Hello Castle Friends!
Remodeling was Booming in 2012, and continues to soar in 2013
We thought we would share with you some information about Castle and the remodeling world of 2012. Take a look at the data we have compiled about Castle over the last year and let us know what you think!
Look for our next post as we talk more with February’s designer, Elizabeth Bland!
– Castle
It’s great to help people re-design their spaces – both to make them more functional & more aesthetically-pleasing.. to bring their dream home to life.
I also made sure to bring my tape measure in case I wanted to check any room dimensions! My realtor maybe thought I was crazy but it was very helpful!
Hello Castle Friends!
Let’s give a warm winter welcome as Hannah sits down with our January Featured Designer of the Month: Emily Blonigen!
Emily Blonigen received her Bachelors of Science in Interior Design from the Art Institutes International Minnesota. One thing that she appreciates from her education is the artistic approach Ai takes to the Interior Design profession. Emily is currently studying for her LEED Green Associates Certification. Her main interest in the field is to find opportunities to create sustainable and healthy environments. Design may be achieved through trends, unique styles, colors, and materials- but great design is found through considering the users experience and the continuing future within that environment. With knowledgeable design practices and smart material selections, she is opening the doors of design towards a prosperous and more sustainable future that she is excited to be a part of. Blonigen enjoys traveling and has been to South America three times and Central America once. She hopes to one day move to the southern hemisphere for the great food, sunshine, fun music, architectural history, and cheap drinks.
So tell us Emily, what do you have going on this month?
E: I’m working on a bunch of kitchen groupons at the moment which can be very fun because we get to do many of them! The groupon packages we offer are the first phases of our design process and a discounted cost. We’ve found that this first phase is very educational for the clients to see what can be possible for them. Educating clients about the remodeling process and trying to assist them with budgets is tricky and takes a lot of dedication.
I also am part of some really fun projects with Castle! I’m designing Castle’s very first full house flip! We have purchased a home in St Paul with the intent to renovate it back to its original charm, and then resell. A custom home in a great location designed by Castle! I just started drawing up the floor plans and I can’t wait to see our finished work! We are planning on doing many more house flips in the future with our main focus on older homes in the Minneapolis/St Paul area.
Wow you seem really busy! Do you have a favorite designer blog, magazine, website, book, etc? Where do you get your inspiration from? Do you have a “recommended reads” for home-owners as they plan their remodel?
E: While in school my favorite website was http://inhabitat.com/ . Their slogan is “design will save the world.” I would literally sit on this site for hours! They focus on sustainable design in architecture, interiors, fashion, art, and technology. I submitted a recipe once for a contest they had to win a Room & Board picinic basket and Emmet outdoor lounge chair (constructed from 100% recycled HDPE plastic) and I won! The chair is awesome- check it out!
http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=20310
For design inspiration with Castle, I like to use Houzz.com. It is a great site that you can select your room type and style to find inspiration! I am also addicted to pinterest! Some great magazines that I like to read for residential design are, “This Old House” (for those DIY-ers), “Lonny Magazine” (great free online magazine with a somewhat eclectic style), and “Beautiful Homes and Gardens” (they also have a great Pinterest to follow!).
What are your current favorite design trends that you see on places like Pinterest and Houzz?
E: My favorite design trend….hmmmm. It is hard to pick just one element of the design world! For me, design in incorporated in every element of your life. I guess my favorite “trend” in design, is the new use of bright colors. In general, I love spaces that feel clean and crisp but I also want something in the space to catch my eye.
Stay tuned next week to see what Hannah found out about Emily’s in home must haves, favorite home décor shops, and her tips for potential homeowners!
Castle
Hello Castle Friends!
I hope that you have had a fabulous holiday season this year! As you may have already known, the New Year always brings in a sense of refreshment to oneself as we create our list of resolutions. This year Castle has a few resolutions of our own:
It wouldn’t be a resolution without some sort of weight management thought would it? What are some of your New Year’s Resolutions? Share them with us on our Facebook page!
What we’d really like to bring notice to is our last resolution, Showcase our Designers. Sometimes in the remodeling process, we somehow lose focus on our designers. They are the ones who are making your dreams come true; so why not give them a little more much needed attention? Each month our Marketing Manager, Hannah Lloyd, will sit down with one of our 6 designers. Throughout the month our designer posts will bring you the hottest tips and trends of the month, insight on current projects, and advice on all things home related. For the month of January, we will be featuring designer Emily Blonigen. Check out our next post to learn more about Emily, and stay tuned as she updates us throughout the month on her world of Interior Design.
Last Thoughts… With everything going digital there are so many places to find inspiration with your next home project. Our personal favorite is Houzz and this year we want to prove it to you and all the other remodelers how serious we are about sharing our inspirational thoughts; so keep your eye out for more of our projects being posted in our idea books.
Happy New Year!
