Family Time: Lazy Saturday Spaces

Weekends are the time to exhale; they're for resting and relaxing with your people. Home means many different things to each of us, but above all, it should be where you feel comfortable. Each family has a distinct lifestyle and rhythm, but once in awhile, we all need the same thing: a gloriously slow Saturday.

Whether your family's ideal lazy Saturday consists of pancakes and cartoons, reading and coffee, dress-up and games, or movies and popcorn; your home should include spaces that put you at ease. From sunny porches to cozy media rooms, welcoming kitchen islands to inspiring playrooms - we design places for families to unwind and enjoy each other.

If your week is feeling long, hit pause and start dreaming about serene Saturdays full of Netflix marathons and big bowls of cereal. For further inspiration browse a few of our clients' lovely homes and gather ideas for your future blissful weekend plans!

Making a House a Home: Kitchen Details

At REFINED Custom Homes, we help each of our clients' design homes that are equally beautiful and functional. Kitchens, in particular, host a whole range of family life and activities, which means must be created with efficiency and practicality in mind! From dinner prep to book reports to happy hour with friends, we build kitchens that people want to make memories in.

You may recognize this stunning kitchen, and lovely client's quote, from this month's Edina Magazine - pick up a copy today! "We love cooking together is our kitchen... and Mom keeps the girls busy working on art projects at the kitchen island. REFINED worked hard to understand our family exactly, and I'm constantly reminded and appreciative of all the thoughtful details that make our house our home." Brian (home built in 2015)

Spring Spaces: Soaking Up the Sunlight

Plants are beginning to peek above the soil; open windows welcome the fresh breeze; sidewalks and backyards are filled with neighbors gleefully emerging from hibernation. All of these signs can only point to one thing: spring has arrived in Minnesota! Few things compare to the joy that accompanies the changing seasons in the Midwest; there's nothing like enduring a long winter to make you appreciate the beauty of spring.

A thoughtfully designed home should remain enjoyable throughout every season, especially in a state like Minnesota where we often experience all types of weather within the same day. Whether you're cuddling with a blanket and a book in front of the fire in the morning to drinking lemonade porch side and grilling in the afternoon; you never know what you'll get here! Which is why we go to great lengths creating homes our clients will love living in all year long.

As the weather finally starts getting warmer (and colder, and then warmer again), we can't help but reflect on our favorite client spaces to soak up the sunlight and take in the fresh air. Check out these lovely spots below!

Defining your home office style

The home office is a hallmark of the modern floor plan. As working from home has become more popular, along with the continued emphasis on work-life balance and flexible schedules, dedicated home office spaces are more and more common. Much like professional habits and preferences run the gamut, home offices reflect a range of layouts and styles.

After collaborating with clients to create custom homes for years, we've seen endless approaches to office design. Some favor a family-friendly space; others may need an area that's worthy of hosting potential clients, or maybe all you crave is a small, informal nook. We love helping people build spaces around their lifestyle; we believe your home should match your actual day-to-day life.

If you're having trouble discerning your family's home office style, you might start narrowing things down by asking yourself some simple questions. Who will use the space most often? Do you need areas designed around multitasking? What sort of environment produces your best work? Still feeling stuck on your style? Browse through a few photos of our favorite client offices below!