Cottage in the Woods
one of three Luxury Home Profiles in issue
Midwest Home
excerpt
There’s nothing grim about this fairy-tale setting.
The curving road and mature trees may lull you into thinking you’ve
happened down a cottage lane, even though this established
Minnetonka neighborhood lies close to the fast-paced metro. The
woods and sense of retreat give this cottage the perfect sylvan
backdrop.
Washed in wood, the house built by Anthony Thomas Homes draws
you in with its substantial pillars, coved wood entryway, and dramatic
roof-lines. The attached garage, also adorned in heavy cottage trim
and shaker-style shingles, is positioned at a 90-degree angle to the
house. The design provides cozy definition to the wooded lot, giving
the house a “no place like home” sensibility.
Inside, a smart rambler layout stands ready to embrace an active
family, yet its stylish approach quickly advises that this is not your
father’s rambler. The floor plan is open, airy, and dressed up with
cathedral ceilings and three fireplaces. Walking the line between
convivial and chic, the home’s strong lines are tempered by its
abundant alder wood finishes. Crown molding and wooden ceiling
beams give warm comfort and contrast to the modern stone surfaces
and dramatic heights. Extras such as wainscoting, built-ins, and 8-
foot paneled doors further distinguish the house.
Open for Living
Mpls/StPaul Magazine
It’s been characterized as one big rectangle, so what’s behind the open floor
plan’s growing popularity?
excerpt
When we were in the homebuying market a few years back, there was
no rambler coffee table book, no “preserve the open ranch house
movement,” and little appreciation for one-level living.
My husband reluctantly agreed to go see the nondescript fifties
house for sale on the corner—as a favor to me. However, after
dragging him over the threshold, my work was done. The floor plan
captured us. We saw past the orange shag carpet, the psychedelic
wallpaper, and the scattering of lime green trim to appreciate a nearly
ideal layout for a growing family.
The entryway that presented the spacious living room flowed into a
doorless formal dining area and melted into the kitchen that slipped
into the informal eating nook. Simply, the layout had movement and
when we saw our two-year-old gleefully running around the built-in
oak buffet, we were sold.
Copying Classics
Midwest Home
excerpt
Tony Kubalak didn’t make the unlikely transition from 18 years of
engineering software to hand carving eighteenth-century
furniture without a push. “On my forty-seventh birthday my boss
told me to take the day off and then the next million. It was a
painful lay off,” Kubalak recalls. Armed with four college degrees
and ample experience, he was confident he would find another
job quickly. That was August 30, 2001, just days before the
attacks of September 11.
A walk through his Eagan living room filled with his ornate
creations makes clear that Kubalak didn’t wait idly for a job offer.
Having “cut wood for 20 years,” he used his unsought free time to
locate mentors who shared his passion. He attended
woodworking classes in Pennsylvania to learn about complex
historic styles, such as the swooping forms of Queen Anne and
the boxy and embellished Chippendale approach, both dating to
the 1700s. With time, his avocation became his primary pursuit.
Lucie B. Amundsen
a virtual resume
Sears tower returns to life
The Minneapolis Star Tribune
excerpt
The lobby of the Midtown Exchange building offers a contrast
from the visually and audibly loud intersection where it stands at
E. Lake Street and Chicago Avenue S. in Minneapolis.
The space is at once true to its 1928 art deco grandeur and a
perfect host to its more modern functions. On the left is the new
Allina Hospitals headquarters that brings nearly 1,000 employees
each day. To the right are elevators to serve the hundreds of
residents who have begun moving into the building's condos and
rental apartments.
Inside Riana's World
BackYard Living
excerpt
In a rolling stretch of rural Wisconsin is an unexpected arden. Once
you've stepped inside, it feels ten degrees cooler than the real world.
The tranquility is so free-flowing that the dogs don't even bark...
This piece is part profile and part how-to story. The art direction is
simply beautiful. See the whole piece by clicking here:
Corn Roast!
BackYard Living
August 2007
excerpt
Sweet corn brings out the kid in everyone. The earthy scent of
fresh-picked ears is infused with memories of back-stoop shucking
and the anticipation of a meal where you're encouraged to eat your
weight in butter.
So it's really no wonder why everyone still comes running to the
call, "Corn's Ready!" Whether you're looking for a simple, barefoot
affair or something a little more stylish, a backyard corn roast is a
great way to spark magic among friends.
Taming the Lunch Line
The Rake
October 2007
excerpt
Decreasing student enrollment in Minneapolis, and the subsequent
shuttering of some nine of its public schools, has been big news in
the last couple of years. Less known, perhaps, are the pressures that
have resulted at remaining schools—especially in the cafeteria...
Needless to say, things can get a little wild in what is already, by
tradition, one of the more lawless realms at any K-12 institution.
Seeking to impose some order, Whittier officials did a very au courant
thing: They outsourced the problem to a consultant.
Nancy Burns is a certified classroom management trainer who has
coached over ten-thousand teachers in her nine-year career. But in
2001, she began scrutinizing school lunchrooms. “I would do a
classroom management conference and so many questions would
come up about improving the cafeteria. Obviously, there was a need
to make lunchtime work better,” she said. Since developing a training
curriculum called “Cafeteria 101: Setting up for Success,” Burns has
fully made over three school lunchrooms and consulted on several
others. As far as she knows, this petite forty-year-old is the only
person in Minnesota who specializes in this area.
“Truly, I’m passionate about cafeterias,” said Burns, even as she
admits how goofy that sounds. Her zeal stems from the idea that a
relatively calm, well-run lunch period has benefits that reach beyond
the cafeteria. “It affects the atmosphere of an entire school,” she
pointed out. “Teachers can pick up kids and dive right into learning
without wasting time recovering from a madhouse feeding frenzy.”
