One of our team’s perennial favorite topics of discussion is design trends. We love talking about what’s new in our industry, and what styles we’re seeing our clients pursue. Our favorite interior trend on the rise? Accent lighting!

The era of lifeless fixtures that merely blend into each room is long gone. Lighting now is all about adding a big or bold flash of style. We like to think of lights as the jewelry of the home; they’re a fun, standout accessory that lends a sense of personality to any room.

Overall, we’re seeing more and more homeowners select large-scale, glitzy, and dramatic light fixtures. However, beyond making a statement, lights are also an excellent way to balance spaces.

Whether it’s a different texture, color, pattern, or material that’s needed, accent lights are the perfect solution. Like the punctuation that structures a sentence, lighting can guide your eyes through a room or floorplan, seamlessly connecting separate design ideas.

Scroll through the images below to see our how our designers approach lighting throughout various projects. We think you’ll find their choices interesting and informative!

Building a new home from the ground up is an all-encompassing experience. No matter which side you may be on, contractor or homeowner, there are endless choices to make and details to process.

When Custom One’s president, Todd, began crafting a home for his own family, he knew he had a rare opportunity: experiencing his company as a client. The decision was a no-brainer, Todd jumped at the chance to create his new home with Custom One!

As an expert in the remodeling industry, Todd had an idea of what current materials and trends interested him most. However, as a father and husband, he also weighed which features and finishes most suited his family.

From the separate “wing” designed as the perfect hangout for his teenage sons to the security and shower systems with customized settings for him and his wife, Todd had a blast building their modern Woodbury home!

Want to dive deeper into Todd’s design process and see more photos of his breathtaking home? Click on the PDF links below the gallery to read the full article from our friends at Spaces Magazine – they did a fantastic job!

We’ve had an exciting and busy year at Custom One Homes! From The Parade of Homes to The Luxury Home Tour, to launching our Charity partnership with Make-A-Wish Minnesota and growing our staff; there have been countless joyful changes. However, it’s this most recent honor that fills us with the most humble appreciation, Woodbury residents voted us their Best Builder of 2017!

Our commitment to this community is deeply rooted, and this recognition means the world to us. What makes this award even more meaningful is knowing what stiff competition we were up against; the runners up in our category are impressive and talented professionals, we’re proud to be named alongside them.

Thank you again for this show of support, Woodbury. We love what we do, and are eager to continue growing, giving, and working in this community. Let’s build some more beautiful homes together!

The Midwest Magazine Luxury Home Tour came to close this past weekend. Although we know a lovely family is eager to make this place their home, we’ll admit, we’re sad to see this event come to an end. Sharing our team’s exceptional craftsmanship is one of the highlights of our work. Thanks to everyone who came out to visit, explore, and chat with us – we’ve had a blast!

If stopping by didn’t fit into your schedule, don’t fret, consider this blog post your all-access, virtual tour. Browse through the images below to get a glimpse of this breathtaking home, all from the comfort of your couch; no ticket necessary! From top to bottom, each space is a flawless blend of modern trends and timeless luxury.

Midwest Home Luxury Home Tour
Home Number #7 (more details)
7632 Glen Alcove, Woodbury, MN 55129
June 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 2017 | 12-6pm each day
Ticket Information

The summer has arrived, it’s the time of year for weekend excursions and fun adventures. If design-gazing is your idea of an afternoon well spent, then we’ve got good news, the Midwest Magazine Luxury Home Tour begins this weekend!

Consider yourself invited to visit our home, model #7, in Woodbury’s Autumn Ridge neighborhood. This sophisticated home is ideally suited to the young family ready to fill it with their memories.

Built on a sprawling two-acre lot surrounded by mature pine trees, this family has plenty of room to grow in the 5,300 square foot home. Just a mere mile from East Ridge High School, this cozy retreat is sure to be the perfect teenage hangout spot!

If you’re planning to visit, make sure to purchase tickets first through the link listed above. Lastly, check back on our blog in the coming weeks to see more images of this stunning home!

One the most appealing aspects of building a custom home is the opportunity to tailor spaces to your family’s unique lifestyle. For many parents, in particular, that means creating rooms and areas that reflect the interests of their children. There is nothing like the joy of watching your child discover the passions, talents, and activities that make them tick; every parent wants to see their kids pursue what they love.

Since no family or child is the same, it’s no wonder we’ve seen every variety of playful and personalized kids space under the sun. Whether designing a studio suited to a Prima ballerina in training or a sports court equipped for a future MBA All-Star; from creative craft spaces to inspiring playrooms to calm study spots; if you can dream it, we can do it!

Besides building bedrooms for future artists, chefs, and engineers, we also create spaces that facilitate that elusive parental desire: family time. We love designing places where families can relax and enjoy each other’s company; rooms ready for cozy movie nights, epic Monopoly faceoffs, and every teen’s favorite neighborhood hangout.

Trends will always be rising and falling in popularity, but certain design shifts have an undeniable influence. The biggest home architecture change of the modern era? We would have to point to the progression towards open floor plans. Beyond being a matter of preference, open concept plans have become the new baseline of family dwellings. For proof, look no further than this article about them on Houzz – at the time it was published over 600,000 photos of open-plan interiors could be found on the site. Obviously, this trend has some legs if it has become so widely admired!

A huge majority of our clients incorporate elements of open-living into their homes. In essence, an open floor plan removes the walls that traditionally separated main level family spaces. Instead of closing off more formal rooms, these homes apply a distinctly holistic mindset to everyday settings. Open floor plans encourage free flowing, casual family time. As a result, a wide range of activity coincides in these multifaceted spaces.

Beyond increased community and interaction, open concepts are remarkably convenient. Parents don’t need to fret about kids getting into trouble in the next room anymore. With everyone gathered together, multitasking things like meal prep and homework monitoring becomes a far more achievable undertaking. The same goes for hosting guests – no one’s removed from the action!

Last but not least, flowing layouts look good. A lack of separation between rooms makes homes feel spacious and bright. Design choices also become more cohesive and harmonious; different areas truly function as pieces of a whole. We love helping our clients create open plans that reflect their unique lifestyles and tastes – peruse some of our favorite finished spaces below!

Building a custom home is all about choices. Instead of settling for a pre-packaged set of finishes, a custom home client has a passion for creating something uniquely their own. Each decision reflects a specific lifestyle. Every furnishing expresses a distinct taste. Savvy observers of rising home trends, we know our clients bring a lot of knowledge to the table! However, it remains our job to stay educated and informed on all things design.

One element of design we feel most strongly about? Color. Often misused and abused (we’ve all seen those homes, right?), when approached with thoughtfulness color can transform any space. In the hands of a skilled designer, color is a secret weapon – it brings places to life! Color influences how we process environments and helps shape our moods. Warm tones make us feel welcomed or stimulated, while cool hues promote relaxation and serenity.

Picking a room’s color scheme may come naturally since it often flows from your home’s overall style. However, we find that people often miss the boat on color’s most useful attribute: providing balance. Bright, bold, and playful pops of color are the icing on the cake – the finishing touch that brings a room together! We can’t help thinking that the experts at Pantone were on the same wavelength when they picked their 2017 color of the year. Their lively shade, greenery, brings a rejuvenating burst of nature indoors!

Our designers often use plants to complete the look of our client’s spaces. They’re the perfect accent to add color, texture, and variety to any interior. Well-placed floral and botanical arrangements especially help to break up more neutral homes. Their striking colors draw your eye and guide it through the room. Browse below at more excellent examples of rooms finished with a bright dose of greenery!

December is here and the holidays have officially arrived! Often marked by memories and merriment, the period from Thanksgiving to New Year’s can also be incredibly stress filled. Schedules are jam-packed with parties. Errands occur on a non-stop loop. Festive treat-baking is an expectation. All of these extra seasonal activities can be meaningful and lovely, but they don’t leave a lot of time for relaxing.

Want to know the perfect holiday refuge? A beautiful master bathroom. Think about it; the bathroom is a private, intimate, often solitary place. You already spend a considerable amount of time there each day, why not build in a little breathing room around the holidays for extra soothing bubbles baths? If baths aren’t your style, maybe your me-time is taking longer showers while enjoying a favorite podcast? Or perhaps you add a simple rotation of stretches to your morning routine? It doesn’t matter what you choose, as long as it helps keep you centered and mindful in the midst of the holiday hustle!

Designing a custom home is all about creating your version of everyday luxury. We cannot think of a better place to define what that means than in one of your home’s most functional spaces. The best part? Whatever a relaxing master suite looks like is completely up to you! There are zero rules in this game, no hidden agenda or dictated requirements. (Unlike that corporate holiday party that you’re dreading having to attend.) From soaking tubs to rain showers, our clients tastes truly run the gamut. Feast your eyes on some of our favorite swoon-worthy master baths below!

Interior design trends are certainly a reflection of their time. From shag carpets to wood paneling, pastel appliances to subway tile, each era’s major style touchstones are products of that culture. When it comes to modern interior design trends, there’s no doubt that the kitchen is the current epicenter. Why the kitchen? One only needs to look at the rise of chef influenced pop-culture for the answer. Food Network, cooking blogs, magazines, and Pinterest are all thriving hives of culinary inspiration!

It’s no wonder then that chef-worthy upgrades are popping up in more and more home kitchens. Today’s serious home chef is no culinary novice. It makes perfect sense that they crave kitchens that keep up with their level of skill! If your space is feeling ill-equipped to match your ambitions, read on below to discover our favorite chef-style, kitchen upgrades!

Ambitious Islands. We cannot sing the praises of well-planned islands enough – they’re the perfect catch-all kitchen space! Whether you need space for food prep, hidden appliances, organized storage, or a buffet area for hosting; islands are your best bet.

Designated Areas. Mimic the masters on this one and design your kitchen with different task-specific areas in mind. For example, if your island is veggie chopping central, then equip it with what you’ll need. Install a small sink for rinsing produce, store your knives and cutting boards there, and make sure the trash is handy for scraps!

Smart Storage. A classic hallmark of any restaurant kitchen is open, easy-access cookware storage. Whether you implement open shelves or hanging pots and pans, these simple solutions keep your tools at your reach when they’re most needed!

Personal Touches. If you’re going to the trouble of designing a state-of-the-art kitchen, then make sure it suits your needs. If you’re a master baker, then splurge on double ovens. If pasta is your passion, then install a stovetop faucet. If hosting is your jam, then go all-out on a custom bar. Do what works for you and your lifestyle!