Modern Butler Pantries

Floor plans evolve, technology grows, tastes change, and lifestyles adapt. While some trends and advances stand the test of time, others often fizzle out. What interests us the most, though? When forgotten styles, such as butler's pantries, return in a new iteration.

Originally used to house serving ware and stage meals, butler's pantries were once considered a necessity for proper entertaining. Even if elaborate five-course meals aren't your forte, we still think you'd adore this customizable, handy hosting space!

A well-stocked, organized butler's pantry is a host's secret weapon! It's the perfect spot to display special occasion dishes, put the finishing touches on dinner, and stock with supplies for cocktails and coffee. Butler's pantries also make fantastic bars or snack stations for bigger, sprawling parties.

Whatever your hosting style may be, you can't go wrong with adding this beautiful and practical space to your home. Want to see more modern takes on the butler's pantry? Feast your eyes on more from our clients' homes below!

Spring Parade Sneak Peek: Modern Farmhouse

The 2017 Spring Parade of Homes is less than a month away - we're counting down the days until March 4th arrives! We can't think of a better way to kick off the spring than with a bit of fresh air, extra exercise, and design inspiration. If modern farmhouses set your heart a flutter, you should add 6105 Kellogg Ave, Edina to your Spring Parade list!

Situated in the high-demand Pamela Park neighborhood, this lovely home offers the best of current design trends. From industrial accent lights to white shiplap walls, each space feels equally modern and charming. Neutral blacks and whites are repeated throughout the home but always punctuated with vibrant pops of color!

Our brilliant design partner, Studio M Interior's bright, clean finishes echo from room to room. The entire home has an understated, minimal aesthetic, complemented with playful textiles, graphic patterns, and nature-inspired heirlooms. We love this model's distinctly urban but cozy vibe; it's sophisticated and bold while remaining comfortable and family-friendly!

Islands: The Heart of the Kitchen

In a very real way, homes reflect how families carry out their lives. Over the past few decades, no floor plan has skyrocketed to prominence as much as the island-anchored, open-concept kitchen. We all know the virtues of open concept homes - they're airy, bright, and welcoming!

Flowing floor plans possess a distinctly lived-in vibe. Instead of separate, formal, one-purpose spaces, these homes have a cohesive family-friendly feel. Each room is designed to multi-task and accommodate the different rhythms of everyday life. One of the biggest illustrations of this home interior shift? Kitchen islands.

Centerpiece islands have been popular in kitchens for a while now, but lately, they've become bigger and better! Islands have evolved into home base, command centers, the beating heart of family time. From weekend pancakes to weekday snack time, study sessions to work emails, game night to hosting friends - islands are the gathering place.

In celebration of our design devotion, we've pulled together photos of a few more of our very favorite inspiring kitchen islands below - take a peek!

Luxurious Laundry Rooms

A far cry from the lonely basement dungeons they once were, laundry rooms have undergone quite the transformation. Besides relocating, laundry room style has evolved dramatically over the past decade. Simultaneously beautiful and practical, laundry spaces have become strikingly personalized and packed with fun bells and whistles! As people that are about the business of building custom homes, we couldn't be more in support of this trend. We are strong advocates of taking advantage of every inch of space available - leave no square footage wasted!

Our clients have taken many different approaches to create efficient and maximized laundry rooms. Whether you have an entire room at your disposal or simply a tucked away closet, there are endless options to keep your space tidy. Some of our favorite organization upgrades include integrated drying racks, built-in basket storage, cleaning supply cubbies, nick-nack drawers, and folding-friendly countertops. Beyond laundry-specific add-ons, many homeowners end up designing unique, hybrid laundry spaces.

Let's be honest, plenty of families may not need a whole room devoted to clothes washing. We love the idea of adding space for other like-minded activities in the laundry room! For example, integrating mudroom cubbies and hooks, a mini office command center, or an arts and crafts area makes perfect sense to us. Each of those hobbies or functions complement the spirit of the space - they're all mildly messy and in need of a little order! Why not mesh them together in one coordinated, experiment-friendly, and (most importantly!) closed-off place?

Lastly, perhaps the greatest advantage of elevated laundry rooms is the chance to play with bold styles and trends! From fun artwork to bright paint colors to patterned wallpaper, many of our clients take their biggest design risks in their laundry rooms. We completely get it. Washing, sorting, and folding clothing can be thankless, mundane tasks; why not energize your setting with a pop of playful design? Curious to see more approaches to this growing trend? Well, you're in luck; browse through our clients' most beautiful and efficient laundry spaces below!