching her mother open their home to strangers who were stranded in rural Iowa.

She can’t think of anything she would rather do now.

“We have no regrets,” she said.

“We have met people from all around the world. And people have invited us to stay in their homes.

“This is about falling in love with what you do and the people who stay here.”

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DREAM HOMES

| SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020

GLOBE GAZETTE

GuestBarn idea praised Dan and Lynn Bolin’s idea for New Day Dairy’s GuestBarn is now a reality.

A couple of years back, the dairy farmers were encouraged to keep moving forward with their idea of people sleeping with the cows in a luxury living space attached to the farm’s large dairy barn.

Guests are greeted by a sitting nook where they sign in at New Day Dairy’s GuestBarn bed and breakfast in Clarksville.

The Bolins received an award during an Aug. 18, 2019, awards ceremony that concluded “The Great Iowa State Pitch Off: STANDING InnOVATION,” the centerpiece of the university’s Iowa State Fair exhibit.

Lynn Bolin, an Iowa State alum, and New Day Dairy received a $2,500 Community Entrepreneur Award to help further its bed and breakfast idea.

Bolin was one of just 13 award-winners out of the more than 150 ISU student and alumni entrepreneurs who applied.

A view of the dining area from the top of the stairs at the GuestBarn bed and breakfast in Clarksville.

A view of the working dairy barn and some of its inhabitants from the picture window of New Day Dairy’s GuestBarn accommodations.

GuestBarn From C1

of their arrival and a farewell tour the morning they leave.

To make the cow gazing easier, Dan or one of the other dairy farmers on site paint six different cows with a different color stripe so you can easily spot them among the other 150 or so cows in the big barn.

Those six are featured in the lift so you can learn their names, when they were born and other fun facts.

If you want to get your hands dirty and do some of the dairy farm chores out in the barn, you can add on the “Be a Dairy Farmer” challenge and up to four guests can spend 90 minutes with Dan (#Dairyman Dan) feeding a calf a bottle, walking in among the cows to scrape manure off the crossovers, looking under Rita the robot’s hood, and riding along in a tractor.

“This is an immersive experiOne of the three bedrooms offered at New Day Dairy’s GuestBarn bed and ence,” Lynn Bolin said. “You are breakfast in Clarksville.

LARGE WAREHOUSE

OF IN-STOCK FLOORING

literally in the barn. We offer something that is very unique. We don’t know of anybody doing something exactly like this.”

And while the word barn might conjure up a dirty, smelly place, the Bolins’ Guestbarn is nothing of the sort. It’s listed on Airbnb and is inspired by the farm, not a part of it.

Most of the décor in the GuestBarn was picked out or painted

by Lynn’s mother, Diana Klisch, a long-time artist and art teacher.

The large picture of a cow that hangs in the dining area just off the kitchen was painted by Klisch and is one of the focal points of the living space.

“My mom had a lot of fun bringing old nostalgic pieces to the GuestBarn,” Bolin said. “She has helped a lot with the vision of the space When the Bolins were building their farm home, they stayed at the GuestBarn (before it was called that). Lynn says things have come together like she envisioned and she considers it is her dream

“The immersive 24/7 cow gazing that our loft offers is totally unique,” Bolin said at the time of the award. “Our award money will be used to finish preparing the GuestBarn to open.”

– Jerry Smith space. For her daughter Amara, the GuestBarn really is her dream home.

“Amara would come in here and cow gaze in the morning,” Lynn said. “She loved it then and loves it now. People can now fall in love with it like she did.”

While the Bolins have had only a few people stay at the GuestBarn since in opened right before Christmas, Lynn says bookings for spring and summer are coming more frequently.

Lynn said the first person who stayed had nothing but good things to say about his stay.

“He said, ‘Lynn, this space is amazing,’” she said. “He went on to say it was warm and homey, yet feels modern and comfortable.

That is what we were going for. It definitely has come together.”

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DREAM HOMES

GLOBE GAZETTE

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2020 |

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Improve the flow of traffic with an

OPEN FLOOR PLAN

I

GREEN SHOOT MEDIA

f you’re a fan of home improvement reality shows or follow renovation trends, you know that an open floor plan is a popular design that many homeowners want.

In fact, the National Association of Home Builders reports that 70 percent of recent buyers were interested in at least an open kitchen plan while 32 percent preferred a completely open arrangement.

Performing this renovation to an established home requires detailed knowledge about a home’s structure. Since you will likely be taking down walls and rerouting electrical diagrams, an expert can ensure changes are up to code.

are extremely popular.

One major advantage is the connection hosts feel with their guests while preparing party favors in the kitchen and engaging with their company in the living space. Family dinners and events with friends are more enjoyable when rooms flow into each other. Parents of young children also benefit from the ability to keep an eye on their little ones as they roam throughout the open space.

Identifying load bearing walls

Before removing walls to create your open floor plan, it’s crucial to identify load-bearing walls. They are imperative to distributing weight forces of your Benefits of being property and typically bear the load of a roof structure open above.

There are multiple reaMost of the time, you sons that open floor plans can easily identify this

PHOTOGRAPHEE.EU

support by walls that run perpendicular to their joists. Since it may be difficult to tell without removing a wall’s covering, getting advice from an expert is key before you find yourself with an expensive repair.

What to do with your new space The key to decorating an open floor plan is to make it appear symmetrical. You can start in the living room by arranging it around a focal point. The experts at Home and Garden Television recommend taking advantage of attractive centerpieces like a fireplace or gallery wall.

Modern kitchens often utilize the sleek appearance of an island or peninsula rather than a traditional dinner table.

Organizing bar stools around their perimeter provides more space for guests without disrupting the flow of your open floor plan.

EMBRACE THE GREAT INDOORS Revel in the sunlight that fills your room.

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Mason City 641-424-4001

MARY PIEPER—FOR THE GLOBE GAZETTE

Gary and Anne Schmit own this Prairie School home in Mason City’s Rock Glen.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

This photo shows the sunroom in the Gary and Anne Schmit home during the evening.

Schmit From C1

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The Prairie School aesthetic of horizontal lines is reflected throughout the house, including the long, narrow bricks in the living room fireplace and even the slots in the radiator covers.

The Schimts removed the carpet from the living room to expose the original white oak floor.

The foyer by the front entrance has tile flooring from the 1910s “that you don’t see anymore,” Gary said.

The house underwent a major renovation in the 1940s. Two bathrooms and a double garage were added and the kitchen was expanded.

After the Schmits moved in, they discovered a mural hidden behind a wall-size mirror in the basement. It was painted by local artist Bob White around 1937 and depicts the members of the Dr. B. Waymond Weston family, who owned the house at the time. The mural also includes early images of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

The Schmits enlisted the services of Mason City artist Jan Kostka to restore the mural.

Including the basement, the house has three levels.

The Schmits said the size of the house makes

it a great place for family get-togethers.

“We have a pretty big family,” Anne said.

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GLOBE GAZETTE

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You deserve exceptional energy efficiency, sound control and value – that’s why we’re redefining performance to include it all. Introducing, Pella® Lifestyle Series wood windows and patio doors, offering performance options that reduce 52% more sound and are on average 79% more energy efficient than singlepane windows.2, 3 Pella Lifestyle Series Triple-Pane Casement Window

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Mason City 1511 S Monroe Ave, Mason City, IA 50401 641-424-6451 or Pella.com 1 Performance solutions require upgrades to triple-pane, AdvancedComfort Low-E and mixed glass thickness. Based on comparing product quotes and published STC/OITC and U-Factor ratings of leading national wood window and patio door brands.

2 Performance solutions require upgrades to triple pane and mixed glass thickness. Reduction in sound based on OITC ratings of Pella Lifestyle Series windows to a single-pane wood or vinyl window with an OITC of 19. Double-hung windows are not available with triple-pane glass. Calculated by using the sound transmission loss values in the 80 to 4000 Hz range as measured in accordance with ASTM E-90(09).

Actual results may vary.

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3 Performance solutions require upgrades to triple pane and AdvancedComfort Low-E. Window energy efficiency calculated in a computer simulation using RESFEN 6.0 default parameters for a 2000 sq. foot new construction single-story home when comparing Pella Lifestyle Series windows to a single-pane wood or vinyl window. Double-hung windows are not available with triple-pane glass.

The energy efficiency and actual savings will vary by location. The average window energy efficiency is based on a national average of 94 modeled cities across the country and weighting based on population. For more details see pella.com/methodology.

4 Based on comparing written limited warranties of leading national wood window and wood patio door brands. See Pella written Limited Warranty for details, including exceptions and limitations, at pella.com/warranty, or contact Pella Customer Service at 877-473-5527.

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