Crème de la Crème
MPLS St. Paul
March 16, 2023
In this pantry by Mark D. Williams, open shelves offer easy access and display-worthy organization. Brass gallery rails finish off the design—going beyond functional open storage.
Builders, architects, and designers bring homeowners’ dreams to life in stunning remodels and new builds, complete with luxurious finishes, swoon-worthy storage, and top-tier amenities.
Whether you dream in color or your nights are clad in shining Calacatta marble, local custom building and remodeling teams serve as your genie, making your wildest wishes a reality. From clever wine storage and color-washed cabinets to rock-climbing walls and wallpaper statements, these highest-end homes embody the luxe life and are curated to each homeowner’s needs and goals.
True Colors
Builder: Mark D. Williams Custom Homes
Architect: David Charlez Designs
Designer: Chirigos Designs
This three-story new build in Deephaven is certainly a full house. A young, active family of five needed a multifunctional home, able to entertain adults and serve as a hub for the kids and their friends. Though the expansive 7,200-square-foot home includes a theater, sport court, craft room, pool, sauna, billiards room, glass-enclosed wine room, and rock-climbing wall, the vibe is far from Versailles. “The client likes cozy spaces, so while the home flows really well, it’s not one large, open space,” says Mark Williams of Mark D. Williams Custom Homes. After a year and a half of construction, the completed project encompasses areas for entertaining “and plenty of places for the kids to have fun and play away from the parents.”
Color stories in various rooms come together to form a cohesive and expressive home: robin’s-egg blue in the laundry-craft combo room, emerald in the pantry, and indigo in the office. “I love the color binge in the home; [it] is very indicative of the clients’ fun, vibrant, inviting [personalities],” Williams says.
Adding the much-desired design punch, color knits together the segmented spaces. “As designers, we were so appreciative that the homeowner wanted color without impeding on lightness,” says Bridget Chirigos of Chirigos Designs. “Because there were so many separate specialty rooms, we could stay within a color palette that was cohesive but go big to create a different experience in each space.”
A white kitchen with wood accents is balanced by a basil-hued hidden pantry.
Pantry Envy
For their must-have pantry, the clients wanted a space that was both highly functional and beautiful but not visible from the kitchen. “It was a space for keeping catering out of view as well as much of the meal prep out of sight so the family could enjoy dinners without looking at the work done to make it,” Williams says.
“The deciding factor to go green was to separate the pantry from its big-sister kitchen while bringing in color that the homeowner desired throughout,” Chirigos says.
Suds, Rinse, Repeat
The light blue that washes the laundry room gives chores a boost of brightness. “And the kids are lured in to bring their dirty clothes,” Chirigos says.
A custom climbing wall plays to the kids’ Ninja Warrior fascination.
Rocks ’n’ Roll
Partway into the project, Williams pitched a climbing wall to the clients. In what was originally designated as unfinished storage space, Williams collaborated with Nicros, a St. Paul rock-climbing wall specialist, to design a recreation space. Inspired by his sister’s passion for climbing, Williams says, “I basically designed it as if it was my rock-climbing wall.” Capitalizing on the kids’ current Ninja Warrior fascination, he added a punching bag and rings. “She loves her kids, and given that this home took a year and a half, she really wanted them to be excited to move in,” he says. “The client said her kids use it every day and it’s one of the most-used places in the home.”
A leftover space becomes a glass-enclosed wine storage.
Wine Glass
“It was kind of an awkward space, given the layout of the rooms, and they didn’t need another room to sit in,” Williams says. Instead, the team transformed this staircase corner into statement wine storage.