New Eras

Posted on by sarahgrend

I LOVE Summer. I call myself Summer Sarah because I thrive the most in summer. I love the busyness of it, I love the longer days, the tan skin, the warmth of the sun, traveling, there is just a freedom of summer that I love.

Now that Fall is entering I am starting to love the slow down. The routine. The sounds of the crickets. The cooler mornings. The warm colors. New new wardrobe.

As Summer is slipping away, and Fall is stumbling upon us, it really makes me realize what I love about the new seasons. How Each season gives us a new chance to reset

Think about new goals.

Think about how we want to feel.

Think How we want to look.

Think about what we want to do.

Each season we can choose to enter a new era. I say era because of Taylor Swift. I was able to go to her concert this summer with my daughter and her friends. What a great experience! Even at 42, I loved every single moment of it. I love how Taylor’s Era Tour showed us how you grow and evolve. How you don’t have stay in one era, And each new season gives us the chance to do that.

So.

What are you waiting for?

How do you want to feel this fall?

How do you want to look?

What do you want to do!

What are your new goals.!?

The best thing about life. Is YOU get to choose. YOU get to choose how YOU feel, look, what YOU do and what YOUR goals are!

G O A L S

You can always start with how you want to feel when you walk into your home. Is it seeing warmer colors? Then Add some new throw pillows and fall stems. Is it the smell? Purchase a fall candle!

I love doing a fall refresh in our home! Little things can make a big difference.

How do you want to look? How I dress each day reflects on how I feel. I work from home, but I normally choose an outfit that I can go to a meeting in if need to. This way I am also motivated all day. Each season gives us a chance to enter in a new era!!

You can make a fall bucket list! Make sure you get all your favorite fall things on there! And something new!

What are you waiting for!

Sarah Grendahl

What Are You Waiting For

Posted on by sarahgrend

I am going to interrupt our normal home building posts for something personal. 💫

Two events in my adult life that have made a huge impact on me.

The passing of my dear friend Geoffrey, in 2013, she was 31 just shy of 32. She was a true Joy. And often very sarcastic which made her really funny. She was the honest best friend we all need in our lives.

I got the news of her passing one morning in a hotel. We were in Bismarck looking at a new house. Thinking of moving there. My last text to her was, “we just walked through our new home! “ I knew she would be just as excited as I was. Because that’s the friend she was. I never got a reply. But I know she pushed me to make the decision to make an offer on that house and redirect the path of our lives. I never even imagined how good our life would be in Bismarck.

10 years later, march 2023, I get a phone call while working in my new home office,

“Sarah. I have some bad news to share, Mark Trogstad passed away”.

Mark is my cousin. He was only in his 40s. He has twins, Macies age (17), he and his wife Jenny were high school sweethearts, best friends. That hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt like I could be living that exact same scenario.

We went to his funeral and got to experience the love of their family. The bond of their family. The strength of their family. It really touched me. I remember looking around feeling their love and support for one another. My heart aches for Jenny, Marks wife. And his two kids. I know they are being held up by so much Love and strength. I believe Mark now gets to watch over them. And orchestrate great things for them and his whole family.💫

That experience really changed me again. This proved to me,

Life can be short or long.

We don’t know.

I want to feel and share happiness every single day. I want to feel and share love. Every single day.

I am a dreamer. And I have a lot of dreams and plans for what we can do with our business, the places we can travel to, and the memories we can make as a family. I want to experience it all.

So what am I waiting for?

I want us to be a powerful example to our kids, who are now young adults. I want to show them that you can do anything. And anything is possible. It does take work. And believing in yourself. It takes mistakes, and imperfections, But once you can break down your own walls. That is a powerful thing.

There’s so much to be happy about.

If you are having a bad day.

Think of a happy memory.

Feel that memory.

I promise you.

You’ll will change your own day. 💫

What are you waiting for? 🙌🏻

Sarah Grendahl

Owner of Grendahl Design Co

Don’t settle for a cookie cutter home.

Posted on by sarahgrend

DONT SETTLE a FOR COOKIE CUTTER

Are you tired of compromising on your dream home?

Don’t settle for a cookie-cutter house that doesn’t meet your unique needs and tastes.

Experience the process of building a custom home where every detail of your home is tailored to your lifestyle and preferences.

From the layout to the finishes, our team is here to bring your vision to life.

Say goodbye to the limitations of pre-built homes and say hello to the home you’ve always imagined!

Roger and Sarah Grendahl

Visualize This

Posted on by sarahgrend

How are we set apart from the rest. Let me explain!

I like to say I have the gift of visualization. While many homeowners can’t picture something, I can see it all before it comes to life. And this is where I come in handy!

  • I am able to imagine a home in my head before putting it on paper. It’s like having a dream board in my mind allowing myself to visualize the design of the home.
  • Instead of using other home designs or tv shows as inspiration, I love to rely on elements like color pallets, wood tones and light fixtures to spark my creativity.
  • Nature can inspire interior design by providing a rich source of colors, materials on, patterns, textures, and shapes. By incorporating these elements, designers can create spaces that evoke a sense of tranquility, harmony, and connection to the natural world.
  • Colors: The colors found in nature can serve as inspiration for an interior color palette. Earthy tones like greens, browns, and blues can create a calming and soothing atmosphere, while vibrant colors like yellows and oranges can add energy and warmth.
  • Materials: Natural materials such as wood, stone, and bamboo can be incorporated into interior design to bring an organic and rustic feel. These materials not only add visual interest but also create a connection to the natural world.
  • Patterns and Textures: Nature is filled with intricate patterns and textures that can be replicated in interior design. Examples include floral patterns, leaf motifs, and animal prints. These elements can be incorporated through wallpaper, fabrics, and accessories to add visual interest and create a sense of harmony.
  • Organic Shapes: Nature is filled with organic shapes that can be replicated in interior design. From curved furniture to flowing drapes, these shapes can create a sense of comfort and relaxation.
Sarah Grendahl is the lead designer for Grendahl Design Co. She loves inspiring people and believes in making life’s better!

The Messy Stuff

Posted on by sarahgrend

👋🏻 I know this construction photo doesn’t make our feed look glamorous, or high end or make you want to move in, but this is real time stuff.

This is what the process a home build goes through to get the perfect photo in the end. But in reality, that perfect photo in the end isn’t real either, It’s reality for a moment…Until dinner time…. 😏

The truth is, we all love to click the heart on a perfect photo. But to get there, we get through the messy stuff first.

From now on, I’d like to show more of the messy stuff. The Process. The ups and downs, because that’s what it is. Construction is messy and unpredictable at times, but it’s also so rewarding! We are here for it all!

You’ll also get to see that “perfect” finished photo In the end too, because good design is art. And photography is art, and art is meant to be shared. 🤎

𝒮𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒽

The Building Journey Continues

Posted on by sarahgrend

Its only been about 8 weeks since my last entry during the Building journey at our Mabel Two Story, but so much has happened! This house is now onto the finish stages. My last entry we were ready for our sub contractors to begin with the rough in of plumbing, electrical and HVAC. All of those have been completed, along with insulation, sheetrock, tape/textured walls and painting!

The cabinets are also all installed, and doors and trim. The kitchen cabinets are a combination of wood and painted cabinetry. I love how they compliment each other. The walls are painted a light grey that mirrors the kitchen island. Carrara quartz countertops will pull everything together. I am very excited to see this space come together. Tile work has also begun on the master bathroom shower.

While work has been continued on the inside, we have also had work continue on the exterior. The stone has been installed. I have to say, this stone is my favorite stone installs to date. It’s a simple white stacked stone, and it just makes the home feel so pretty. The siding is almost complete. I love how the combinations of the different textures of siding came together.

In the next coming weeks, this house will be finished and become a HOME! We have flooring to be installed, tile work, stone fireplace, and painting of doors and trim. There is also the trim out of electrical, HVAC and plumbing to be completed. And of course there is always the finishing touches as well.

We started digging this house mid July. Its amazing how quickly this house has come together. All of our pre planning has paid off. Roger has managed this project so well to keep everything moving along, and all of our sub contractors and suppliers have done such a great job at helping us achieve our goal. We are very thankful for that. Our goal and intention was to design and build a beautiful and functional home that someone could see as their own. We are SO thankful to say, this home is under contract! My heart is so happy knowing that a family sees this house as their home.

I named this floor plan after my grandma, and I know she is cheering us on, and I am pretty sure she had a helping hand in all of this as well. Stay tuned in the next coming weeks for the finished photos of this home.

Sarah Grendahl
Designer / AAS Interior Design

The Geoffrey Home

Posted on by sarahgrend

During the first couple months of this new normal we live in, we went on a lot of walks around our subdivision. When we go on walks, I love to seek out potential lots to build on. I know that finding the perfect lot plays such an important role in someone choosing to purchase a home. We’ve walked past this corner lot many, many times. One day, Roger and I both said to each other, what about this lot? The grass was high, and overgrown, so it was hard to really see the potential it had. When we walked to the middle of the lot and looked out the back, we both said YES, this is it. Well maybe I had to convince Roger a bit, but I knew this was the lot. The view is gorgeous out the back, and its private.

This floor plan, called The Geoffrey, is a combination of homes we’ve already built. I love the main floor layout of the Mabel Two Story plan. So I started there, and then the rest just developed. There are 3 bedrooms on the main floor and 2 bathrooms, and 3 more bedrooms on the lower level! It was also developed based on the lot. We wanted it to be a walk out lower level, and fully finished, so a large family could move right in. This home is all about the view out back. Three 7′ high windows in the living room are the main feature of this home, along with 10′ high ceilings in the living room.

The interior of this home is coastal craftsman design style. I love blues, greens, wood tones and clean lines. Its a timeless and classic style that can combine with many styles. I spend a lot of time making sure the design of these homes feel right. I’ve had a couple of design drafts, but none of them have felt perfect. This one is the right fit.

I also love naming our floor plans. The Geoffrey (pronounced Jo free) is after a dear friend. Her whole outlook on life was choosing joy. She taught me so much about life, we were childhood friends, and that developed into our friendship as adults. I will always be grateful for our friendship and her outlook on life. I feel so much Joy when I get to see one of our projects come to life. It makes me so happy seeing every stage of the home come alive. I know Geoffrey would be so excited to watch these homes go up and see us grow as a company. She was always so supportive.

This home is currently being framed right now, and FOR SALE! We’ve had some windy weather setbacks, but It should be fully framed soon! This home is located on 8010 Country Hills Drive. You can check out the listing here. https://www.bismarckmandanhomes.com/Listing/8010-Country-Hills/20210105142557149298000000

The Building Journey

Posted on by sarahgrend

Designing a custom, build-to-sell home, is one of my favorite things to do. I love to imagine how a family would use the space. I am always drawn to a clean and classic design style. I love the craftsman/coastal design with clean lines and a light and airy feel, but also adding in something special you don’t find in any other build to sell home.

I take something from each of our past builds and grow from that. Whether its a style I loved from a past build, and I’ll use it in the next one, or something that I know I could make better, and I’m able to improve on it for the current build. Each house we do I say, “This one is my Favorite!” My daughter reminds me that I make that comment on every house. That is always my goal, to make each one the best one yet!

This all brings me to our most recent built, the Mabel Two Story being built at 7732 Country Hills Drive in NE Bismarck. This home is completed with framing, windows, doors and shingles! I smile every time I walk into this house. It is so spacious and open! This floor plan is inspired from our personal home. I love how our home functions, and I used the best parts of our home and put it into this plan!

3D Concept of the home

7732 County Hills Drive

Now that the house is framed, we all get to sigh a big sigh of relief! SO much work goes into this point of a build. Roger is great at managing our projects. Everything has to line up (almost perfectly) with sub contractors, and supply houses, and sometimes it doesn’t always go as planned, but often it does! We’ve learned to adapt, and that is just part of building. Seeing a house standing, fully framed, sheeted with a roof, is such a reward! You finally get to see the plan on paper finally come to life!

Up to this point, most of the interior finishes have been selected. The cabinets, flooring, and shower tile are all chosen. This makes the project run smoother by having everything selected. I always like to bring the materials to the project to see it in the natural lighting before ordering. I may make minor adjustments, but most of the time, its good to go.

Warm and cool tones will be mixed in this design pallet, with accents of black

I’ve also chosen the exterior materials and colors. This seems to be the hardest for me when designing a built to sell home. It needs to have great curb appeal in order for a potential family to want to come see what’s inside!

The plumber, electrician, and HVAC will be roughing in next, and then the insulators will come. Once that is all complete, the drywall will go up and its time to pick out paint colors! I like to do this once the drywall is up and I can take the paint deck to the house. I always choose the paint color at the build. Paint can look so different, so its important to see it in the home with the natural lighting.

Once we get to the point of a home with drywall and paint, I will keep you posted as to what is next! Stay tuned! You can also follow along on our Instagram @grendahldesignco

This house is for sale! If you are interested in viewing it you can follow the link. https://www.bismarckmandanhomes.com/Listing/7732-Country-Hills-Drive/20200811043412159518000000

Casual and Elegant

Posted on by sarahgrend

If you summed up my style, it would be casual and comfort, with a little elegant mixed in. My goal is to always make a home feel inviting and comfortable. This is very important when we are designing a home to sell. I want someone to walk in and feel at home.

These photos are from our last build to sell project. We had Glasser Images capture these photos right when it went on the market. We are happy to say it sold in just 3 weeks! The new owners have made this house their home, and we love seeing that!