Thomsen Homes design

Heidi Toso: Small Town Girl With a Big Look on Life & Design

April 16, 2019 by Lauren Stonehouse

Mix together a little spunk, attitude, persistence, hats of all kinds and a wealth of design knowledge and you have the perfect recipe for Heidi Toso. Heidi came to Thomsen Homes from High End Custom Homes and production 3.5 years ago and where would we be without her? She is the bread and butter of everything design here at Thomsen and with the design team, she makes your dreams come to life! You can catch her lakeside in the summers with her family, winding down with a cold one. You might even see her walking her cute dogs around town! Get to know Heidi and what she’s all about below!

1. Name three words that you describe you. Small Town Girl

2. Do you have any hidden talents or skills? I make a mean pan of pumpkin bars, I used to be one heck of a slalom water skier & synchronized swimmer and I can float in the water for hours- effortlessly!

3. If you could be anywhere other than here, right this minute, where would you be? On an remote beach with sun & sand (and a cold beverage) or Las Vegas – can’t decide between the 2, love em’ both!

4. Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What did you want to be when you grow up? A veterinarian. I have just love animals and should probably live on a hobby farm!

5. My favorite word in the English language is? Curmudgeonly or cantankerous!

6. If you were a superhero, what super power would you have? Time Travel

7. What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working? Spending time with family & relaxing at the lake

9. What would be your personal motto? “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than b the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

10. Choose a movie title for the story of your life. The pursuit of happiness

11. What, or who, are you a “closet fan” of? Adam Thielen. Love that he is a small town MN guy making it for himself (it helps that’s he’s a MN Viking as well)

12. Look at your last song listened to. What is it? “Your Song” by Elton John

13. What’s a typical day like for you at work? Hmm….typical is the abnormal, what’s typical even mean?! Haha. Every day is different and every day is an adventure. Seriously – some of my time is spent designing, but majority of my time is customer service, project management and Team Management.

14. What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job? Diverse Background from High End Customs homes to Production and many years of experience in the home building industry wearing lots of hats throughout the years!

15. What do you love most about your job? The people I get to work with every day and the relationships I have created with staff and designing new floor plan layouts/options!

Shelby Gustafson’s Got the “Gusto” For All Things Design

April 5, 2019 by Lauren Stonehouse

Shelby is a North Dakota native from Mandan (the better side of the river). She graduated from Northland Community & Technical College and was the winner of the Forx Builders Association & NC&TC Project House Design contest in which she perfected a rambler home, eventually built in East Grand Forks. Shelby has been with Thomsen for two years now and has grown from Design Specialist Assistant to a Design Specialist, meaning she now takes on her own clients and helps them with decisions throughout the build. She has an awesome way of connecting with clients and will make sure your build is exciting and unforgettable. Get know Shelby some more below!

Name three words that you describe you. Sincere, FUNNY, Organized.
Do you have any hidden talents or skills? I’m actually a pretty good cook!
If you could be anywhere other than here, right this minute, where would you be? I would probably be in my bed, snuggled up in the blankets, taking a nap.
Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What did you want to be when you grow up? I’m about 65% sure I wanted to be a Doctor, until I realized how much school I would have to go to.
My favorite word in the English language is? A lot of 4-letter words, but hey, I work in construction!
If you were a superhero, what super power would you have? Being able to eat whatever I wanted and not gain weight, or feel crappy!
What are you happiest doing, when you’re not working? Anything with my family.
What would be your personal motto? Being called weird is like being called limited edition. It means you’re something people don’t see that often. Remember that.
Choose a movie title for the story of your life. Dumb & Dumber
What, or who, are you a “closet fan” of? Guy’s Grocery Games
Look at your last song listened to. What is it? The Bones – Maren Morris, obsessed!
What’s a typical day like for you at work? Coffee, emails, coffee, meeting, coffee, lunch, meeting, coffee, emails, coffee.
What do you think are the best skills that you bring to your job? A coachable attitude, open mindedness, and a good joke here and there.
What do you love most about your job? The people I work with, we truly are one big family.

Ready to start your own build? Give us a call at 701.478.3000 or check out ThomsenHomesLLC.com for more information!

Preview Night – Join Us!

January 31, 2019 by Lauren Stonehouse

Thomsen Homes has a new office! We’re excited to host our Thomsen Homes Preview Night on Thursday, February 19th. This event goes from 4-7 pm and we would love to see you there! Get a tour of our brand new Design Studios and chat with our sales team. Are you looking for a new home? Perhaps a friend or family member is on the hunt? Bring them with! Already, built with Thomsen Homes? Come join us and we can chat about our referral program. You can also enter to win a $500 gift card from Eco Chic! We can’t wait to see you there!

Create a smart Home With Samsung’s SmartThings

July 16, 2017 by admin

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 admin

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.

Amber and Dustin’s Thomsen Moment

May 23, 2017 by Lauren Stonehouse

When you know… you just know. That’s exactly how Amber and Dustin felt when they walked into a Thomsen model home. Within hours they decided to put their home on the market and build with Thomsen Homes.

Ideas and Inspiration

The couple came with a vision of what they wanted and that vision became a reality. With their two pups, and plenty of room to play fetch this couple built their beautiful home and started their Thomsen Moment. Watch their story here…

Let’s Get Cooking – Kitchen Design and Storage

May 19, 2017 by admin

The kitchen is the heart of your home; where family meals are made, cookies with grandma are baked and memories are created. When designing your kitchen with Thomsen Homes, there are many design options to consider before your interior design meeting and this post is all about kitchen storage. Below are some tips to help you create a spacious kitchen.

Open Shelving

Using open shelves is a popular trend in 2017. You can use floating shelves for décor, dishes and bakeware. You can’t go wrong with this clean and simple look.

Oversized Island

An oversized island provides extra cabinetry and storage. Who doesn’t need more storage?

Large Walk-in Pantry

A large pantry is every chef’s (and neat fanatic’s) dream. A large pantry provides so much storage opportunities thus you can keep your countertops clear of clutter. Not to mention the organization you can have in your new pantry. The possibilities are endless!

Drawers

Large drawers add another option to cabinetry. Drawers add lots of space and keeps items easily organized. They work great for dishes, pots and pans, tupperware containers, small appliances, etc.

Double Stacked Cabinets

Double stacked upper cabinets are not only pleasing to look at; they add additional storage for stowing away non-essential items. These cabinets can be hard to reach so storing unused items here may be beneficial or keep a step stool close by.

Built-in Pantry

If a walk-in pantry isn’t an option in your kitchen, a built-in pantry adds an extra storage area. Thomsen Homes can create built-in pantries of all sizes to fit your needs.

Buffet

Adding a buffet to your dining space is a great way to add additional storage cabinetry is cohesive with your kitchen cabinetry. This is an excellent place to store any unused dishes and seasonal items that you may use around the Thanksgiving table.

Built-in Microwave/ Range Hood

When adding a hood over the range, many clients ask where to place their microwave. There are many options for microwaves such as built into the island, side cabinetry or in a built-in cabinet pantry.

Trash Pull-out

Who wants an unattractive trash can sitting around their brand-new kitchen? Adding a trash pull-out is the perfect alternative. Whether you want a pull-out in your island or by your sink, your cabinetry is tailored to fit your needs.

These are just a few ideas for your new kitchen. You can find even more images and inspiration in our gallery.

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.