AWARDS

Whimsical Design and Unique Materials Give Personality to Colorful Basement

Taking inspiration from a Jackson Pollock painting and the owner’s own work as an artist, this basement is full of whimsy and color. Strand-woven bamboo flooring is reminiscent of splatter painting, and walls flared at various angles add to the artful effect. A horizontal gas fireplace is central to the room, and a site-built barn door opens from the main living space into a painter’s studio.

The Minnesota Birth Center

The Minnesota Birth Center is the first Birth Center in the City of Minneapolis. It provides a beautiful, safe, homelike setting for expectant mothers to bring new life into the world, while being more cost efficient than a hospital. The grand 1910 home had been converted to a triplex and had grown dilapidated, even sitting vacant for several years. Though nearly every surface of the building was gutted and remodeled, great care was taken to preserve historic elements where possible, and to honor the spirit of the home in the new finishes.

Dining room addition & kitchen remodel create an ideal space for entertaining

This design gives the homeowners an elegant and spacious new area in which they can enjoy simple family dinners or large parties. By linking the kitchen to the living area with a new dining room, the TreHus team created a space that can be used either as a set of three smaller rooms or one large whole. In the dining room, spherical light fixtures hang from the barrel-vaulted ceiling, creating a curvy design theme with the round window. The new island and buffet areas add storage and counter space, and their natural wood tones add to the aesthetic appeal of the space.

Small addition brings authentic prairie style detailing into new space

The owners of this 1915 prairie style home desired to expand their kitchen and bring in the authentic old-world detailing of the rest of the home. They loved the screened porch at the back of their home, so that space was not a possibility for the expansion. Instead it was decided to extend the kitchen space and open it to the dining room, providing more length and a spacious feel. The dining room's beamed ceiling was carried into the kitchen, and the prairie style woodwork present throughout the first floor was meticulously duplicated. The flooring throughout the main level of the home was terrazzo, but the cost and difficulty of carrying this through to the kitchen ruled it out. Instead, it was decided to use marmoleum and put in a border inlay to imitate the border inlay of the terrazzo. This solution not only makes it look authentic, it also gives the room a warmer feel and it is softer under foot.

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1950's tri-level transformed into beautiful two story with master suite addition

This home is a transformed 1953 tri-level that overlooks the majestic Mississippi River with nearby bike paths and parks. Light, open rooms with large windows and hand-made details give the remodeled home a clean, modern aesthetic. On the first floor, a remodeled mudroom, powder room, kitchen and family room give the owners fresh spaces to entertain, cook and relax. The new second floor gives the owners more room and a true master suite that includes an exercise/music room, a reading nook, a master bath with steam shower and a custom fir vanity. The master bedroom boasts built-in bookshelves, a walk-in wardrobe, a gas fireplace, large windows, and a walk-out second-story porch with panoramic views of the River.

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Small addition creates big change for 1940's colonial

The owners of this 1940's colonial home wanted to update and add character to the rear of their home. They wanted more room, but without encroaching too much their backyard and eliminating valuable space for their daughter to play. A four foot addition accross the rear of the home provided enough room for an expanded kitchen, an informal eating area, and a mudroom. They also gained a new covered porch, an entry, and additional windows to flood their remodeled kitchen with natural light.

Sensitive addition to 1900 Victorian home blends authentic design with the homeowners' international tastes

This 2 1/2-story late 19th century home was moved from the Minneapolis downtown area to its new site in the Kenwood neighborhood in 1908. Previous residents had completed a family room addition and kitchen remodel that were disparate from the rest of the home’s character and detail. The owners wanted to recreate the existing addition and kitchen to make them match the style of the rest of the house, and accomplish a more natural connection from the kitchen to the family room to the back yard. 

In the new kitchen, custom cabinets and millwork were installed to match the old-world craftsmanship of the existing home, and design elements such as pagoda-style cabinet pulls, the island’s bamboo butcher block top and the hutch’s rice paper windows reflect the owners’ Asian-influenced tastes.  Other details like the olive ash drawer insets on the hutch and island and ebony accents on the tapered stained mahogany legs of the island match the homeowners’ existing furniture. 

1980's modern home transformed into arts & crafts beauty

The front porch of this 1988 modern home with cedar lap siding had settled and was in need of repair. This "repair" became the basis for a new front façade facelift. The owners wanted a low maintenance exterior that would add curb appeal but still look like home. The addition of a gable over the garage, natural stone at the entry and Arts & Crafts era inspired detailing erased the home's modern 80’s styling. Extended rakes with large fascia boards and brackets harken to homes of the past and add authentic detail, while including cedar lap siding keeps it familiar to the owners. Updated landscaping and new paint contribute to the inviting new feel.

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This 1908 home was remodeled to make room for an active family of six. An addition on the rear of the home provides a master suite on the second floor and a breakfast nook and mudroom on the main floor. The rest of the home was remodeled, giving the owners more open spaces, uniquely suited to their lifestyle. The paneled formal dining room with butler's pantry is perfect for entertaining, while the family room and adjoining kitchen at the center of the home are a great place for family time.

Addition of patio to historic brick Georgian Revival home gives owners a place to relax

This grand Georgian Revival brick home was originally built in 1909, with a 1954 sunroom addition designed by renowned architect Edwin Lundie. As charming as this sunroom is, it lacked an easy connection to the large lawn off of the southeast corner of the property. The owners, parents of two young children, wanted a place by the lawn for family and friends to visit while watching the children. TreHus paid meticulous attention to the scale of existing structures and design themes and produced a patio that is as warm and inviting as it is stately.

Homeowner calls restored Greek revival home their new "Island Cottage" of comfort

The National Association of the Remodeling industry (NARI), has once again recognized TreHus Architects, Interior Designers and Builders for their combined efforts in excellence in the category of Residential Historical Renovation/Restoration. The original charm of this home has been brought back and enhanced with life and comfort. Originally built in 1900, this island cottage is a classic Greek revival, with 6 over 6 windows, corner pilasters and wide plain frieze all characteristic of this style. After HPC approval, a small addition was added to create main floor living spaces that connect effortlessly to one another. This renovation also features a mudroom, which was recreated from historical photographs to match the one original to the house. The 50's kitchen was gutted entirely and replaced with period appropriate detailing and cabinetry.

"Seamlessly Recreating The Past"

The homeowners of this 1909 home were passionate about honoring and highlighting the craftsmanship details so prevalent in this period home. Much time and thought were spent on the recreation of the living room fireplace, and specifically in deliberation over selecting just the right Arts and Crafts tile to compliment the custom woodwork. Every detail was consideredÑfrom the Bradbury & Bradbury wallpaper, selected by the owners, to matching the exact finish on all the new and existing woodwork. In the end the owners wanted a seamless return to the past without calling attention to the new. Neighbors who visited the completed project were unable to tell what as new and what was original.

Creative design brings more space, light, views & openness

The owners of this charming 1940 Colonial Revival wanted to update the kitchen, add a family room and open up the main floor for better traffic, views and access to their glorious back yard. Additionally they wanted direct, interior access to the attached garage. The master bath was cramped and dark, so they were anxious to bring light and space to the littleist room in the house. Their budget required a compact addition and a fair amount of design ingenuity. The two-story addition provided room for a new vaulted master bath, while the main floor kitchen was opened up to the family window wall room through the creative positioning of fabricated steel posts that extended from the roof to the basement footings.

Environmentally conscious project brings color to center of family life

This Edina home was updated to meet the needs of its owners, a family four with two young children. The goal was to create kid-friendly spaces with minimal encroachment on the backyard (their play area), emphasizing color and the use of environmentally friendly materials. This was accomplished by expanding and remodeling the existing kitchen using bright yellow, low VOC paint, multi-colored recycled glass countertops, recycled aluminum pendants, an energy-star fridge, and cork flooring. Exterior lights were bought on Craigslist rather than buying new, and some of the existing lights were reused . A master suite and second floor patio were added above the kichen, and a new mudroom and garage were constructed. All of this was accomplished while only adding about 200 square feet to the home's footprint, leaving plenty of room for the children's play.

Addition fits in seamlessly with existing home

The owners of this 1918 Lynnhurst neighborhood home had outgrown their space and needed to expand. A two-story addition added approximately four hundred square feet to the rear of the home and gave them a new mudroom, 1/2 bath and expanded kitchen on the main level with a new master bedroom and bathroom on the second floor. The cramped kitchen was transformed into an open, airy kitchen with white enameled cabinets, granite countertops, and oak hardwood floors to match the existing floors. The addition's exterior is stucco to match the existing home as well as blended roof lines. The cornice, windows and trim were all designed to match the existing home details. Careful attention was given to water run-off with gutters, downspout locations and re-grading the backyard. Throughout the project, the original character of the house and neighborhood were respected while meeting the needs of the owners.

Epicurean Kitchen Design Opens Up New Possibilities for Gourmet World Traveler

Chrysalis Awards honors TreHus with their prestigious Midwest Regional & National Award in the category of kitchens. Judging was based on design, use of materials, use of space and integration into the existing space.

The remodel project centered on the kitchen of a two-story ranch house built in 1969. The kitchen was originally separated from the living area and also had a small island that was nearly unusable. The owner requested the disparate kitchen and living area be unified along with a gourmet kitchen where the work zone was separate from the entertaining area. As a frequent world traveler, the owner wanted to come home to a refuge that was the antithesis of a cramped airline cabin.

TreHus kept the owner's desires top-of-mind through each phase of design and implementation and created an easy-living, open space by removing the interior walls between the kitchen and living area. The completed project revealed a spacious room where the owner can unwind and entertain. The walls around the kitchen came out, opening up the house from north to south, where light now streams in, and the private back yard can be viewed from main floor living spaces.

Family room exhibits European industrial chic warmed by floor to ceiling cherry bookshelves

The Chrysalis Midwest Regional & National award for residential interiors focused on the combination of several key elements, namely the use of materials, use of space and how the design integrated into the existing space. These homeowners wanted a warm, but highly functional family room with European look and warm feel.

Innovative solution blends outside & inside combining porch & den for children

The Best of the Best Design is a national residential remodeling competition judged on construction quality, visual appeal, effective space planning and functionality. TreHus won the Outdoor Living Silver Award for this 250 square foot Craftsman style porch.

The parents of two young boys wished to add a screened-in porch to their home while preserving the south side yard area for play. Enlarging the existing porch off the kitchen would have placed the play area on the north side. The solution connected the porch to the existing den by a set of full view French doors allowing the play area to remain to the gently sloping sunny south.

The porch includes a wood burning fireplace, a wall-mounted television with hidden speakers in the ceiling joists and removable storm windows that help extend the seasonal use of the space. The existing rear porch was modified to include a cedar beam and decking to match the cedar siding on the new porch. This is truly an amenable outdoor living space whether curling up on the couch with a good book or enjoying entertainment with family and friends.

Timeless gourmet kitchen design reclaims wasted space, solves traffic flow problems

Chrysalis Awards honors TreHus with their prestigious Midwest Regional Award in the category of kitchens over $100,000. Award participants from across the country were divided into four regional competitions with judging based on design, use of materials, use of space and integration into the existing space. This project also won the Master Design Gold Award, the highest honor in a national competition, in the room remodel category.

At the center of this home, the 300 square-foot kitchen serves as the hub for daily life and the passageway to all areas of the home. The corridor that once extended around the perimeter of the old kitchen not only wasted valuable floor space but also made a lengthy route to other destinations within the home. The new floor plan maximizes traffic flow, natural light and functionality, giving the client a comfortable space to relax, spend time with family, cook, enjoy meals and entertain friends.

The kitchen draws its elegance from the balance of textures, the soft reflective surfaces of granite tops, the oil-rubbed finish of the hardware and the grain of the wood island top with its built-in marble surface. The columns, arch and thickened wall that separate the kitchen and family room, create a strong boundary for each room. The result is a timeless, gourmet kitchen that performs as well as it looks.

Designers create dual use kitchen, dining, schooling solution for cramped family of eight

The Builders Association of the Twin Cities (BATC) has awarded TreHus their esteemed Remodelor of Merit Award in the category of additions less than 300 square feet. ROMA judging is based on creativity in meeting the unique challenges of remodeling, and in successfully meeting the needs, desires and budgets of clients.

When a family of eight decides to remodel, space is usually the first request, but with six active children, they were not willing to sacrifice the backyard to accommodate a large expansion. With a 150 square-foot addition, the client gained a kitchen that stands up to daily meals while also serving as a dining space/school room, as all of their children are home-schooled. The mudroom, main thoroughfare of the home, was a top priority for the abundance of boots and jackets, and as the indoor/outdoor transition area.

Visionary Design Work Combines Luxurious Spa/Garage For Road Weary Homeowners

The National Association of the Remodeling industry (NARI), has recognized TreHus for their visionary work in building architect Richard Laffin's design for a combined garage and spa/retreat. The project features a clay tile roof, round window in a barrel-vaulted dormer and gas-light carriage sconces. Inside, the homeowners can escape their busy life and find solace in the spa amenities which include a steam shower, custom, mosaic-tiled spa tub and sunroom.