Our Linden Hills Remodel project was profiled in Sunday's Star Tribune

Jump over to the Star Tribune to read the whole article about our terrific homeowners Pete and Starla, and the remarkable remodel we were able to do for them and their dog Gus.  You might have driven by the project on 39th Avenue as we had the second floor suspended in the air, or seen the previous mention of the project in the StarTribune last summer.  Coming up this weekend you are welcome to come tour the finished home and hear more about the project during the Spring Remodelers Showcase.  The house will be open to tour, Friday March 27th, 1-7pm, Saturday March 28th Noon-6pm, and Sunday March 29th from Noon-6pm as well.

Who says you have to tear the whole thing down? We don’t.

Two very different homes, each with a second level worth saving, and each with a first level worthy of demolition.   Tour each of these homes in the 2015 Remodelers Showcase, March 27-29.  

R39  3900 Vincent Avenue South, Minneapolis

The second floor of this home, added to this charming Linden Hills cottage 15 years ago was worth saving, however not much else was salvageable. The first level floor plan was very confining and the basement was damp and dreary. We were able to cost-effectively hold up the existing second level of the home while reconstructing the first level and basement. We welcome you to come to see this imaginative transformation. See how cramped and confining can be remade into modern and open.

R40  4431 Dupont Avenue South, Minnepolis

The owners of this beautiful south Minneapolis home came to Quartersawn with a dilemma. How to create more functional use of space without sacrificing the charm and character of the home’s original architecture? The solution was to rebuild an addition off the back of the house which incorporates a kitchen, mudroom, powder bath and family room. The full basement below is an additional bonus. Stop by to see how we brought new life to this 100 year home.

2014 Fall Remodelers Showcase

We are excited to announce a newly remodeled home on the Fall Remodelers Showcase. House number R52

Charming, classic, and refined… describe elegant homes constructed in the 1920’s. Spacious, open, and accessible do not.

That was the challenge brought to us by the homeowners of this classic Southwest Minneapolis Tudor gem.  Expand upon the wonderful home they had loved for years and incorporate modern amenities into it, including an elevator, to fulfill the accessibility needs of their family

Come visit this project to see how we took an ordinary three-bedroom, one-bath home, and gave it all of the improvements a modern family requires, while blending it seamlessly into a charming home in a picturesque neighborhood. - See more on the Parade of Homes website

BEFORE

AFTER

Our Linden Hills remodel makes the Star Tribune

When only the second floor is worth saving, well then let's save it.  How would one go about that you ask.  We brought in the folks from Jepsen to help us with this one.  Gone is the 1910's era main level with it's numerous additions, quirky layout and dated finishes.  Gone also is the wet and cracked basement foundation, with it's low ceiling height.  All that has been kept is the second floor addition built above the once one story home in 1993.  Now it's our job is too build back in it's place a completely modern and remarkable bungalow.  

To neighbors, the quaint bungalow on 39th and Vincent won't appear all that different when we are done.  To accommodate a new floor structure between the basement and lower level the height of the home will grow 6".  Once rebuilt the main level will feature new window layouts and new siding, but otherwise the footprint of the remodeled home will be exactly as it was before we began. 

My first 'Big' project just got refreshed...

Sometimes I feel like I've been designing and remodeling houses for ever.  Well this article in the latest issue of Mpls/St Paul Magazine may confirm that feeling.  

A project I designed too long ago, is featured in our portfolio, just got a glamorous update by a local interior designer for new owners of the home.  Kerry Ciardelli of Victory Home and Interiors did the redo.  Neat to see that at the same time the kitchen got a refreshing, the classic major elements of the project remained through the refreshing and look as great as they did over a fifteen years ago.  Handsome cabinets, timeless soapstone countertops, rich red brick backsplash and an invigorating blue European range translate wonderfully from a rustic  French Country aesthetic to a classic modern colonial one.    -Jeff

Spring Remodelers Showcase 2014

We have two exciting radically different but very similar projects on this years Spring Remodelers Showcase.  The two projects, one a complete new home, the other the second phase of a whole house remodel, offer an interesting contrast in solutions to the old house blues.  

The first project, R73, in the Fulton neighborhood at 75 Forestdale Road, is the homeowners second go around, remodeling the kitchen and adding a sunroom to the main level after previously going up with a new master suite five years ago.

Our second project, R74, the tear down, located just one mile from the first project at 5701 Oliver Ave S, in the Armatage neighborhood, is a completely custom designed and built home for suburbanites looking to get back into the city.  Our homeowners found a dilapidated home on an unusual lot and contacted us at Quartersawn to design and build them a spectacular home that graciously blends into their unique street.

We invite you to come see those unique and exciting projects Friday March 28th through Sunday March 30th.  We'll be at both houses to answers any questions from 1 - 7 pm on Friday and Noon - 6:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Thank you for visiting

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and visited our 2013 Remodelers showcase home. 

This Lowry Hill home had great bones- tall ceilings and beautiful formal spaces- but the kitchen was outdated and several of the rooms were inefficient for an active family of four. Our challenge was to remodel the house in a way that would maintain its personality but increase its functionality.  You're invited to see how Quartersawn dramatically transformed the rooms, melding old and new to create light filled, efficient spaces that feel significantly updated yet true to the home's classic architecture.

For more images of the home, please check out our portfolio page. 

Another award winning project by Quartersawn!

The team at Quartersawn is excited to announce that they have won a Grand Design Award from Remodeling Magazine magazine this past August in the category of Craftsmanship / Special Detail under $25,000!  The Remodeling Design Awards is a national competition with submissions coming from fellow architects, designers and builders.  Though awards were given in 21 categories, Quartersawn is only one of two firms from the Midwest that are winning entrants.  The award will be featured in the September 2013 issue of Remodeling Magazine.

The article below has been reposted from www.remodeling.hw.net.

Walking Tall

By Nina Patel

Priorities
• Create a contemporary staircase for a whole-house remodel

Solutions

The owners “loved the contemporary, open nature of [their] home,” says designer Jeff Nicholson, “but wanted to upgrade all the finishes and take it to a new level” with their whole-house remodel. That “new level” included the design of a sculptural stair that combines bamboo, steel, and drywall to reach each of the home’s four floors. The owners recognized that in a four-story house the stairs are a central circulation element that will repeatedly be used each day, so they wanted to create a stair that was aesthetically pleasing as well as functional.

The original stairs were not up to code and were built using standard materials, so Nicholson and the team at Quartersawn demolished the existing stair and started over. During a previous phase of the project, Nicholson had removed a few walls around the basement flight to enhance the open feeling and prepare for the installation of these upper stairs. The design also has stringers placed closer to the center so that the stairs appear to be floating.

Nicholson opted to use bamboo because it was available in solid stock for building the treads and risers, and was available in flooring as well, which he specified for the fourth floor. The material came from an importer that brought it in from China.

The treads are made from 1¼-inch solid stock bamboo, that Nicholson says is consistent throughout in color and grain, and is able to be cut and worked like plywood. He says that the stability of the bamboo stock made it easy to achieve a high level of craftsmanship. “It offered a lot of benefits compared to natural wood, due to its stability,” he says. A small kerf cut on the face of each step hides the joint between each tread and riser. The stainless steel railing was fabricated in a local shop and needed only a few on-site welds to fit into place.

Judges’ Comments

The judges commented the design integrates well into the floor plan and the “honest materials” add to the modern feel.

Quality Lego work

It's always fun to see how a home remodel can be fun for the whole family ... Here a client's son's modeled the ever-present port-a-potty delivery truck.  The kids did such nice work we're contemplating putting them on the payroll :)