Design Studio

How to prepare for your design appointments

July 28, 2017 by Chelsey Freng

When building a Thomsen Home, you will have two design appointments with your design specialist. This step can be overwhelming for some people, use our tips below to help prepare for your design appointments.

Before Your Appointment

Create a list of everything you want to include in your home and be prepared to remove some things (or even add a few). Our design specialists recommend adding items to your home that will be harder to add later on, such as a gas line rough in for a future fireplace. Gather ideas from Pinterest and Houzz to help spark some creative ideas. You can even print these off or save them on your phone or tablet to show your design specialist during your appointment.
Calculate your budget. Let your Design Specialist know what your budget is up front. They will be able to take your budget into consideration when helping you select certain options for your home.
Consider your lifestyle and needs such as children, pets, storage, large kitchens, entertaining, etc when thinking about options to add to your home.
Consider these questions before your appointment:
- What area of your home do you spend the most time in? How about the second most?
- Do you entertain friends or family in your home? If so, what features do you wish you had to enhance the entertaining experience?
- Consider the exterior of your home – What colors are you leaning towards? Do you prefer brick or stone?
- Do you feel as though you never have enough storage in your home? If so, where do you feel you need more? Kitchen/Pantry, bathroom, laundry room, mudroom, master closet?

During Your Appointment

Bring your own samples of fabric swatches from your furniture, curtains, etc. Having a visual of what your décor pieces look like might help you decide on what selections you choose for your home.
Once you select your samples during your design appointment, take pictures of the samples for future planning and decorating ideas.

After Your Appointment

Once your design appointments are done, you can sit back and relax while your home is being built!

If you’re looking for more design tips and trends, check out our design section on the blog.

A new level of value: LP SmartSide Siding

July 20, 2017 by Chelsey Freng

This week Thomsen Homes announced our new level of value by including a sod yard, appliances, deck or patio, and LP SmartSide siding in every one of our homes. We are excited about this opportunity for our clients!

You may be wondering what LP SmartSide siding is. Below is a snippet from a brochure from LP SmartSide explaining how LP SmartSide siding compares to traditional vinyl siding.

LP SmartSide Siding: The Next Generation of Siding

LP® SmartSide® trim and siding products are made from premium engineered wood for exceptional durability and beauty. Unlike wood siding, LP SmartSide products provide the protection you need from the elements. Smart homeowners know LP SmartSide trim and siding products are the right choice for lasting curb appeal.

Defining A Beautiful Home

LP SmartSide trim and siding help give your home the warm, natural look of real cedar without the worries. It’s an upgrade from vinyl siding and a beautiful, durable alternative to fiber cement. Plus, LP SmartSide products are the perfect accent to brick, stone or stucco homes. With an extensive array of siding profiles, available in either cedar wood grain or smooth textures, you can make your home the ultimate reflection of your unique style. Tough From The Inside Out SmartSide® trim

Tough From The Inside Out

Every LP SmartSide product is manufactured with our proprietary SmartGuard® process to help resist decay, fungi and termites in even the harshest environments. To prove it, LP SmartSide products are subjected to intense performance testing in Hilo, Hawaii. Our samples are still performing after experiencing conditions comparable to decades of harsh exposure.

A Warranty That Protects Peace of Mind

All LP SmartSide products come backed with an industry-leading, transferable, limited warranty.* It’s the kind of warranty that protects your investment and peace of mind.
• 5-Year 100% Labor & Replacement on LP SmartSide Trim and Siding
• 50-Year Prorated Limited Warranty on LP SmartSide Trim and Siding Substrate

*See www.lpcorp.com for complete warranty details.

Simply A Smarter Choice

• Made of an engineered wood substrate, a renewable resource with a reduced environmental impact.
• LP® uses SFI(R) certified forest management and procurement systems, which help ensure wood comes from well managed forests.
• A cleaner, more efficient installation process with no silica dust, unlike fiber cement products.

There are so many reasons to have LP SmartSide trim and siding installed on your home. It’s a beautiful choice that helps add true craftsmanship and warm appeal to any style of home. View more brochures and information here.

Want to learn more information on the process of building with Thomsen Homes and details on a new level of value? Contact Nate or Jessica to learn more.

Create a smart Home With Samsung’s SmartThings

July 16, 2017 by Chelsey Freng

If you haven’t heard of Samsung’s SmartThings, look it up right now! Seriously. This innovative new device from Samsung can astonishingly turn your Thomsen home into a smart home. In simple terms, it is a home automated system that you can connect your phone via Samsung’s app, Google Home or Amazon’s Alexa to control your lights, garage doors, cameras, door locks, thermostat, blinds and more.

Centralized Hub

The heart of Samsung’s SmartThings is their centralized Hub.

“The Hub communicates with all of your different connected products – regardless of their wireless protocol – so that you can easily monitor and control them from the SmartThings app. The Hub contains ZigBee and Z-Wave radios, and is also compatible with IP-accessible devices. There’s no hard-wiring or installation needed. Simply connect it to your Internet router using the included Ethernet cable, attach the power cord to the back of the Hub, and you’re ready to start creating a safer, smarter home.”

By using the Samsung’s SmartThings Hub, compatible devices (outlets, light switches, etc) and the app, you can control just about anything in your home. For example, you can program specific lights to turn on when you unlock your front door. You can also set your early morning routine in the app to gently turn on the lights and music, as well as start your coffee machine before you even wake up. According to SmartThings.com, plug your iron into a SmartThings Outlet and you’ll be able to turn it off via the app or put a SmartThings Motion Sensor in your living room to turn off the lights. The SmartThings app will even alert you if there is a potential water leak or suspicious activity while you’re away. Complete your Smart Home by using Google Home or Alexa. Change your thermostat, turn on or off your lights or start music, all with the sound of your voice. The possibilities are endless! There’s no limit on the number of individual devices that you can connect to the Hub. View a complete list of products here.

Ask your Design Specialist on how to integrate SmartThings into your new Thomsen Home. Check out more design tips and trends here.

Design Trend: Navy Cabinetry

July 6, 2017 by Chelsey Freng

Navy cabinets are a growing trend in the interior design world. When incorporated correctly, this trend can create a classic, timeless look. Whether you are going for a farmhouse look or a modern feel, navy cabinetry can complement with various decor pieces to create any style.

Incorporating navy cabinets in the kitchen

When using navy cabinets in the kitchen, it is best to use the darker color on the base perimeter cabinets or accent with a navy kitchen island. Our design team recommends pairing darker base cabinets with white upper cabinets. When using a darker color on upper cabinets, this may create an unbalanced, top heavy feeling in your kitchen. Add a white granite or quartz countertop to create a well-balanced kitchen design. In your decor pieces, incorporate metals such as gold, nickel or copper items. This kitchen in our 2585 2-Story Model Home incorporates the custom navy blue base cabinets with white upper cabinetry. Accent pieces include nickel cabinet hardware, bronze lighting, and a mix of metal decor pieces.

Incorporating navy cabinets in the bathroom

If you’re going for a lighter, classic look, accent the dark cabinets in your bathroom with a lighter countertop. Choose either white, cream or a grey countertop. Thomsen Homes offers numerous granite and quartz countertops, as well as high-end laminate options. If you are creating a masculine bathroom, pair the navy cabinets with a darker countertop such as dark grey. Again, incorporate metals such as gold, nickel, or copper in your decor pieces, as well as lighting fixtures and cabinet hardware. This bathroom in our 1670 Rambler Model Home is a great example of how to decorate with navy cabinetry in the bathroom. Accent pieces include satin nickel cabinet hardware, lighting, plumbing fixtures, and bronze decor pieces.

Whether you decide to incorporate navy cabinetry in your bathroom or kitchen, you can’t go wrong with this classic design that adds a hint of color to your space. If you’re looking for more design trends, check out our design section on the blog.

Thomsen Homes collaborates with Grain Designs

May 10, 2017 by Lauren Stonehouse

Reclaimed wood. It’s rustic, unique and functional. Reclaimed wood’s distinctive appearance, it’s contribution to green building and the history of the wood’s origins make this growing popularity of using reclaimed wood for furniture, décor, sliding doors, feature walls and more.

Grain Designs

Midwestern boys through and through, the men of Grain Designs in Fargo, ND are passionate in what they do and it truly shows in their work. From what started as a need for apartment furniture, owners Blain Mikkonen and Grant Koenig took their background in architecture and design to create a company where they can create different pieces and see their ideas come to life.

Collaboration

Thomsen Homes is so excited to collaborate with the talented team from Grain Designs to offer our clients genuine custom designs that they can incorporate into their home. No matter what the home plan you are building Grain Designs can offer custom reclaimed wood paneling, doors, tables, mantels and more. When you meet with your design specialist at your interior selections appointment you can check out the design studio to get a glimpse of what options we have available.

Your home is a reflection of you. Your lifestyle. Your family. Our collaboration with Grain Designs is just another layer of opportunity to make your home unique to you and your family. Your moment is now.

How to Make Your Home Pet-Friendly

March 24, 2017 by Lauren Stonehouse

We all love our furry friends and want to make our home a pet-friendly place. There are different things you can do to incorporate a special space, or simple improvements in your new or existing home for your four legged companions.

Think pet-centric.

It’s important to consider your lifestyle, including your pet’s needs. Smart storage for food and toys and built-ins are a great way to keep your pet supplies and food organized.
A pet wash area in the mudroom or garage is a convenient way to keep your pet clean as well as your home.
Fencing your yard is another great option when you have pets to keep them safe and allow them to have some freedom to roam.
Our furry ones like to watch the outdoors so having a large window that they can look out and enjoy the sunshine is a nice addition to any home.

Having front door sidelights are a must-have for your guard dog or cat. Just another way for your cat or dog to know when you arrive home.

Select tough materials

Durable floors are a must-have for a pet-friendly home. We offer a laminate flooring with a matte finish and texture to help hide pet paw marks and making it easier on your pets from not slipping and sliding around the home.

Aside from being super soft the “resista” carpet options are great for repelling stains, they also have a ‘fleck’ coloring in them, which is super great for hiding hair in between vacuum dates.

Blush Décor: 3 Ways to Embrace This Trend

March 23, 2017 by Chelsey Freng

With a neutral color palette, mixing blush and gold throughout décor pieces is one of the latest trends taking over the design realm. This color combo has slowly been cropping up on Pinterest boards and design magazines for the last year and has already made a bold statement in 2017. You can find this color combo just about everywhere, including our Thomsen Home staged 1944 model home. Here are three ways to embrace the blush trend:

1) Bold Pieces

Adding bold pieces of either blush décor or gold (or both) will create a big impact in your space, such as this mirror and large piece of art. Add these pieces above your couch, headboard or a large open wall.

2) Adding Metallic

Not only is gold the perfect metallic to compliment pink/blush décor pieces, but also adding copper into the mix is another great alternative. Add copper pieces throughout the living room, bathrooms, bedrooms, or just about anywhere you can think of. The possibilities are endless! Think copper furniture, lighting fixtures, plumbing fixtures such as sink faucets or even add copper drawer pulls to dresser drawers. You can’t go wrong with adding copper with your gold and blush décor, but make sure you add enough statement pieces to make the copper items stand out, such as these kitchen accessories.

3) Adding small décor items

To make your blush/gold consistent throughout your space, add small details such as these blush throw pillows, gold tray, lamp and vase.

As long as you stick with a consistent color scheme, any décor idea will work in your space. View more blush decor photos here.

Thomsen Homes: Maria Bosak Home Staging Video Tips

March 16, 2017 by Lauren Stonehouse

Simplify. Advice from Maria Bosak with Eco Chic Boutique for staging a home. She suggests that using clean, simple pieces to bring the house to life is a great way to have people visualize how a space can function. Walking into an empty home can be a challenge for anyone to envision how that room, kitchen or any space in the home will function for their own family and lifestyle. Maria and her team take the floor plans for the Thomsen model homes and incorporate different themes, colors and classic pieces throughout the homes so people looking to build a Thomsen Home can get a sense of what could work in the home.